Blog
Shapps fails to halt killer motorways
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is wrong to claim Smart Motorways cannot be stopped. He could cancel the seven new schemes right now if he wanted to, to save lives and prevent rising carbon emissions. He should start with the proposed M6 J21a-26 scheme, which Highways England are currently promoting, with construction planned to start at the end of March. Our research shows Highways England continue to use the old unsafe design standards for this new scheme, with widely spaced emergency...
Wrecking ball threatens future travel plans
Guest blog by Graeme Bickerdike, The Historical Railways Estate Group One of the positive realities to emerge from lockdown was the enthusiasm shown by the great British public to set...
Wales leads the way
The UK Government should study the Welsh Government’s draft transport strategy closely as it prepares to publish its own long-awaited Decarbonising Transport Plan in the Spring. The Welsh draft strategy lasts up to 2040, and is an excellent document - one of the best we’ve seen from a public body....
Fix outdated roads rules
We’re challenging the Government again, this time on its outdated roads policy ("National Policy Statement for National Networks"). This sets out the Government’s view on road building and how major road schemes are judged in the planning system. It’s this policy that allows the Department for Transport (DfT) to approve...
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The electric fix?
Bringing forward the ban for selling petrol and diesel vehicles to 2030 will not get us to net zero carbon emissions quickly enough. We must also urgently and rapidly reduce traffic. Techno-fixes like electric vehicles (EVs) risk giving us the comforting but false illusion that we can carry on with...
Precious landscapes under threat
Highways England wants to build a number of road schemes which would harm some of our finest countryside. National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), supposedly given the highest level of protection for natural and cultural heritage, are all under threat. Even one of the most iconic World...
Planning for the Future
The planning system has a big impact on our daily lives. What we build and where we locate it affects our health and well-being, the natural environment, our quality of life and climate change. It’s vital it supports the creation of high quality, low carbon, affordable communities and gives people...