Anti green policies are now blighting many local communities. Individual Councils declare a climate emergency and take it out on motorists. They wish to grandstand whilst often adding to emissions. Create worse traffic jams and fuel use rises for a journey.
Lib Dem Wokingham Council hates drivers. They do not want us driving to work, taking children to school by car, going to the shops in a vehicle. They want to make the lives of delivery van drivers bringing goods to our home and truck drivers taking things to our shops and factories more difficult. They do not seem to like taxis, and see delaying the ambulance or fire engine as acceptable collateral damage in their campaign to get people out of vehicles.
They spend large sums on closing some roads altogether. They take well functioning main roads between villages and towns and place obstacles in one carriageway to make vehicles wait until the other direction lane is empty for their use. This presents new dangers. They see roundabout junctions that flow well and spend large sums on reducing their capacity. In the latest scheme just to the south of my constituency they are spending £5.5 m on changes to a roundabout that the public strongly opposes.Conservative Councillors with the approval of the local MP tried to stop it. Main roads at the junction will be completely closed or subject to one way light controls for six months. Local shops and the garage report lost trade on a big scale. Parents will be badly inconvenienced when the junior school returns. The Council has had to warn people not to take it out on the workers at the site as they are not to blame for such an aggravating waste of money.
People pay a lot of tax. They want the road money spent on mending the potholes and improving the safety and capacity of junctions, not on making life difficult for drivers. The Councillors who inflict this misery have a car park at the Council offices, presumably take delivery of on line goods at home from vans and expect emergency vehicles and trucks to get through to handle crises and restock the shops. This latest example of anger about local government should be a warning to all that the wrong kind of green policies make people more distrustful of politicians and Councils. Why can’t they do things that make our lives better? When do they not do a proper carbon count of how much CO 2 all their tarmac, crazy paving and traffic congestion causes?
February 19, 2024
These are narcissists – they take pleasure in the ‘control’ of others and there is no better way of proving control than by harming with impunity, thus confirming that nobody can fight back and all are ‘controlled’ (even you JR, caught in these road schemes, unable to get around your constituency).
Boris Johnson took the same personal pleasure in exercising authority and total control by removing even the free flow of fresh air to millions, all of whom depend on air second to second. Quite apart from handing over the older generation and removing work ie the only form of sustenance. He forced the British people to self-harm because he knew the lockdowns were a load of rubbish – we know that much from the Covid inquiry.
It’s time that the minorities in this country, and that includes those who legislate as well as ethnic and religious minorities, learned their place. Else they will have to be taught their place and that will be a nasty surprise. The Italians had to invent the Mafia who could stop anyone working for your councils on their road schemes, etc etc etc.
Do you want the British to develop a Mafia-type system where State employees are terrified of leaving their offices? Where their homes and families are in peril? That will be the inevitable outcome of this incessant bullying.
February 19, 2024
The people of Wokingham must enjoy being bossed about by the Limp dumb otherwise they’d vote them out.
Until the voting public wake up, nothing will change. I think that tipping point is not far off.
February 19, 2024
Quite so.
Post translation: the Tories don’t have a monopoly on incompetence so be careful who you vote for.
February 19, 2024
JR, could you explain how China has flooded the market for years with cheap steel? Would that be from coal fired powered plants? How has China flooded the market with cheap goods? Would that be from cheap coal fired power stations? How has China transported these goods around the world, sail boat? China has a horrific human rights record, why has UK cosied up to allow it? Putin bad Xi good? How about reneging on the Hong Kong treaty, what happened other than your wretched party inviting them all here, of course none of the millions come here with a carbon footprint!
If your party/govt has given up on Brexit and is implementing all EU laws, ECJ judgments into domestic law should councils look to EU for guidance on cars, perhaps councils bypass govt and implement EU policy, regs and laws like the other quangos? This is “The Plan, right?”
February 19, 2024
Not far from the truth, and how come we accept hundreds of thousands of chinese/hong-kong refugees while have 100% trade, travel, education, economic and political relations with china
February 20, 2024
To allow them to steal our ideas from our top universities.
February 19, 2024
Ian
They found it easy to criticise when the Conservatives were in charge, and were very good at local publicity, but they are now are finding out you actually have to manage expenditure as well as expectation, so the latest wheeze is the blame the Government for not giving them enough money, and when the Government does actually give them extra grants, they trumpet the spend as if it was all their own work.
The local community will work it out in the end but it will take time, the Conservative Government have not helped themselves locally by giving grants, (last one more than £500,000) to the Council to investigate more cycle lane routes. Thus the Council are now looking to upgrade a cycle lane on the A329 which was originally constructed at great expense just a few years ago, which again was Government funded, but which few cyclists use.
Double bubble for twice the trouble, as it means the narrowing of the A329 and the reworking of the road drainage system, bus stops, traffic lights, new crossings, and I guess some street lights.
Thus more obstructions to the road, which is used by thousands of people a day.
February 19, 2024
Maybe this will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. People just may wake up and vote them out.
February 19, 2024
Whosoever they vote for the bureaucrats do the same thing.
February 19, 2024
…and yet, local government take their instruction, funds, and laws from central government ….they’re only following the tory governments green agenda of net-zero
February 19, 2024
LA,
As Tobias Ellwood has recently discovered after protesters gathered outside his home:-
‘…..tiny Dorset village that has never witnessed such dramatic scenes before.’
He thought he was safe out in the sticks. It will be more perilous when policing drops off once he is no longer in the government.
February 20, 2024
As Minister for the Promotion of Afghan Tourism,he shouldn’t feel that uncomfortable.
February 19, 2024
@Lynn, this road scheme isn’t in Wokingham constituency. The words “just to the south of my constituency” confirm this. The scheme in question is actually in the neighbouring Bracknell constituency.
I’m guessing that campaigning in the lead up to the local elections in May has started in force.
February 20, 2024
PP
But it is in Wokingham, used by Wokingham residents, who pay Wokingham council tax, is that correct Peter ?
Your LibDem proposed candidate started his General election campaign more than 6 moths ago, given his statements about Government policy/budgets, his plan for the NHS, Potholes and the like, as well as all of his personal attacks on our host in all of the LibDem news letters.
I certainly do not dispute the Governments failings, but try to fix your own problems before trying to fix someone else’s. I note Ed Davy has been very quiet on the Post Office, and that does not feature in any of the LibDem news sheets !
February 20, 2024
This is the website of the MP for Wokingham constituency. Are there not matters more important to the constituents and voters of Wokingham constituency than multiple articles about a crossroads which are in Bracknell constituency? I suspect there are. As a Wokingham constituency resident, articles about this crossroads are completely irrelevant to me and those where I live and I would much prefer the MP for the constituency to be focussed on things like the cost of living which impact many more of his constituents.
This follows on from articles about car park payment machines that are apparently an issue now but were not when they were first installed in 2018. What changed between 2018 and now? (Rhetorical question.)
Finally, I don’t have a proposed candidate, not being (nor ever having been) a member nor registered supporter nor contributor to any political party.
Reply This website has published far more about the economy, cost of living and growth than about road wrecking by the Council. The £5.5m scheme to the south of Wokingham town is relevant to my constituents and is a charge on taxpayers they do not need. PS this is not an MP website but my personal website paid for by myself.
February 19, 2024
Here in Oxford and Oxfordshire we have a similar situation .
So called ‘smart traffic lights’ on the Banbury and Woodstock Road roundablouts installed at a cost of somewhere around £13-15 million and at colossal inconvenience have made absolutely no difference to the congestion on the Northern bypass or the A40 coming into Oxford. In the county the dotty LibDems ( who also only have vegan food in council buildings) have imposed 20MPH limimits on most minor roads at a cost of £20million in signage .These are not monitored but they are frequently ignored
February 19, 2024
I often wonder what drives these many clearly bonkers schemes is it just gross incompetence or is it crony capitalism and actual corruption? Hard to believe they are really that incompetent!
February 19, 2024
The schemes come from “you know where” and local councils are either bought or terrified ( not sure which).
Or both maybe?
February 19, 2024
I would plump for crony capitalism as some one must be getting wads of money in the back pocket! With the prices mentioned some people will become a millionaires.
We now need to physically fight for the return of our country. As well as dealing with these morons we need to retrieve our country from murdering foreigners as well. I am an old man now, but in my early years and i mean years I never heard of a murder, now it is daily!
February 19, 2024
LL,
Sunak reminds us daily, destroying the economy and country is ”The Plan, right.” Hunt says we have “a Plan” ie tax to death, big state, low paid welfare mass immigration, and they are sticking to”The Plan, right.”
Meanwhile Rees-Mogg says people will think it “weird” the govt still apply ECJ judgements on equality employment legislation by amendment into domestic law! Not weird, betraying the nation mandate to leave the EU through dishonest lying bast..ds would be more accurate. Rees-Mogg deluded thinking supporting back stabber Sunak is the answer!!
February 19, 2024
+1
February 19, 2024
So socialist vandal Gove now wants to effectively over regulate & virtually ban much holiday lettings/Air B&B etc. This should make loads people poorer and to be unable to pay their loans back plus damage many other people’s holiday plans. Great plan Mr VAT on School Frees Gove. This along with his plan to prevent tenants getting their properties back is complete vandalism. It is killing the vital rental industry. This man is a socialist vandal.
February 19, 2024
Kahn suggest his absurd new, woke, lefty propaganda train line names only cost £6 million. I predict it will be more like £600 million + before it is finished – with all the new signs, programming, printing, train mods… Money doubtless to be raised from his motorist mugging agenda.
February 19, 2024
but he took lots of advice from diversity, protest sitting, confused gender, daydreaming voters!
Surely they can’t all be wrong?
February 19, 2024
LL,
Mayors imposed on a nation that did not want them. Causing havoc during the scamdemic and undermining the govt at every turn!
I know instead of spending millions of taxpayers money in extra layers of bureaucracy like mayors and police commissioners it could be spent on services through….councils. Can anyone tell me what benefit any of the mayors has brought to their area?
Confidence of crime and disorder through Policing at an all time low, people allowed and watched to shoplift on demand, knife crime at all time high despite legislation after legislation (clue govt, Treacherous May destroyer of policing, stopped stop and search ie best deterrent for knife crime and drugs- New York proved that decades ago). Less than 10% voted for commissioners. How have they helped crime and disorder? Nil.
Those chief constables who have rid the nation of officers on the beat and put them in office depts for nifty ideas- working 9-5, weekends off, term time working only champion all woke diversity gatherings, get officers to sing and dance at LGBT themes, paint their nails and cars with rainbows and bend on the knee to BLM could be gathered in one place and called chief constables council so they fck up crime and disorder throughout the whole of the country! What a govt.! Oh, but must increase precept to community charge by massive amounts for nothing in return. The name should be changed from police to “champions of everything woke.”
February 19, 2024
+1
February 19, 2024
It appears to me that the number of Lifelogic replies, increase when parliament isn’t sitting. Eight out of nineteen at the time of writing.
February 19, 2024
D P
It was reported in the Bath Chronicle, where they have had 20 MPH speed limits for 3 years, that there had been more accidents and injuries in that time than before. Bath City council said it could not afford to put it back to 30mph. I fully expect the same result here in Wales.
February 19, 2024
Oxford city and Oxfordshire council councils are both signed up to UK100 group whose aim is to hit net zero sooner and harder than the government.
February 19, 2024
David , I fully agree . I am in S.Oxfordshire where the same conditions apply.
February 19, 2024
Oxford became a virtual no go area for cars 30 years ago. We used to run conferences in Oxford. I remember one well known Minister, Gerald Howarth, having had to abandon his car and walk to the college, I found him jumping over a 6 foot wall to arrive on time to deliver his address. Generally a mild man, he was furious. Understandably.
That was the last ‘Campaign for Conservatism’ conference we ran in Oxford.
February 19, 2024
Good morning.
Complaining about local councils because they waste a few million does not sit well with me bearing in mind that they are only following national government policies and laws that will cost us trillions.
Know what I mean ? 😉
February 19, 2024
Net zero will indeed cost £trillions. Suank is choosing to have energy costing about three times what it does in the USA. Killing jobs, the economy and freezing pensioners.
High energy costs are a choice – and an act of national self-harm
Governments like to claim that globalisation means that our destiny is beyond their control. That’s wrong
NICK TIMOTHY today in the Telegraph. For once he is right May’s and Sunak’s net zero agenda is evil and insane.
February 19, 2024
LL,
‘ NICK TIMOTHY today in the Telegraph. ’
Tim Stanley today in the Telegraph. On a theme poster Ed M used to be quite keen on. People just cannot be bothered much about anything these days. They have no firm beliefs or purpose in life other than to be as happy as they can while it lasts. ‘Quiet quitting’. No drive. No standards. Moral relativism.
I am not sure politicians can do much about this though. Nor can the Church of England.
February 19, 2024
LL,
It is simply economic suicide. Yet, the maths genius cannot see it or too weak and incompetent to do anything. Dust off those Beach Boy records here Rishi comes. Where is his green card at the moment?
February 19, 2024
@Lifelogic +1 – As everyone knows that, in particular those in the whole Conservative Party and CCHQ that logically leads to the conclusion it is not just the Conservative Government but the whole party that is colluding with the UK’s destruction. Why else would Boris Johnson and his Cabinet thrust the removal and offshoring of the UK Industrial wealth creating base – if it wasn’t to ensure the UK’s destruction. If the UK has no money, therefore no control, safety or security it cant protect itself. So Mays’ dream of forcing us back under the un-elected unaccountable EU control starts to become real.
Democracy and self Government is not on this Conservative Governments or even the vast majority in the HOC the ‘Blob’ agenda. We all made the mistake of wanting a Democracy while the Politicos keep fighting it and us.
February 19, 2024
@Mark B +1
February 19, 2024
Exactly it seems that something like 86% of journeys are by road & yet the DoT spend only about 20% of their budget on road transport and much of this is just spent blocking the roads, on mad £2m roundabouts, smart motorway death traps or on cameras to mug motorists. But this is all driven by Sunak’s bonkers net zero, anti-car government. Sunak chooses to let Khan’s ULEZ muggins contiune and the councils contiue with this vandalism – he could easily stop it if he wanted too. But prefers to force maths on people up to 18 and ban smoking by an arbitrary birth date. The police cannot even stop hard drugs for heavens sake!
February 19, 2024
Oh…did you see that in January there was a 6 car pile up on the M6 ( on a smart bit…the warning thing didn’t work).
No fatalities thank goodness.
But honestly…the faith these idiots put in bl**dy stupid computers.
February 19, 2024
Don’t you mean poor computers have to put up with bloody stupid people?
February 19, 2024
@Lifelogic – if Sunak believed in maths, why doesn’t he know how it works
February 19, 2024
”Sunak chooses to let Khan’s ULEZ muggins contiune” Spot On
February 19, 2024
Absurdly long delays for probate it seems. Not content with pinching 40% of your assets over just £325k for many (now worth only about 200k Osborne promised us £1M 15+ years back) they even demand you pay interest on it after six months – but they can take longer just to grant probate.
I realise that the NHS’s use of masses of Midazolam and Morphene under Hancock and the huge net harms from the Covid “vaccines” (that Sunak absurdly assures are unequivocally safe no too hot at Statistics then Sunak) have increases deaths by circa 10-25% (when really after the Covid bulge they should be rather lower than normal not higher) but can the probate office not get their act together and increase capacity by this %? They are taking vast sums in in IHT after all & yet further wasting people time and money in delays, inconvenience, delays in using their funds and large extra professional fees too.
See Dr John Campbell’s recent “loss of lives” video for an update on the horrendous excess death figures world wide in the highly vaccinated countries. Not however in most rather less Covid vaccinated Eastern European countries it seems. Correlation is not conclusive proof of causation but the evidence is statistically very damning indeed. Yet still they jab away in the UK to people with zero need for any protection even if they were effective.
February 19, 2024
While typing this in I irritatingly lost all my typing for some reason and jumped for to your article “My visit to Tepeo” and “zero emission boilers”.
Actually these seem to be little more than timed electrically heated water tanks so emissions are just elsewhere and usually larger. Rather like EV cars. When did we first get Economy 7 hot water tanks about 1978?.
Burn Gas, Coal, Wood at the power station waste 60% of the heat in generating electricity and transmission losses plus huge other costs then use it to heat water at your house. Or burn gas at your house and only waste about 15% of the heat. Plus no need for a large tank, the wasted space and insulation as you can heat it up directly as it is needed. Which is better? The latter by a long way in CO2, cost and convenience terms. Unless you have no gas supply that is.
February 19, 2024
Surely this is criminal negligence? So what is driving this exactly the money, just gross incompetence or an actual desire to kill and harm people in government?
February 19, 2024
Surely with all the evidence you present every day you understand we are in the hands of sick people?
February 19, 2024
Ever heard of “doing a Ratner”?
No PM ever would do that….would they?
February 19, 2024
I used to try to post about the WEF etc.
Ignored and deleted until suddenly it became common parlance.
SURELY everyone has researched the good old jaberoony by now?
Or maybe I am totally wrong and there isn’t a company that organises and promotes vaccines?
And everyone knows but keeps safely buttoned?
February 19, 2024
Lifelogic
The Probate office did modify itself and the location of its offices only 3-4 years ago, that also produced chaos and delay at the time, as I was trying to progress a family members estate which was just above the £25,000 threshold and had a very simple Will.
Another Family member just going through the process at the moment so far a solicitor and probate have taken just over 2 years, again not a complicated estate.
Time to look at the processes and timescales here John, As HMRC works to different criteria and timescales, sometimes requiring payments against an Estate, even before Probate has been granted.
February 19, 2024
LL,
Probate should take 16 weeks according to their literature. It took us 7 months with no good reason for delay. I suspect work from home is the true cause of delay. This true of HRMC, MOD and many civil service depts. the govt has done….Sweet FA to change it. JR and govt then carps on about productivity!
Foreign Office did not return to work for Afghanistan betrayal even when lives were at risk!! Even though their office computers needed to be accessed for secret information. The head mandarin did not want to return from his holiday in France. Remember Afghanistan- the loss of life, limbs, billions of taxpayer money lost and then the Tory govt. ran away. Ellwood claiming the Taliban changed!! Truss giving the Taliban £100 million of our taxes for good measure!
I am unclear how Plebgate and Cameron think the UK taxpayer will afford their stupidity in giving away our taxes to feed Africa, fund Ukraine war when all manufacturing and jobs lost to China and India through their net stupid scheme, while inviting welfare claimants and terrorists around the world to come here?
February 19, 2024
@Lifelogic – experience should tell you Osborne like the rest of his cult was only lying to get elected, if he told the truth he would never have found his way into office( or even the Office). The man that gave us the OBR just to keep those that cant get a real job sponging of the State – it has no other purpose. Knowing that those we elect keep it, says it all really
February 19, 2024
Crazy policies, infuriating for many and expensive for all. But why do people continue to vote for these councillors/politicians?
Have I missed something? Am I deluded, living in a Sir JR bubble (with a generous sprinkling of Lifelogic), while CO2 ravages the planet, incorrect pronouns harm millions, and mRNA technology is unquestionably good for us?
I think not. But seriously, I don’t understand voter support for madcap politicians and policies, and genuinely wish I had an explanation for this enigma. It troubles me.
February 19, 2024
Obviously all beyond my comprehension but I do think that the fraud of the democratic system was always hard-baked in .
It was ok when the parties were clearly defined. Labour for the workers, tories for the toffs etc.
But it all changed ( we all became “middle class”) and the lies began to matter because rather than voting for the party that traditionally served your interests you began to look at and choose policies.
Which of course were all lies. Look at the 2019 fiasco.
I was taken in by the “Independent” councillor scam. Nowt independent about them!
And whether we vote or abstain the result is the same. Look at Wellingborough.
As was warned for some time…we have no one to vote for. And default is generally what we don’t want.
How they ended their democracy. ( Which was only originally to save their necks anyway!!)
February 19, 2024
Why do people vote for them?
Very few do on low turnouts. Trouble is no one sensible runs for local government. All I ever see are wannabe career politicians and crackpots. I’d run myself but there I’m too busy with my business. No doubt anyone who would make a good local councillor also already does a good job they don’t want to leave.
Since when did you ever see an election leaflet saying “vote for me and I will strip out waste and give council tax payers better value for money”? Rather they fall over each other to promise more money spent on their particular pet project.
February 19, 2024
Mad deluded religions and endless Government, Charities and BBC types of alarmist propaganda and weather porn fools so many. Young minds seem especially vulnerable to indoctrination as we see with many of the older (often rather evil to) religions. Richard Dawkins correctly in my view suggest that believing your elders is ingrained by evolution. Do not play on the edge of that cliff, do not eat those berries or try to stroke the tigers! So believers have better survival.
Though he himself seems to have partly fallen for the climate alarmist religion.
February 19, 2024
These biologists! He does very well for a biologist though – right on nearly all topics I think. I must have read nearly all of his excellent books.
February 19, 2024
W,
Sunak has recently introduced EU equality ECJ judgements into domestic law causing further burdens to business and harm to society. A clear demonstration Sunak refuses to diverge from EU and will force EU lockstep on the nation even though we voted leave and he got elected to deliver that. Sunak has a weird view of integrity or perhaps has so little he is unable to reflect on his abysmal low standards? But that is “The Plan, right.”
February 19, 2024
Hobson’s Choice.
February 19, 2024
Well sometimes two duff choices, rather than just one choice with Hobson. But it is not real democracy.
February 19, 2024
I assume the people of Wokingham had a hand in there being a Lib Dem council in place?
Let’s hope they’ve learned something then.
I only have sympathy for those who vote against such people with these ideas, as for the rest if it inconveniences them all I can hear is the laughing policeman in my head.
My district council is in thrall to a gaggle of ‘down from London’ sneering types, who can afford luxury green views as they whizz around on their very expensive bicycles, in their wholemeal dresses and mung bean sandals.
They seem to be very powerful with a lot of say on how we must go green by the date set by them.
The same type who insist that mass immigration is a good thing and there’s only a housing shortage because the Tories didn’t build enough. The type who also insist we have a duty to those arriving on the boats, and who are now kicking off big time about 50 new houses being built on green land next to them. ‘Next to them’ being the issue, were it anywhere else they’d have plenty to say about how people should accept that we need more housing.
When reality bites, we will see far more people come to realise that any hitch in their Utopian views cannot always just be paid for by others, while they get to bask in its nicer side.
February 19, 2024
+++
Agree 100%
Plus have recently realised that Blair interfered with local govt. creating the cabinet system. Very bad system no doubt sold as giving people more power or somesuch rubbish.
Such terrible things done..like getting rid of Double Jeopardy,. All went under the radar…no one really realising all the implications.
And no party appeared to spell them out!
February 19, 2024
yes they did, once they trumpeted about improving the permanent lighting under the short M4 bridge in Winnersh they were certain to get elected. They annoy the neighbourhood indoor dogs regularly delivering multicoloured leaflets proclaiming the imminent arrival of their disciples to office. The motley trio can be seen dragging dogs along, or staring wistfully into a field or admiring traffic at a set of lights.
The future is assured and in safe hands!
February 19, 2024
I bet you live in Stroud, Glos.
February 19, 2024
The basic problem is not what these minor centres of power do, it is the rogue interpretation of democracy that allows them to do it. The first thing they overlook is that when in power, whatever the election results that got them there, they govern for the whole constituency of residents. In a modern democracy they should be asking their citizens opinion by referendom.
Second in terms of effect and reason for change they should be controlled by independent scientific fact. We see the antithesis in the way Khan brought in ULEZ against the wishes of many within the wide constituency of London.
Thirdly there is almost certainly the powerbase of the local civil service whose knowledge of the local area far exceeds that of the newly elected evangelist for a bag of richeous causes. In many cases, local and national, they have their own agenda well divorced from the wishes of the people.
Nett Zero and the Green Agenda should have been subject to a referendum at conception, obviating the current need for an abortion followed by the removal of the placenta of woke that came with it.
Democracy, as currently interpreted in the UK, is merely a facilitator of factional minority politics. It is in need of a radical rethink ro re-center it with the people. Total anathema to politicians large and small. This is your problem.
February 19, 2024
Excellent comment Agric. Politicians taking their orders from outside the country it seems. It is time for a change which it appears we are not going to get.
February 19, 2024
I have no problem with people being harmed by both local and national public policy. It is after all what people vote for. Electoral stupidity, voter naivety and rank parasitism of those who cannot remove their lips from the state tit. Spend this, spend that, free this, free that. All designed to keep you voting for the legacy status quo.
If only John and his two faced, odious party had vehemently opposed Labour’s big state authoritarianism in 1997 and warned of the dangers of it rather than appeasing Labour and them endorsing their entire belief system that drives this nation to the bring of social and fiscal ruin then maybe we would have avoided this calamity.
It’s only going to get worse should Labour get back in. I have no doubt this rancid, poisonous entity has hate in its heart and will unveil policies designed to hit their enemies in the gut and change this nation forever. The enemy is those who have lived here for centuries and those freedoms that are now under attack from the filth in government
When you see the terms ‘equality’, ‘hate’, ‘climate change’, ‘diversity’ etc etc be aware that you are in the presence of politicians and activists who have evil intent
February 19, 2024
@DOM +1 agreeing with you on where the cause of our woes emanate from. Although we have elected a Conservative Government that was based on them lying to us repeatedly to us in their manifestos, the reneged aon every promise. There is not a Conservative in the Sunak/Hunt Cabinet, over the last 14 years and getting worse they have continued the Blair/Brown doctrines – of destroy to make a society in their own image, to the exclusion of all others.
‘the terms ‘equality’, ‘hate’, ‘climate change’, ‘diversity’ etc etc’ mean discrimination, discrimination with the conclusion being a complete authoritarian state. Would Labour really be worse, or would it cause the rebirth of a real centre ground conservative opposition. The whole Conservative Party is now in disrepute they are letting it happen, they are accepting the Socialist Centralist rule from both this Government and CCHQ
February 19, 2024
The problem is Dom that politicians say one thing, usually common sense to get elected, and then do the opposite once in power.
February 19, 2024
Not only the inconvenience and impossibility of it all but I can’t understand why the vile councils are happy to make everywhere look so ugly with all the road “furniture”.
Also here several shops now offer delivery through a third party takeaway firm. How does that equate to less traffic? Why would 40 van trips in a day be better in any way than 40 individuals collecting their own goods?
February 19, 2024
There is no emergency. It’s just the British weather.
Swap the words “climate change” with “end of world cult”.
February 19, 2024
but usually the cult predicts end of World on a certain day, this one says get in your cossie because the temperature is sure to go above 1.5 degrees higher than some chap in 1850 with a thermometer who took the temperature and wrote it down.
February 19, 2024
There were around 34.6 million passenger cars in operation in the United Kingdom in 2022, but in 2000 it was only 27.2 million (source Car Magazine) Have we built more road to accomodate the extra 7million+ cars? I would suggest not.
Everyone who lives here – indigenous Brits, economic migrants, boat people, illegal immigrants etc – want a car. Larger families want several. With all the extra cars on the roads no wonder residents in “rat-run” streets want 20mph zones, resident only parking, or indeed car free zones. Who wants the extra stinky pollution, noise, dust and the endless road rage incidents as fossil fuel drivers try and work out who has right of way in your hitherto quiet residential street?
Clearly, the vast extra numbers of cars on our roads are providing a windfall tax benefit for the Treasury in road tax, VAT on fuel etc. But there is a limited amount of road to accomodate them. We should be dramatically increasing the taxes on drivers to limit the numbers of those who can afford motoring. The rest can use public transport, or walk or cycle to the shops – and breathe cleaner air while doing so.
February 19, 2024
If you want to reduce the number of cars on the road, make the driving test more difficult. This would improve driving standards as only the best would pass. Put in place a number you can ring to report bad driving. When someone receives 5 independent reports they go for a re-test. That would weed out the dodgy drivers.
February 19, 2024
Best stop importing 1.2 million people a year then ….. people who all want cars and a western standard of living (which is rapidly being destroyed by the Eco Nutters).
I recall Farage saying, about 10 years ago, that the increase in traffic on our roads was due to mass immigration. The Government and MSM howled in fury, but he was right (as usual).
Concreting over the country to providing housing for immigrants isn’t green.
February 19, 2024
Apart from the odd new road and basic improvements to junctions – until policies changed and WEF became the order of the day – very little has been done to improve our road network.
In my area all roads are blighted when the M25, at the crossing, becomes choked – a frequent situation.
Traffic used to be able to bypass the worst of the jams by using narrow country lanes, but this became too popular. Now our country lanes get choked up as well.
Yet this is just another example of councils not making roads fit for purpose – Why haven’t they widened country lane – That would help no end!
It was Blair that diverted money from roads elsewhere, but the Tories seem to have only slightly relaxed this stupid policy.
February 19, 2024
And those who live where there is no bus or train service do what. ?
Older people who want to visit family and friends, or want to do their own shopping, or visit a doctor (long wait) do what, buy a tandem ?
Many pensioners are still using a car that is many years old, simply because it is their life line, they cannot afford to replace it with a newer one, cannot/will not ride a bike or are able to walk very far.!
February 19, 2024
Which inevitably raises the question, SG, of where are you stand – or rather sit: behind a steering wheel, on a saddle, or on public transport?
February 19, 2024
Totally wrong AGAIN take 400 lines
“ I must dump communism, and live a NORMAL life
February 19, 2024
Blimey, SG, you don’t arf come out with some guff! So now only the wealthy must have access to private transport, eh? They will need it to convey their children to a state school after their private school has closed thanks to your suggestion yesterday!
Most of the new housing developments are built with the assumption that the buyers will have a car or two, the major retailers are understandably reluctant to open premises in them. Consequently, there will be a need for many delivery vehicles from online sellers to service them. Hey, why not suggest only sellers with turnover in the billions should be allowed to have vehicles to access them? The smaller companies could use bikes and buses. Same logic as you suggest for cars, it would surely reduce the traffic flow.
I had the need to call for an emergency ambulance a couple of weeks back. What the para-medics thought of traffic calming wasn’t exactly complimentary.
February 19, 2024
The true voice of the climate change madness. The rich can carry on exactly as they like while the rest who struggle can go to hell. Nice. Now we know where you really are in your zealotry.
February 19, 2024
We should be reducing the amount of people here already and the amount coming in.
The population should never have reached the figures it has.
Another two faced contradictory act by govt./NGO’s/Charities and those with ££££ in mind.
Let’s all weep and wail about the environment, natural resources, green spaces, then lets up the population by millions for no good reason or cause (except someone’s bank balance) Then concrete over vast swathes of land and put immense pressure on our natural resources.
February 19, 2024
Gardens paved over, more concreted multistorey carparks, more half-empty trains and buses, bigger use of National grid electricity plugging in that status symbol. Some Councils are even painting hatching on tarmac to warn car drivers not to go on it!
February 19, 2024
@ Sakara Gold “We should be dramatically increasing the taxes on drivers to limit the numbers of those who can afford motoring” – Yes! Get the little people out of my way. (My chauffeur confirms that they take up too much road capacity, causing delays).
February 19, 2024
There may be more cars SG but there are 10 million more people since 1997
And whilst some homes have several cars often only one is used at any one time.
February 19, 2024
A message for all the councils of the UK.
CO2 is 0.045% of Earths atmosphere. The UK contributes less than 1% of that (< 0.00045%) If we reach net zero, it will make no difference as China will have taken up our proportion within weeks.
February 19, 2024
It will make virtually zero difference, but as a bit more CO2 is overall a net positive anyway it will be a positive difference. We are living in an period of a relative death of CO2 plant, tree and crop food. It has also been far hotter in the past. Slightly hotter is also on balance generally a net good.
February 19, 2024
You forgot that man-made CO2 emissions are only 3% of the 0.045% in the Earth’s atmosphere, making the total 0.0000135%.
February 19, 2024
Old Albion:
Your sharp perspective reveals the UK’s folly in misdirection of our effort and the immense waste.
February 19, 2024
@Old Albion +1 But, there is no money in the truth and this Conservative Government have started the practice of control and punishment as an instrument for paying for reckless management and with that guidance it has trickled down to every jobs-worth
February 19, 2024
Wokingham Council claims the roadworks are intended to make it “easier for non-motorists to move between and around the two mini roundabouts at this location”. At the moment there’s a shop and a post office there, but they’re experiencing a big loss of business thanks to what the Council has done. We’ll be lucky if there is anywhere left open to walk or cycle to, after six months of disruption.
February 20, 2024
when did people become non-motorists ? Perhaps in the years to come they will be renamed Heroes of the World?
February 19, 2024
Conspiracy theories arise because the actions or inactions taken/not taken by Government, local and National, have no obvious common sense or benefit to the majority.
Follow the money or who makes a profit from government actions which seem to have no benefit for the average tax payer.
We have reached an all time high with the renaming of the London Underground Lines.
and locally the California Cross Roads works.
Can spend £6.5 million at California to make traffic follow and pedestrian safety worse but not spend a penny on a crossing and cameras at the Holt School roundabout where children have to rush across the road avoiding traffic at the start and end of the school day. Likewise in London re-name Tube Lines and not spend on reducing knife Crime.
In both cases something the common sense majority want money spent on but ignored/or not important enough for those with the power to spend our money without consent/approval.
A conspiracy to destroy government by the people for the people ?
February 19, 2024
The 25% drop in sales of EV cars, the massive losses on EV car production, the 4x increase in gas usage in India over 19 years, the green and libdem parties losing their deposits.
It all goes to show the green gaslighting by the globalist virtue signallers has failed. The public can see the lies and the grift behind the gaslighting.
February 19, 2024
And now we have all decided they are liars, we will be very hard to scare again. We see NATO beaten, we see that Brussels imports Russian gas – we see Sunak edge the U.K. back into the EU using The Royal Prerogative.
Time to be rid of the Green Monarch, the Royal Prerogative and the House of Lords.
Let’s try Drmocracy!
February 19, 2024
Irony seems to be lost on you Mr Redwood. In the 1980s it was Conservative central government policy to enforce the right to buy council houses and local councils were expected/obliged to conform.
In the 2020s it is explicit Conservative government policy to enforce Net Zero, involving the reduction in ICE car usage, yet you now complain when councils seek to conform at the local level.
February 20, 2024
Exactly right, MPC. It is government policy for developers to put in large amounts of infrastructure money to go with all the housing development the government is also encouraging in the South East. It is government policy for councils to spend money on ‘active travel’, code for getting people to use cars less by frustrating them so much they’d rather not drive. Sir John is unfortunately complaining about what his own party in government wants. I agree with him on this, but I wonder on what party platform he can honestly stand at the next election.
February 19, 2024
Excellent piece – Thanks for putting it so clearly.
Unfortunately that is not their game.
Councils around the country, not to mention HMG and civil servants, quangos etc etc, are following the policies laid out by the WEF. Soon those barriers between areas will mark the extent of 15 minute cities, requiring permission to go past.
We should ask them – Get them to honestly state what their intentions are regarding: ‘green policies blighting many local communities’ WE should force disclosures of all councils regarding these policies – but will they be honest?
Protests are ignored as well as complaints – councillors think themselves safe — How do we prove them wrong?
February 19, 2024
Most councils seem no longer to be democratic bodies representing their constituents but a sort of fiefdom for councillors to impose their own prejudices.
February 19, 2024
The optimum speed for a petrol car is around 50mph – that is if you drive at that speed you use the least amount of petrol to cover a given distance. So all these 20mph zones the councils are implementing actually increase CO2 emissions. In my area they are applied on even major roads where most of the time 40-50mph is a safe speed. I assume they are mostly popular because of the revenue in speeding fines they generate for the council.
February 19, 2024
What you describe, SJR, suggests the council is not fit for purpose. They are behaving like an activist group!
Why do the voters vote them in?
Are they one of the councils signed up to UK100? That might explain their actions!
The website is UK100.org
February 19, 2024
Rogue Councillors being elected to office and staying in charge is a strange outcome.
Causal possibilities are:
1. Corruption or vote rigging (seems unlikely).
2. Councillors wanting to penalise residents (seems unlikely).
3. Idiotic Councillors with naïve supporters (likely).
4. The electorate being intent on self-harm (least likely).
5. The electorate being misinformed & misled (most likely).
6. Weak local communication (maybe).
7. What else?
February 19, 2024
“Individual Councils declare a climate emergency and take it out on motorists.” Sir John, that is not quite correct, the instruction and the motivation comes from above, this Conservative Government.
Local Council income is predicated on local punishment. The people that have allowed the removal of common sense and good Laws are the Conservative Government no one else.
February 19, 2024
Why do these projects take so long in the UK.
Why not 24 hour working.
It seems extraordinary that work to modify a simple 4 way road junction is going to take 6 months or more.
In France, Spain or Japan this would be a one week job.
February 19, 2024
Give public servants too much devolved power & funding. Get meglamaniacs running our cities, county & district councils.
Devolution is not working, on any level!
February 19, 2024
It may not be recommended to make trouble for workers building these restrictions, but if what they do is shown this way to be unwanted enough they may refuse to do it. The owners of the companies ouugt to get trouble too.
I’d like to see that.
February 19, 2024
“Individual Councils declare a climate emergency and take it out on motorists.”
This is a direct consequence of the Conservative Government policy to follow the false Marxist CAGW climate emergency narrative :
PM Cameron : Campaign slogan : “Vote blue, go green”
PM May : Makes achieving the unachievable, un-costed and unaffordable Net Zero by 2050 the law.
PM Johnson : Issues the unilateral Net Zero Strategy, the longest suicide note in history.
PM Sunak : When as Chancellor, said at COP26 : “So our third action is to rewire the entire global financial system for Net Zero.”
All Conservative PMs have allowed the powerful state broadcaster, the BBC, to shamelessly promote this intentionally damaging Marxist scheme that the UK should show “global leadership” by unilaterally destroying our economy and living standards with false claims that we have a climate emergency. For the Conservative Governments to allow the BBC to unilaterally ban any and all opposing views to this Marxist attack on the country is an affront to democracy and consequently a national disgrace.
No wonder councillors act the way they do.
February 19, 2024
PS :
CAGW does not exist, as shown by Happer & Wijngaarden whose calculations on the real atmosphere, including water vapour, unlike the IPCC models, show a negligible increase in GHG when atmospheric CO2 is doubled. Solving the equation of transfer, originally developed by astrophysicists to calculate the radiation loss from a star such as the sun, their results, the ultimate test of any scientific work or theory, match the observed data so impressively well they can even show, correctly, that atmospheric CO2 actually cools rather than warms above Antarctica. Go to the CO2 Coalition website or YouTube ‘CO2, The Gas of Life, William Happer’ for the details.
February 19, 2024
Not ‘a negligible increase in GHG’, OR, what you should have written ‘a negligible impact on the outgoing flux’. GHG = GreenHouse Gases. You do not seem to understand what you are writing, or do you not check what you have just written before submitting?
And would you know why H&W or W&H do not show comparisons of their calculations with observed spectrometer measurements at the surface. These measurements are much easier to perform and there have been a lot of them made available by the Atmospheric Radiation Program in tropical places (Manus island; Nauru Island; Manacapuru, Brazil), mid-latitude place (ARM Southern Great Plains at the Oklahoma-Kansas border, since 1993), oceanic sites (Ascension Island, MacQuarie Island), polar regions (Barrow, North Slope of Alaska), etc (see arm.gov, look for ‘Related sites’j.
Could it be that their model not considering the so-called water vapour continuum (whose intensity as (almost) everybody knows is dependent on the H2O partial pressure e and not the local pressure) H&W or W&H results would be rather poor in such comparisons at surface level? Could it also be the reason why despite having rewritten N times more or less the same version of their 2006 original study they have not been able to publish it anywhere except in the self-deposited arxiv or in funny sites like co2coalition.org?
February 19, 2024
@Old Albian
> CO2 is 0.045% of Earths atmosphere. The UK contributes less than 1% of that (< 0.00045%)
You are wrong, because 97% of CO2 in natural, so the UK contributes < 0.00000135%
February 19, 2024
> so the UK contributes < 0.00000135%
Sorry just seen my post, I have a calculation error, that should of said "< 0.0000135%"
February 20, 2024
OMG – what a horrific error, that must consign us a to fiery hell, surely?
February 19, 2024
It s the job of local authorities to provide certain services. It is not their job to fix the “climate emergency”. Nothing that they can or could do will make the slightest bit of difference. People are aware that this country has cut its emissions to where they were 150 years ago. We have done our bit at great expense to our industry and our skilled job base. We are all to aware that other countries are continuing to invest in carbon based energy technology. Councils should focus on the day job and on the things that they can do, like mending the roads, providing local services and delivering their statutory obligations. Instead, without the consent of their electorate, they are inflicting cost and inconvenience on us. If they want to have vibrant local centres, make it easy for the car owner and delivery man.
February 19, 2024
You’d think the Government’s policy of imposing EV’s on us would contravene Health and Safety Law. Here’s the latest lithium battery fire:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/02/18/lithium-battery-warehouse-flames-recycle-plant/
“A warehouse in France storing lithium batteries caught fire on Saturday, amid growing fears over their safety.
The fire on Saturday afternoon occurred at a storehouse in the southern town of Viviez, in Aveyron, where 900 tons of lithium batteries were waiting to be recycled. Authorities ordered residents to stay indoors and keep their windows closed as thick smoke billowed over the town.”
How very green – not. I wonder how much CO2 that little blaze generated? You’ve really got to be several sandwiches short of a picnic to get an EV.
February 19, 2024
Sunak’s sneaked onto the statute books new EU rules on equality and in direct contravention of Brexit culture that seeks independence.
Maybe Tory Brexiteers should be publicly condemning this or are they more concerned with securing their seats at the next GE?
No wonder all faith has been lost with elected polticians that they act so insincerely and with sneaky intent
February 19, 2024
The LibDem controlled council in Wokingham is now making important improvements to roads and road safety thst the Conservatives failed to do in many years in office.
Reply No , it is making some roads more dangerous whilst reducing road space and making life far more difficult for those driving to work, school or the shops. Just look at the dangers on roads where they suddenly place a bollard in one lane making you move across to use the lane designed for traffic in the other direction. Far from safe.
February 19, 2024
Nonsense Chris….whereas before both lanes of cars could continue with no chance of collision, they now introduce one side only bollards and expensive roadworks and signage forcing one side to brake to a standstill else the lane coming towards into a head-on risk of collision. That’s road safety? Bonkers is what it is.
February 19, 2024
Crossroads where all the exits are downhill. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) report that 9.25 million individuals between 16 and 64 are neither working nor seeking employment. That is 22% of the 44 million working age population.
Welfare Costs Surge: £100B Bill for UK Taxpayers in 2024. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) forecasts a substantial surge in the cost of welfare payments, encompassing universal credit, housing subsidies, and disability benefits. Projections indicate a nearly 30% increase in real terms, reaching £130 billion by the decade’s end.
In the current financial year, working-age benefits are estimated to escalate to £100.9 billion, depicting a remarkable 20% surge since the 2020 lockdown, primarily attributed to a rise in claims related to mental health and muscular pain. Also, DWP estimates a 27% real-terms increase in working-age disability benefits, reaching £78.2 billion by the decade’s end from £61.5 billion this year.
February 19, 2024
Early retired people and students acorn.
And an ambition to develop a client state dependent on welfare.
I would have thought you were in favour
February 19, 2024
Birmingham city council wants drivers to use residential side roads doing 50 60 miles per hour we have had a big increase in accident in our little side road children can’t walk safely home from school
February 19, 2024
If the Government took a stand on these issues, people would vote for them. But it seems they are all paralysed by the green agenda. It is so easy to prove that CO2 is not a problem and that Net Zero will never be achieved, so why do our MPs accept it all on blind faith?
Why do they not look at China and India, both busy building coal-fired power stations and ask themselves why their scientists are not screaming at their governments to stop doing that?
It seems we have a Government that hates its voters and does everything it can to upset them, and many local councils are doing exactly the same. But how do you get rid of them when the alternative is worse?
February 19, 2024
As a local, my understanding of the califonia crossroads is, it was originally agreed by a Conservative council back in 2018.
I suspect it was delayed because of Covid.
Since then the council changed to a Libdem council.
The Conservative government gave them a lot of money to promote “Active Travel” i.e Cycling and Walking!!
The Libdems made a “Highways engineer” their executive for highways (He is also on the fake climate emergency committee and likes to cycle to work).
FYI, the “fake climate emergency committee” was a creation of the previous head of the Conservative Council, an accountant (Not a scientist) who has connections to Theresa May, a Nutzero fan!!
“The new executive member for active travel, highways and transport will be Cllr Paul Fishwick. This role will have an “emphasis on active travel,” said Cllr Jones.” :- https://wokingham.today/new-executive-members-for-wokingham-borough-council/
So the crossroads was redesigned with “emphasis on active travel”, hence the disaster it has become.
If you think the crossroads is bad, you should see what they have planned for the main A329 (The route the executive for highways, cycles).
It is the usual “Public Consultation” (Now closed), only promoted to people who will agree with the project. When I complained to a councilor they said “It has been in the paper and on various websites”.
But I have found nobody who has heard about it, you would think they could put signs up, where they intend to do changes telling people where to go to see plans and consult, but that is too democratic.
I finally found the proposed plans for the A329 (It was hard work), and it looks as if they are narrowing the road to put cycle lanes down each side (They have only just finished putting a cycle path in, that will be scrapped).
There are also a lot of new pelican crossing, and reducing the woosehill dual carriageway to one lane near the roundabout.
This is a nightmare, after they have done all this, I can imagine their next step will be to make it all 20MPH !!!
But the main cause of the problem, is the The Conservative government throwing money at them to do this (Apparently they are not allowed to spend it on other things).
This money could of been better used elsewhere.
Reply Conservative Councillors and the MP for Bracknell opposed the California Crossroads scheme which was agreed and approved by the Lib Dem Council. The previous Conservative Council considered a scheme then realised how unpopular it would be and did not proceed.
February 19, 2024
Big John
The Active travel A329 Cycle lane has 4 phases of consultation, Phase 1-2 are closed, stages 3-4 are still open for comment until March, certainly worth a look, because there is a 100 metre stretch of the A329 on which they propose to have a 20mph limit, (guess later speed camera’s for revenue collection will be added).
Modifications from A329 to entry into Oxford road, Station Road and Station approach, all narrowed.
Needless to say the A329 for motorised vehicles is being narrowed, and more traffic light crossings proposed.
Cycle lanes to be raised so new curbs to be installed, and modification to all drainage will be required..
Lots more to comment on !
I will be sending in my comments in the next few days
February 20, 2024
@Berkshire Alan
> The Active travel A329 Cycle lane has 4 phases of consultation, Phase 1-2 are closed, stages 3-4 are still open for comment until March
Phase 1-2 consultation seem to have been kept quiet. Tonight I just received a card through the letter box about phase 3-4, after complaining about about not being told about Phase 1-2.
I think the council have panicked after complaints.
Is there a way to reopen the phase 1-2 consultation due to lack of informing people ?
I haven’t yet found anybody who knew about this (Except councillers).
> there is a 100 metre stretch of the A329 on which they propose to have a 20mph limit
Just seen that, it seems to be the whole of shute end !!
> (guess later speed camera’s for revenue collection will be added)
Of course, and as soon as there is the inevitable accident, and the 20MPH will be expanded.
> I will be sending in my comments in the next few days
I look forward to reading them, you are obviously ahead on what is really going on here.
February 20, 2024
Big John
“ahead of what really goes on….”
I simply subscribe now to the Councils e-news letters, updated at least once a week, having been advised simply by chance of Phase 1 – 2 which I also could not find on the Councils website.
I even went into the Council offices at Shute end (almost abandoned of people) at the time, and their staff could not find it on the Councils website either.
Eventually found under “cycle and walking improvement proposals”
You would have thought something of this magnitude, to modify the use of the A329 would be under roads, but nothing appeared under that heading.
Like you I know of no one in favour of any of this.
I actually live on the road, so am fully aware of the lack of cyclists using the present, Cycle pathway built at huge expense a few years ago.
February 20, 2024
Big John
Also Try , “Wokingham Residents Roundup,” appears almost every couple of days.
Have to say the LibDems are good at self promotion, even when it is Government funded !
February 20, 2024
Alan ‘good at self promotion’?
Makes me want to throw up!
February 19, 2024
could I just ask for confirmation that all the Libdems councillors are shaming the rest by cycling to meetings?
just asking…
February 19, 2024
Reply to Reply: Thanks for the information, I didn’t know that.
February 19, 2024
I sincerely hope that you retain your seat in the coming election.
A clean sweep of local government by the LibDims, a LibDim or Labour MP and a Labour government are too frigntening to contemplate !
February 19, 2024
I see OFCOM has decided to target GB News once more after numerous complaints of bias from……………..Labour party scum
We have a Tory government who’ve done sweet FA about BBC’s OFCOM. Can you imagine what Labour will really do when they’re actually in government…they will destroy GB News and TalkTV
The Tories have sold us down the river…
February 19, 2024
What has to be recognized is that there are many Local Councils in financially bad situations.
The Conservative Government has encouraged Local Councils to up the war on the people and attack them for taking their children to school or going to the local shops in cars. The implication being there are working alternatives – wrong! It’s a bit like offshoring all UK Productivity – home grown was never the problem, they just seek and need to aggravate progress.
Just as there a refusal at the centre, this Conservative Government, to just manage, control spending and live within their means the same attitude is mirrored all the way through to local Councils. They plead poverty all the while increase staffing, and not delivery. Taking their lead from the Conservative Government they have taken to WOKE indoctrination, have created ‘discrimination departments’ as it is the non-productive virtue signal that must be maintained. Then they have the cheek to put up local taxes, have more local fines and bully people into submission by digging a bigger hole – then blame someone else
Welcome to the lunatic asylum.
February 20, 2024
They all need more staff to deal with that half an hour Rush in the day.How could they develop there daily chit chats cakes and coffee without a good pow wow.
February 19, 2024
We got the Tories out of the EU and gave them an 80 seat majority to destroy all this nonsense.
This is why they face extinction at the next general election.
February 20, 2024
+ 1
Instead they kept the umbilical cord attached and have doubled-down on the nonsense.
February 19, 2024
Hi what is the justification of paying £2 billion for new Stonehenge tunnel?
Paris Metro is costing £300 billion per mile – so 3 x cheaper than Stonehenge to build per mile.
Are extra structural challenges included with the £1 billion per mile tunnelling costs for Stonehenge? With what certainty can the engineers assure there won’t be more costs due potential hidden structural challenges?
February 20, 2024
Salisbury Plain around Stonehenge has every environmental protection going: World Heritage Site; ANOB; SSSI; protected species. Natural England controls the site. Highways England can’t put a spade in the ground without their approval.
The Hindhead Tunnel on the A3, another site with similar environmental protections (except WHS), was delivered on time and within budget and the Devil’s Punch Bowl area of the old route was restored to heathland.
February 20, 2024
Just build a new 2-lane road alongside the existing (south of it?) – when finished make it westward only, and change the existing road to eastward. Build closed fencing along the stretch closest to the stones to reduce/stop rubber -necking. A mere fractional cost of what is proposed.
February 20, 2024
Can’t be done. As I said, it has every protection going …. unless the Government scraps Natural England; scraps EU Environmental Regulations; scraps the bio-diversity/protected species Regulations and ignores UNESCO and The Convention on the Protection of World Heritage Sites.
February 20, 2024
all sound like they SHOULD be scrapped anyway.
February 19, 2024
The route to our hospital was made into a rat run as the town grew in size so the country road had these priority lane blocks, two in one short section that causes tremendous tail backs when the large factory near the hospital kicks out. You have to go to the hospital by car if you have a late or weekend appointment. When I went past last Monday there was a three mile tailback, the priority lane was in the opposite direction of the traffic jam, causing at least a hour delay for most of the cars and disrupting the hospital and making people late for appointments, nothing was moving. Everyone is being funnelled into hospitals for evening appointments, treatments that used to be in local cottage hospitals and it took 30 minutes just to get out of the hospital car park jamming that all up.
The worse thing councils do is agree to three sets of roadworks on all routes out of the town in the same weeks, then allowing them to go on for weeks and weeks over the agreed deadlines. One road was closed for work done in the verge and people were walking past those roadworks on the still open footpath so why on earth was the road agreed to be closed to one lane. We also have the busiest road out of our town stopped for 10 minutes every morning at rush hour to let a large herd of cows to cross just by the biggest industrial estate a lack of planning when the bypass was put in, everything comes to grinding halt roughly at 0755 to 0805 sometimes a bit earlier or a bit later so you can’t always judge to avoid it.
February 19, 2024
“Create worse traffic jams and fuel use rises for a journey…… They spend large sums on closing some roads altogether….”
These “climate activist” policies are not simply designed to cause inconvenience and expense to impoverish us and drive people off the roads, they are also designed to make money. Extensive building works aid the building industry and produce additional tax take for the Government as fuel consumption rises are two obvious examples. I’m sure there are many more.
Similarly the inherent chaotic intermittency of renewables is why they have been deliberately selected over nuclear for low CO2 electricity generation. It means National Grid must spend enormous sums to keep the grid stable and fed with power. So even the CCGT (gas) plants benefit from the bonanza created as they then can be called upon to supply power at a short notice (the wind can drop suddenly) at expensive prices. So we subsidise the renewables, then subsidise the grid stability and back-up and finally, because the cost of electricity is so high we subsidise the consumers and industry. What a way to run our energy….all to save the planet from our 1% contribution to global CO2 emissions…not that increasing CO2 cause global warming (see Happer & Wijngaarden). And since we have a dearth of CO2 anthropogenic emissions increase food production.
February 19, 2024
We are from the government. We are here to offer you every assistance short of actual help.
As Peter Simple used to say, improvement means deterioration, ie., Hutber’s Law.