Tag: Roads

Labour To Limit Parking Spaces on New Homes

Socialists have long wanted to take away our cars. I remember as long ago as the 1970s them arguing for this.

A crowded parking lot filled with various cars, with houses and greenery visible in the background.

From NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT

By Paul Homewood

h/t Ian Magness

Socialists have long wanted to take away our cars. I remember as long ago as the 1970s them arguing for this.

To them, the ability to travel where and when you want is not compatible with the sort of state control of our lives that they yearn for.

Making EVs mandatory was another step on this long planned path, given that they are impractical for drivers with no off street parking. Now it seems they are opening another front in their war on motorists.

From the Telegraph:

Headline from an article discussing plans to limit parking spaces for new homes, with emphasis on the impact on motorists.

Labour to step up war on motorists by limiting bays on housing developments

Sir Keir Starmer is starting a crackdown on parking spaces in a fresh “war on motorists”.

Under plans published by the Government, councils will be required to impose sweeping parking restrictions limiting the number of spaces on new housing developments without any justification.

The move aims to discourage car use in favour of greener alternatives such as using public transport, walking or cycling.

But critics warn that the policy will squeeze drivers and lead to “parking misery” in the latest move targeting motorists in the name of net zero.

Campaigners say the plans could backfire as a shortage of off-road spaces for cars could force drivers to resort to “illegal and dangerous” parking practices.

Richard Holden MP, shadow transport secretary, said: “Labour have ripped up the rulebook that protected families from parking misery and replaced it with a green light for councils to squeeze drivers – [it means] blocked pavements, congested roads, and tickets through the post.

“This is how the war on drivers works. Motorists aren’t the problem. Once again, they’re the revenue stream.”

Full story here.

Although decisions will be made by local councils, we know that many are fully behind the socialist, state planning agenda.

Mystery road dots leave Green-led council in a spot of bother

A Green-led council has been branded “absolutely insane” after it painted spots on a road as part of a measure to calm the traffic.

A Green-led council has been branded “absolutely insane” after it painted spots on a road as part of a measure to calm the traffic. The Telegraph has the story.

Residents in Bedminster, Bristol, were left confused after a series of green dots were painted on Greville Road.

Various theories circled the street while Bristol city council initially said it was “investigating”.

However, it has now been confirmed they were painted as part of a traffic-calming scheme.

Ed Plowden, a councillor and chairman of the transport and connectivity committee, said the markings had been placed in response to residents who had requested a reduction in “through-traffic and improve safety in the area”.

It comes after the council unanimously voted to pass a motion from Green councillors calling for a “vision-zero” approach to road safety in 2023. The motion aimed to achieve zero road related accidents within Bristol by 2030.

Ms Francis said that road was already “slippery” and she was worried that the additional markings would mean that her “bike tyres will slide away”, especially when the roads were wet.

Cllr Mark Weston of the Conservative party said the road markings were an “absolutely insane” attempt to balance traffic and argued there were other more important ways the council could be spending its time and money.

Read the full story here.

Crackdown on rogue councils over LTNs and 20mph zones

Draft guidance will state that authorities must gain support from residents, businesses and emergency services before new LTNs.

Draft guidance will state that authorities must gain support from residents, businesses and emergency services before new LTNs.

Councils that ignore local opposition to low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) and 20mph zones could be stripped of their powers to issue penalties under a new Government plan for drivers that could also see them lose funding. The Telegraph has the story.

Draft guidance due to be published on Sunday will state that authorities must gain support from local residents, businesses and emergency services before introducing new LTNs.

The guidance, which will also require councils to “regularly review” existing schemes to monitor levels of local support, says: “Schemes should be adjusted if this reveals issues with performance and removed if they are shown to have failed to deliver as expected, including a failure to demonstrate local support.”

The Department for Transport (DfT) has also said new guidance will address concerns over bus lanes that cause delays, making sure that they only operate when that makes sense, such as when traffic is heavy enough to delay buses.

The statutory guidance on LTNs, due to come into force in the summer, is part of the plan for drivers drawn up after Rishi Sunak used an interview with The Telegraph last summer to launch a review of road policies and promise drivers that he was “on their side”.

His intervention came amid fears that motorists were being punished by schemes such as LTNs, which have become increasingly prevalent since the Covid pandemic. The schemes aim to reduce traffic in residential areas and cut carbon emissions.

Separately, the Government said it was “strengthening” guidance on applying new 20mph speed limits to make it clear that such restrictions should be reserved for “sensible and appropriate areas only”, such as roads outside schools, “with safety and local support at the heart of the decision”.

Ministers will make it clear that failing to adhere to the separate guidance on both LTNs and 20mph limits could lead to future Government funding being withdrawn.

The Government is planning to launch a consultation on further measures that could be taken against councils flouting guidance on the issue, including removing their access to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) data used to enforce LTNs via camera footage.

Read the full story here.