LAND USE: CLIMATE, ECOLOGICAL AND TRANSPORT QUESTIONS

The Government is running a consultation on Land Use until 25th April 2025. This raises a wide variety of questions as the Government is undermining what little planning controls exist for development. As the most nature-depleted country, and one which badly needs to grow more of its own food, building more on the landscape is a peculiar choice when our settlements need attention: the empty built environment should be used for providing more housing; spaces above the surface level of the vast brownfield reserve of surface car parks should be used for apartments. See our response to the Government consulation in OTHER RELEVANT SUBMISSIONS on this website, and make your own submission by 25/4. Submission Land Use Consultation 2 2025

DO WE NEED A NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK?

Perhaps we should start again. The existing planning system does not serve sustainable transport, Climate, environment and certainly not people. Trying to expedite planning decisions won’t deliver a much larger construction workforce either. See: https://westenglandbylines.co.uk/politics/do-we-need-a-national-planning-policy-framework/

HOLLOW WAY: BIKES, BUSINESSES AND THE TRAFFIC FILTER

Hollow Way is an extremely badly-congested roads during rush hour-school run times. So, it not surprising that the County Council has been consulting about reducing car parking spaces on the road. However, if done in the way the County has suggested, this removes business parking and is likely to increase speeds on the road considerably, especially in the southern section which is quite narrow. We have made a variety of suggestions to modify their proposals to deal with the problems it would create. SEE:

Submission CATG Hollow Way consultation 11 2024

NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK: failing environment and society

The Government is conducting a consultation on amending the National Planning Policy Framework at present. Whilst this is allegedly about amendments to increase the speed of house building, the overall Framework is so bad it needs abolition and following by new legislation and regulations. See our submission below. If you want to make your own comments, see details in our submission, your deadline is Tuesday 24th September:

Submission National PPF September 2024

ADAPTING OUR USE OF TRANSPORT TO THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY

Most references to adapting transport to the range of problems already in progress, and expected, in the Climate Emergency are about infrastructure. Our roads melt in high temperatures, our coastlines are being eroded, stronger storms batter our coastlines including ports, and many locations have roads and rail lines close to sea level. However, adaptation to Climate Change is also about what transport modes we use and how these impact on the Climate. See article on this subject:

Transport: the missing link in adaptation to climate change in the UK