Blog ARCHIVE
Network North: The Great Train Robbery
Investment in transport impacts us all, yet doesn’t often hit the political headlines. All that changed during the Conservative Party conference. However, rather than thinking about the long term, as they claim to, the Government has tried to create political divisions, scrapped HS2, and diverted money from public transport into...
Speed up the consenting process but strengthen planning and public accountability
Speed up the consenting process but strengthen planning and public accountability TAN today welcomed Labour Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ announcements on planning reform for large infrastructure projects [1], in particular her pledge to update National Policy Statements (NPSs). This is something that TAN has flagged up consistently, threatening to take...
Zombie roads revival as buses lose out
Zombie roads revival as buses lose out TAN welcomes Rishi Sunak's promises [1] for long overdue investment in rail upgrades, including electrification in the north and north Wales. However, it questions how many of these schemes will actually get built and if they do they could be decades away. It...
Plan for drivers has little substance
The Conservatives have clearly decided to make transport the latest front in the culture wars with ‘The plan for drivers’ announced at their party conference in Manchester. Looking behind the headlines however, while there are a few genuinely new initiatives, most involve extending the scope of existing promises, not delivering...
New Roads and Climate Case to Head to the Courts
New Roads and Climate Case to Head to the Courts A legal challenge to the planning approval of the A57 Link Road [1], just outside the Peak District National Park, is set for a two day hearing in the High Court, starting tomorrow (3 October) at 10am. It is the latest...
Council undermines opposition to its own planning application
Council undermines opposition to its own planning application Transport Action Network (TAN) is shocked by the way that a very strong refusal of Oxfordshire County Council’s £300 million HIF1 road scheme [1] in July [2] has been undermined by an extraordinary meeting of the council’s planning committee on 27 September...
Vote of no confidence represents a new low for democracy in Wales
Vote of no confidence represents a new low for democracy in Wales The Deputy Minister for Climate Change Lee Waters, has survived a vote of no confidence by 42 votes to 16 following a motion submitted by the Welsh Conservatives. The motion represents a new low for the ‘personalisation of politics’...
Politicians must ignore the noise to realise the 20mph changes in Wales
Politicians must ignore the noise to realise the 20mph changes in Wales TAN Cymru is welcoming the rollout of 20mph limits in Wales which has shown real progress in its first week [1]. This is despite the high levels of scaremongering and misinformation that has been propagated on social media....
UK’s climate action driven off course
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s much leaked speech claimed the UK will take a more ‘pragmatic’ approach to climate change and getting to net zero. Yet, his speech failed to recognise that the UK is already off course and the latest proposals will make things worse. Just six months ago, the...
Planning reforms risk breaking international law
Planning reforms risk breaking international law Transport Action Network (TAN) [1] has responded [2] to the Government’s consultation on operational reforms to the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) consenting process which ends today [3]. TAN is concerned that the proposed changes, while sensible in parts, are mostly focussed on the...
Don’t declare war on public health
The news that Labour has apparently scrapped its commitment to roll out clean air zones across the country is worrying if true. According to the Royal College of Physicians, air pollution is responsible for around 40,000 premature deaths and costs the UK over £20bn every year. It has been linked...
Transport in the headlights
Hardly a week goes by without there being some momentous story involving transport. As with most things at present, evidence or rationality often plays little part in the debate. This is despite many of these issues having far reaching consequences affecting public health, inequalities and often involving vast sums of...
MPs publish damning report on flagship roads programme
MPs publish damning report on Government's flagship roads programme Welcoming today's publication of the Transport Committee's report [1] on its Strategic Road Investment inquiry, which Transport Action Network (TAN) gave oral and written evidence to [2], Chris Todd, director of TAN, said: "This is yet another damning report for the...
TAN press statement on A303 Stonehenge approval
TAN statement on A303 Stonehenge approval Today, the Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, has given the go ahead to the dual carriageway and tunnel through the World Heritage Site at Stonehenge [1]. Rebecca Lush, TAN's roads and climate campaigner, said: "Just as the Climate Change Committee has recommended that new roads...
Government’s failings driven home
After years of (too) subtle hints about the Government’s road building programme, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) has strongly recommended a Welsh-style roads review for England. Its 2023 annual progress report to parliament was pretty damning, but especially so on transport. It tore into the lie that we can decarbonise...
JOIN OUR NETWORK
Signing up will allow you to access our monthly newsletter and the latest actions and events