Speed limits of 15mph, so it has emerged, are to be introduced on roads in new so-called "eco-towns".
This new restriction is among a number of proposals supposedly designed to minimise the environmental impact of 10 settlements that have been proposed by the British government.
The new town centres are to be car-free, and the 15mph limit will be enforced on "key roads" leading into them, government sources said.
Maybe we could also see reductions to 20mph on road in built up areas in this country in general or, maybe, even 15mph. Not that we are travelling much faster in most towns simply because of congestion. And also proper cycle lanes or better still cycle paths, like those on the European mainland, such as Germany, Denmark and Holland.
Housing minister Caroline Flint said: "These developments will be exemplars for the rest of the world, not just the rest of the country. It's critical that we get it right – and I make no apology for us setting the bar as high as possible.
"We have a unique opportunity to deliver a programme which will genuinely revolutionise the way people live."
Ministers also plan to reduce car use drastically in the new towns by providing extensive public transport. However, what is the real aim behind this? Now this here is where I am going a little cynical, I know, and we will be talking about this further on in this article.
Developers are expected to be told that each home in the eco-towns must be within 400 metres of a public transport stop and 800 metres of shops.
This would be something to be seen. Once again, after many, many years, we could actually walk to the shops again?
Public transport is another kettle of fish and, in some cases, a very sore point with this writer. I have been on about it before and I shall use this opportunity here again to say that we must have a new and closer look at the prices of public transport in this country. The costs must come down, I mean the costs to the traveller. We cannot be expected to pay over £200 for a return ticket to Birmingham International from my location when one could fly to there for less that one third of the rail fare. This just does not compute. Government must rethink this and we should really be looking at making buses and trains free or nigh on free to use.
Last month Ms Flint said she wanted to see towns designed around pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users, emulating the "most ambitious European models" where only 50% of households have a car, e.g. the city if Freiberg, in Germany
Environmental protesters have criticised the eco-towns scheme for focusing too narrowly on carbon emissions and not giving adequate consideration to other ecological issues, such as the impact building would have on wildlife. The other question, though vehemently denied and claimed to be “water neutral” - and he who believes that definitely has fallen off the turnip wagon – is the impact those 10 new towns, some of which, I understand, will be in the south/south east of the country, is on the water resources. They are scarce enough at the wrong times in this region and more housing will make it worse still.
Up to five eco-towns are expected to be built by 2016, and as many as 10 by 2020.
They will have populations of around 5,000 to 20,000 and be linked to larger towns and cities.
The proposals have also sparked protests nationwide from residents who claim the schemes will put too much pressure on local services.
Opposition has been voiced in places such as Grovewood in south Derbyshire and Stoughton in Leicestershire, and last month around 300 campaigners marched against plans for a 6,000-home development in Long Marston, near Stratford, Warwickshire.
Not only is there a speed limit of 15mph planned for those eco-towns, but, according to some rumors, more than half of the residents, if not more will actually not be permitted – yes, I did say “not permitted” – to own a car. While in Germany, in Freiberg, for instance, this appears to be the choice of those 50% or more of residents not to have a car, in the British eco-towns about half of the residents will not be allowed to have a car. Now this are two different things, in my opinion.
While I am a cyclist and myself do not own a car, or other motor vehicle either, and I quite like the idea of less cars being used, at least for silly journeys, I do not agree with anything that might be seen as “forcing” anyone not to own a motorcar if they so wish. But to actually make it a requirement NOT to have a car in order to live in one of them towns is not a good idea, I think. In fact it is an infringement on the personal liberties of people.
This more and more leads me to believe that, while I support anything to benefit our natural environment probably more than many people, we are being told a lot of tosh as to the “global warming” issue and that that is a way for the powers that be to force people out of the motorcar. In fact, it would appear that this is the intention.
People control is something that, I am sure, is in work here. If people do not have the freedom of the car to travel be this to work or to the shops then they will have to live where the work is. This means commuting to work, especially by car, from the countryside into town, will be a thing of the past.
Is that going to be a bad thing? Maybe not if we have people living and working in the countryside as well, again, and not only a case of shifting everyone back to live in towns and cities, in areas where they can be controlled as to where they can work, how they can travel, etc.
While there has been a time, not that long ago, that I was rather in favor, initially, of the eco-towns, and the concept, the more I am seeing here the more I must say that they are very quickly falling out of favor with me. Why? Because of what “the powers that be” seem to be aiming at in doing in those so-called eco-towns. Those are not so much, it would appear, ecological-friendly towns but towns rather where to try new methods of people control.
We must watch this more than anything and it might also be a much better idea to “green” our current cities, towns and villages and the homes therein rather than to actually build such so-called “Eco-Towns”.
© Michael Smith (Veshengro), March 2008
15mph speed limits planned for 'eco-towns'
