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
Author: Steve
CAR DEPENDENCY: built into new developments?
A new report indicates that features of new developments often tend to encourage car dependency, adding to existing traffic problems. This is clearly an issue here in Oxford. See this review of the Report, and do take a look at the full Report if you have time:
Review: Trapped Behind the Wheel: how England’s new builds lock us into car dependency
INTEGRATED TRANPORT POLICY? NOT YET……..
The Government is consulting on an Integrated Transport Policy until 30 1 2025. Here is an article questioning what this may mean:
PEDESTRIAN POUNDS MATTER MORE THAN THOSE CARRIED BY CAR DRIVERS?
See this Review of a new report THE PEDESTRIAN POUND and learn how pedestrians (like cyclists) are much better for shopping and therefore for local businesses than those who travel by car. Review:
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/
OXFORD NEEDS FEWER CARS FOR BETTER MOBILITY
Mobility is an over-rated idea which needs questioning. Our health requires walking along with other forms of exercise, not sitting in car when 40% of car journeys in Oxford are under 2 miles and rush hour-school runs are seriously congested throughout the City. See my article on this subject:
TYNDALE SCHOOL NEEDS A SCHOOL STREET
The Tyndale School needs a school street in view of its very restricted immediate road space. This should really have been done as the school was built. We have made suggestions to make sure that this is done in an optimum rather than minimal way; too many bits of the infrastructure we need are either done poorly, or not done at all. See:
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:
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:
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