News Archives - Environment

London councils that tear out LTNs face funding loss

Ealing Council in London may yet regret its decision to this week tear out seven recently installed low-traffic neighbourhood schemes. While many local authorities around the UK acknowledge the environmental benefits of reducing traffic levels, Ealing Council, alongside fellow London councils Harrow, Hillingdon, Kensington & Chelsea, Redbridge, Sutton and Wandsworth) risk losing funding as a result of scrapping schemes prematurely.…

Can we please pedestrianise pavements?

It’s been illegal to drive on the pavement since 1883. However, one of the reasons footways the length and breadth of the land have been obstructed by cars for the last 138 years is that police have to witness a car being driven on the pavement in order to enforce the law. Pavement parking; the pandemic we refuse to tackle…

Is Birmingham about to become the UK’s flagship liveable city?

Birmingham may be one of the country’s original motor cities, but like so many of our urban centres, it is blighted by congestion and pollution –  25 per cent of the city’s car journeys are one mile or shorter. However, change is on its way. In a bid to tackle costly congestion and create a more liveable city, the council…

Petrol Crisis – We’ve become helpless without our cars

Whether the current chaos at the pumps is down to panic buying or Brexit, or a combination of the two, one lesson we must learn from the current crisis is that we are over-reliant on cars. Some forecourts this weekend saw a 500 per cent increase in demand for fuel. Folk have been all too quick to blame the surge…

This year and every year: Stop killing our Children

The celebration of Car Free Day this week brings into sharp focus the need for liveable streets. Road danger in Britain not only kills and injures over 16,000 kids every year, but the associated air pollution poisons millions more. Two years have passed since the generosity of over 200 supporters raised £10,000 for us to make a short film about…