The big question for at least one party member attending the Big Green Youth Rally in Brighton today (Saturday 2 May) was where to park.
Her colleagues said that parking charges were “astronomical” and that she used Hartington Road as it was free there.
Another suggested leaving her car in the “residential outer suburbs” and taking the bus in – the park and ride approach opposed by local party members.
Another said: “Brighton can be pretty bad for parking.”
The debate came in the lead up to the rally in Preston Park which is due to take place in Preston Park at 1.30pm today.
According to the event’s Facebook page, more than 120 people were invited and 50 are due to attend.
Caroline Lucas, who hopes to be re-elected as the MP for Brighton Pavilion, is due to speak along with comedian and writer Mark Steel.
The parking question came from Harriet Axbey, a teenager from New Malden, which is just 15 minutes from Clapham Junction by train.
On Monday she asked: “Is there parking? (Not very Green I know!!)”
Thom French, a Chichester and Bognor Green Party member, replied: “Brighton can be pretty bad for parking, but you should be able to find somewhere.”
Nick Scales, a party member from Surrey, said: “Best suggestion use Park & Ride at Withdean or residential outer suburbs and bus in.”
Portia Cocks, a candidate in Forest Row, which is less than 90 minutes from Preston Park on the 270 bus, said: “I park in Hartington Rd or somewhere in that area – it’s free.
“If you go much further into town you’ll have to pay the astronomical parking fees.”
Her candidate profile for the local elections said that she was an advocate of public transport.
She was, it said, a campaigner for the successful petition to include Green Party leader Natalie Bennett in the televised national party leader debates.
And it said: “Portia has been passionate about environmental issues in Forest Row and Sussex since completing a project on global warming at the age of 14.”
Good to see the youth of the green party leading by example – why couldn’t they arrange to come by public transport?
And I don’t really see why a group of 50 can be counted as a rally and why they needed to go to Preston Park – surely a small hall near to Brighton Station would have been big enough and would have encouraged travel by train, bus, or bike (using the new £1.5m bike hub).
Thought that Green’s used bikes and public transport – right load of rubbish being green
Park in Hanover. Its all free and the locals are friendly and inviting ha ha ha
Oh, this is too much! it’s almost too rich!
This reminds me of when Welsh Green Party leader Pippa Bartolotti DROVE all the way from Newport, South Wales, to attend the Green Party conference in Brighton in her Jaguar car. She was then observed storming around the lobby of the Metrople Hotel, complaining that she couldn’t find a space to park her Jag.
Roll-on May; make the Greens pay….
Good to have a laugh at ourselves, but disappointingly for the miners to and political opponents the Greens haven’t banned cars, nor will they and parking is a problem whoever you are. There are simply too many cars in the city and too much reliance on them.
@Hjarrs – you surely jest – I have never known any member of the green party to have a sense of humour.
True your party hasn’t banned cars – you’ve just intentionally made it more difficult and expensive for people with them to come into the city, and then not provided any satisfactory alternatives.