Finally we are beginning to see a change in mindset. Even now, the council bumbles from consultation to consultation. It knows what to do. Sadly at a West Of England Combined Authority & Local Enterprise Partnership level we are seeing complete inaction.
Our decades long car centric approach to transport has created the biggest health crisis this country has ever seen. We promote and encourage cycling, never enable it.
Our schools exist within cycling transit deserts, inaccessible from the communities they serve, forcing people to drive their kids to school.
Thankfully Public Health England has had enough.
Their blog gives a set of documents councils should be using, as well as a health costs tool that councils should be using as part of any actions they want to tackle.
Let’s be clear WECA is sitting on £80M of Transforming Cities Fund. If this is not immediately allocated to the delivery of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods to deliver a 58% in residential traffic as Ghent achieved in one year then we have the CEO and Metro Mayor who are utterly failing us, and particularly our children.