...UNITE VIEWPOINT
What did these people expect to happen in terms of air quality”??? It’s not exactly rock- et science, is it?
Back here down South and if this all wasn’t bad enough, the effect of the mass over- population has now also caused an increase in local property prices, which in turn has caused a displacement of locals and others right across the South Coast. It has now led to mass overpopulation and associated problems in semi-rural areas of Sussex that previously had excellent air quality and no congestion.
Satellite ‘Boroughs of London’ have now sprung up, creating ‘dormitory towns’ for London commuters right along the South Coast causing a long shore drift of traffic congestion and poor air quality nightmares.
Traffic is not so much of a problem if it is free moving and of a moderate level as the emissions will dissipate. But gridlocked sta- tionary traffic and congestion on over populated roads causes poor air quality and presents a grave health risk.
So as you can see, those who are now seek- ing to close or restrict roads and ostracise and demonise car users are not exactly blameless. In fact, conversely they were fun- damentally instrumental in, if not, the authors of – the poor ‘air quality’ disaster. One of my biggest irritants in all of this is when these people in power actually seek to seize the moral high ground in the debate or sit in condescending judgement over oth- ers, specifically the transport and logistics industries!
ROADS SMASH AND GRAB
So what is their chosen remedial action to all of this? Well, the preferred course of action for most local authorities is to now engage in a massive ‘land grab’ of local roads. The same local roads that are already in short supply due to these councils’ own stupidity in terms of their previous irrespon- sible and poorly thought out decisions. What we are witnessing up and down the country is probably the biggest geographi- cal ‘smash and grab’ of our time by councils closing roads, restricting their use and/or installing massive swathes of (largely unused) cycle lanes in their place.
These cycle lanes have been demanded by a minority of the community, without taking into account their true impact on the major- ity of the community.
Cyclists are a vociferous bunch, who in the main, regularly fail to see the bigger picture. There’s a petition in existence in Brighton currently trying to overshadow the huge
SEPTEMBER 2020
voice of disapproval from the local commu- nity over the creation of new cycle lanes here. What’s unusual about this petition? Well they’ve chosen to copy it to people all over the country, in order presumably to garner more support and signatures from elsewhere outside of the local area. It’s even been shared in Yorkshire. Now whilst I like the straight talking people of Yorkshire, I don’t feel they have any expertise or experi- ence of the roads in Brighton, anymore than I have any expertise or experience of the roads in say, Sheffield, Leeds or Harrogate. If this was an election; this would be called ‘vote rigging’, wouldn’t it? In any case, if the only way in which you can seek to silence the voices of dissent and opposition is by bending the vote, then it speaks volumes about the factual basis (or not) of your case in the first place.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Here’s the bigger picture for the benefit of the local authorities and the cyclists; when councils close or restrict roads, the previous traffic doesn’t just evaporate, it has to go somewhere and that is usually to the sur- rounding - usually smaller roads and streets - establishing ‘rat runs’ and causing even more congestion and even worse poor air quality by gridlocked traffic – it’s effectively a vicious circle!
Increased local infrastructure MUST pre- cede any development or expansion and MUST be a precondition of planning deci- sions. Specifically new or upgraded roads, but also doctors, schools and actual room to move around without high-rise over- priced “luxury” eyesores and gridlock traffic to blot the previously problem free land- scape. Planning conditions need to be put in place to outlaw ‘flipping’ and to protect the local community from the greedy property speculators. In short - councils need to stand up to developers and greedy individ- uals who are profiteering at the expense of the residents and perhaps more important- ly, the local air quality!
No doubt there will be many local authori- ties who are reading this and say that: “This guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about,
it’s the demon car that is to blame, not us!” Well if this is the case then here’s their opportunity, perhaps they can assist in the search or even attempt to defend or articu- late the reasons for the absence of the local infrastructure that has clearly led to the increase in gridlocked traffic on the roads and streets of almost every area of the country. I must say I’m not holding my breath, as when I asked my local council a similar question, the silence was deafening! Councillors that I had previously regarded as helpful, diligent individuals suddenly seemed to develop a bad case of written laryngitis and a convenient local amnesia.
So that question again in manageable form for councillors: Where are the extra roads in your local area provided by you to cope with the increase in cars that have clearly come about as a direct result of your previ- ous planning decisions?
Answers on a postage stamp...
Oh by the way, I am sick and tired personally of councils using the shadow of the Coron- avirus in order to camouflage and justify their actions of crass stupidity.
Just to reiterate and to condense all this into a bite sized chunk:
Traffic has to go somewhere, congestion leads to poorer air quality and cycle lanes cause congestion – not lessen or eradicate it!
We can talk about this until the cows come home and clearly all we’ll probably end up with is a house full of cows...!
Councils need to accept their previous mis- takes and now set about a mass upgrade and expansion of the local road system. Whilst also outlawing previous policies of mass over population. They also need to understand this; geographical areas are finite in size and clearly you cannot keep pumping more and more properties and people in, without there being a judgement day!
That’s just common sense, isn’t it...??? Otherwise...
Welcome to (insert your local area here) – twinned with Chernobyl. Make sure you bring your inhaler!
Drive carefully and above all, stay well...
Article supplied by: Sean Ridley Secretary Unite the Union South East Region (Cab Section)
Sean.Ridley@unitetheunion.org
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