Greens adopt Chas Ball as General Election candidate for Colne Valley

Chas Ball, Colne Valley

06 FEB 2010

Colne Valley Greens have adopted local resident and campaigner, Chas Ball, as parliamentary candidate for the general election. He works as a transport consultant and lives in Crosland Moor.

As Secretary of Town First, he has campaigned against proposals to build two huge supermarkets just outside the town centre and supported the Keep Holmfirth Special campaign against a proposed large Tesco in New Mill Road , Holmfirth. Town First has brought businesses, residents and community groups together to work for a vibrant, successful town centre.

He co-ordinated the campaign’s recent submission on the Huddersfield Area Action Plan. It made the case for concentrating on creating a lively town centre within the ring road, recognising the potential of our squares and courtyards and diverse independent businesses to create a uniquely attractive centre.

He has also challenged two high-profile planning-related issues, opposing the relocation of Kirklees NHS to Bradley Business Park because of its poor transport connections, and the plans by Leeds City Region to promote new housing in the flood risk areas of South Dewsbury as part of the planned eco-settlement.

He co-ordinated the Green Party’s detailed response to the Local Development Framework, proposing that growing more local food should take priority over house building. He is also a member of the Local Food group on Kirklees Environment Partnership.

Chas Ball was the founder in 1999 of pioneering car sharing company, City Car Club. As the first commercial car club operator in Britain , its operations centre was until recently run from the Media Centre in Huddersfield . He now works as a consultant on low carbon transport issues. He was previously director of the Leeds-based non-profit recycling consultancy, Save Waste and Prosper.

Associate, Richard Armitage Transport Consultancy
www.ratransport.co.uk

Chas Ball: