The deputy leader of the Green Party of England and Wales visited York to help launch his party's local election campaign.

Zack Polanski met up with members of York Green Party on Monday to help drive home his party's policies ahead of the local council elections in York on May 4.

Mr Polanski said: "Elected Greens in York have already placed action on the climate emergency at the heart of the council’s policies, alongside supporting people with the cost of living crisis and protecting core services such as social care.

"With 47 candidates across York all voters have the opportunity to vote Green on May 4.

"I also really welcome the pledge to join up protecting nature and our green spaces with tackling loneliness and supporting better mental health alongside working towards zero carbon by 2030."

Andy D'Agorne, a lead candidate for the Greens in York, said the three Green councillors who have been sitting on City of York Council had "punched well above our weight on housing, transport and supporting our local communities".

He added: "With more Greens on the council we can do so much more to move forward on the most challenging obstacles we face in York. Supporting everyone through Covid has been an immediate priority, but we now have longer term economic, health and climate change strategies and a draft of a transport strategy that we can all get behind."

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Fellow lead Green candidate Denise Craghill said: "We have ensured that the council has the capacity to deliver the big changes needed for us to respond to both the climate crisis and the cost of living crisis, reducing energy bills and making healthy living accessible and affordable for all.

"We want to make sure that the benefits of climate action are shared by everyone. We will invest in making existing homes and businesses energy efficient, create new green jobs and a ‘no waste’ circular economy; improve air quality and health and support affordable local food, local purchasing and more repair and re-use."

The party claims a range of success including electric Park&Ride buses, new dial- a-ride minibuses, very low energy affordable new housing, a pollinator strategy with a council commitment to phasing out of chemical pesticide sprays on city streets, and £7-£8 million of funding so far for retrofitting existing homes to cut energy bills.

The party also says it is advocating a move away from the 'executive/ leader model to a more cross-party way of making council decisions, requiring all 47 councillors to have a responsibility in public decision-making meetings (rather than just nine executive members under the current system). This is system is known as the 'modern committee system' and is operated in Sheffield and Brighton.

The full local election manifesto will be available on the party website shortly.