THE Green Group on Lancaster City Council is celebrating after gaining a new member - Heysham North councillor Patricia England.

Cllr England was previously a Morecambe Bay Independent but has defected and chosen to join the Greens as a Green Independent.

This leaves the Green Group with six members on the council compared to the largest group, the Independents, who have 21. Green Group Leader, Jon Barry, said: "We are delighted to welcome Pat as a member of the Green Group. She was elected at the same time as the five Green Party councillors in May 1999, and we have since found that we all share similar priorities - such as protecting and improving this district's environment, and fighting for better community facilities. We are sure that Pat will find our group co-operative and supportive, and we look forward to working with her."

Cllr England, who represents Heysham North, explained her decision: "The Green Group at the City Council have given me a lot of support over the past year. I am impressed by the way they work together on an equal basis. My interest in working closely with local communities, environmental and public health issues fits well with theirs. Joining the Green Group at Lancaster City Council means that I will have more say in a smaller group of councillors and better access to information."

She added: "Working with the Green Group means I can take action more effectively on behalf of the local people I represent. For example, and I will have more choice of committees and working groups and I intend to concentrate on Morecambe and Heysham with that choice. I am committed to the principle of Independence not party politics in the Town Halls. Political reform and improving civic relations remain a priority for our district."