THE Green Party is hoping that this year will present it with a breakthrough in Basingstoke and Deane.

Party members are making a big push to grab seats in next month's borough council elections - contesting five of the 22 seats available on May 4.

This will be the first year the party has fielded candidates in the borough, and members are hoping that, if elected, they can do more to promote environmental issues and encourage the council to act on climate change.

The party does not have an official manifesto, but already has a list of aims it believes will improve the borough.

Local Green Party campaigner Darren Shirley says the party wants the borough council to be more committed to providing grants and information on insulation for homes in Basingstoke to improve energy efficiency.

The party also wants Basingstoke to be at the forefront of energy-efficient building design - whether it is for business, housing or even street lighting.

The candidates believe that one of the ways of achieving this is for more work to be done to involve local communities in climate change issues.

If elected, they would also push for a new Cabinet post to be created to deal with climate change and ecological sustainability in the borough.

Reducing dependence on the car in the borough by providing adequate public transport and pedestrian areas, and halting expansion of town centre car parking, are also targets for the Green Party in north Hampshire, as well as achieving a three per cent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions every year.

First published: Thursday, April 20, 2006