Blog ARCHIVE
High Court orders Government to answer on walking and cycling funding cuts
A High Court judge today (26 October) has granted permission for campaigners to judicially review the Department for Transport’s (DfT) decision to slash funding [1] for walking and cycling by 75% [2]. Lawyers for Transport Action Network [3] argued that ministers made the decision oblivious to legal requirements. In particular,...
TAN vindicated on inadequate roads policy
In the aftermath of Rishi Sunak’s cancellation of HS2 north of Birmingham, there’s a lot of change and uncertainty. While the Department for Transport (DfT) tries to make sense of this, three important reports were published. 1. National Infrastructure Assessment The first was the Second National Infrastructure Assessment, published by...
TAN statement on the Second National Infrastructure Assessment
TAN statement on the Second National Infrastructure Assessment Reacting to the publication of the Second National Infrastructure Assessment today [1], Transport Action Network’s roads and climate campaigner, Rebecca Lush, said: "The report says many good things about investing in public transport and active travel to improve productivity. Also the need...
Network North
TransportXtra: Network North: The Great Train Robbery LTT invited sustainable transport campaigner Chris Todd, Founder and Director of the Transport Action Network, to give his own appraisal of the Government’s new Network North policy, and how it sits amongst the other recent policy announcements it has Imade, including the HS2...
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...
Sunak’s EV delays puts LTC carbon claims in doubt
Highways Magazine: Sunak's EV delays puts LTC carbon claims in doubt A major plank to the carbon emissions case for the Lower Thames Crossing (LTC) has been thrown into doubt following prime minister Rishi Sunak's delay on banning petrol and diesel vehicles until 2035. Last July, National Highways claimed that...
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...
How does the industry react to National Highways’ RIS3 proposals?
New Civil Engineer: Future of Roads | How does the industry react to National Highways’ RIS3 proposals? National Highways wants the government’s next road strategy for England to focus on maintaining the existing network while building some large, deferred schemes. Since 2015, the government and National Highways have set out...
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