malumbu

Fortunately the BBC have listened to me and debunked this conspiracy theory nonsense on 15 minute cities. Rocks why are you so drawn to this? Looking forward to you debunking the BBC debunking this. [That's banter not personal snipes 😉] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66990302 What a shame the BBC couldn't have verified the tosh that came out of the Leave campaign the way they fact check and verify stuff now, we many still be in the EU.....

Think Froggy has got it spot on Rocks, and even if you don't agree as a discussion forum we all have the right to express a different view. I'm hoping that my Street WhatsApp doesn't start on CPZs as it has already been infiltrated by some anti vaxer nutters, and I think it is fair to describe them as that who posted 15 minute city conspiracy theory nonsense. More on that elsewhere.

Rocks, we should all be pro active travel. By using your wording it could suggest that those who oppose LTNs etc don't believe we should walk and cycle. I've said numerous times it doesn't help by putting people into camps. I've just used a ludicrous example. There are those on the extreme which believe we should drive everywhere (not so far off the truth in large areas of the US) and those who would ban all cars. Most believe somewhere between the two. I'm still not getting these views that local authorities could and would enforce restrictions in travel between neighbourhoods. Everything I read, and perhaps Google has me so well profiled it leads me to different articles than others, which appear to suggest that there have been bizarre interpretations of what Oxford and others have said. I find Politico informed and balanced: www.politico.eu/article/dont-lock-me-neighborhood-15-minute-city-hysteria-uk-oxford/ What do you and others think of this report?

There is plenty of good sense in the concept that most of what we need to survive is relatively close to hand, retail, education, entertainment, faith etc. That was Britain until the railways led to the new suburban class. As opposed to say Los Angeles and their three ways and some of our new towns with hubs off a ring road. Yes I have been to Redditch. But now this is associated with the conspiracy theorists and weaponised by the Tories. I haven't a clue how this can be achieved in an existing urban environment. So I don't believe any local authority could attempt to achieve this. Funny how Oxford is used as a supposed example when they actually closed most of their city centre roads 35 years ago, so like a Dulwich Village with spires and a river but no cars. Difference is there is an urban underclass that can enjoy it too. I expect that model villages like Saltaire, Bonneville, and Port Sunlight also delivered a 15 minute type concept. Albeit, certainly in Bourneville a very controlling patriarchy. Love to hear from some quakers on this view. It may be useful for planning new communities but that by the O2 hasn't got it right. They were trying to learn from this with Stratford redevelopment on the brown field site but I expect that failed too, yuppy flats and a ginormous shopping centre. But as for local authorities controlling us, as say the Cadburys did, I can't see any way that authorities could impose thus. So Forbes article got it right. Hats off to Kuenssberg for not letting Sunak off. She will do the same with Starmer. Streeting spoke better but please use other examples of the cost of living crisis not a litre of fuel. Surely the cost of housing and rental market far more important.

Whoops, two similar posts, well two for the price of one. I had a look to see if anyone had ever proposed 15 minutes cities in the UK and came across the article in Forbes with the lovely title "by railing against 15 minute cities Sunak aligns UKL government with conspiracy theorists. I couldn't possibly comment.....😃 https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2023/09/30/by-railing-against-15-minute-cities-rishi-sunak-aligns-uk-government-with-conspiracy-theory-believers/?sh=79c716ed7906

Simply saying that some on low pay/income will not have a car. For those on low income who may have to change their car to meet environmental standards there are low cost vehicles available and schemes like the scrapage offered by Mayor Khan will help. This whole "war on motorists" is a term invented by the right wing press and capitalised on by politicians, as part of their phony manufactured culture wars. The quicker we return to the real issues, inflation, health, education, housing, social care and the mess the west has made globally the better. I've never used the term war on motorists and if you join Southwark LCC on one of their social rides you will not meet people who lay down on the road to block traffic junctions. But well done Malumbu for recreating the Lounge of old and getting the broader discussion going. Sunak was pants this morning and referring to inflation as a tax was nonsense.

I've never talked about a war on motorists. This is a phrase used by the right wing press. And capitalised by politicians in their manufactured culture wars. Join me for a social ride with Southwark LCC and I doubt whether any of them have laid down on a junction and blocked the traffic. I'm simply saying that some of the less well off will not have a car. The ULEZ scrappage scheme has helped those who had to change their vehicles who were more financially challenged. And there are enough low mileage older petrol cars where you need a car for work, shopping etc and if absolutely necessary school I know that from personal experience and happy to recommend models. Hopefully the debate will move onto education, cost of living, NHS, social care, housing, speeding up the asylum application process etc. Sunak's comments on inflation being a tax were just plain daft. The focus on motoring stuff is plain daft. A successful distraction but such a small part of the story. Hooray this thread has morphed into the old Lounge, well done Mal.

Sunak was not great on Kuenssberg this morning, or shall I say was evasive as ever. If he wants to help the most underprivileged in this country then he needs to recognise that many not have a car, and hence supporting active travel and public transport would be great, and that they may live in some of the most poorly insulated properties in the country, to help sort that out, or get the landlord to do it. So there is a programme to help those on benefit with the latter, so why not say it? The excitement about reversing 15 minute cities is an odd one, as far as I know it is neither Tory or Labour policy. The conspiracy theorists have had a hay day on this. He had therefore abandoned a programme that he never had, must like the seven compartment bins. Kuenssberg was reasonably on the ball pushing him about Tory boroughs adopting this, ULEZ and Johnson and the like. Starmer's turn next week. If I closed my eyes and listened the two leaders sound quite similar.

First round of LTNs was here's some money. Go and do it. That was government, the local authorities did not initiate the scheme. Anyway I'm well bored of LTNs. Please go and discuss that on the LTNs thread. Didn't any of you angry about LTNs think the government's u turn on 20 mph interesting? So you have a government who introduced LTNs, didn't support them, and then once the Mail got interested changed their mind. Believe you I know. And encouraged and supported 20 mph only to now to reverse their policy. Heavens they are awful. Awful. Awful.

Ultimately local authorities should be taking decisions on local roads. Government can put relevant safeguards in place. Government set up a programme of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods. If you don't like them blame government. There is always an argument of do it now rather than naval gaze for years. Not so long ago government was very happy with 20mph zones too. There was no great backlash when most of the London inner boroughs introduced this. In Wales on the basis of my argument above then this perhaps should have similarly been up to local authorities. Although I have no problem with government reducing the national speed limit to 20mph in urban areas in England, following suite. Here's the government guidance on 20mph "In 1999, the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 was amended to allow local authorities to designate 20mph speed limits without the prior approval of the Secretary of State. In 2013, DfT provided revised guidelines on the Setting Local Speed Limits (DfT Circular 01/2013), encouraging traffic authorities to consider introducing more 20mph limits over time, and over a larger number of roads. It states that where there is expected to be a positive effect on road safety and a generally favourable reception from local residents, traffic authorities are able to use their powers to introduce 20mph speed limits on major streets where foot and cycle movements are important, and on residential streets where the characteristics of the street are suitable. It advises that 20mph limits are most appropriate where the mean speed is already at or below 24mph; and states that speed limits should encourage self-compliance with no expectation of additional police enforcement. There has been a substantial growth in the implementation of area-wide limits in recent years, in response to the guidance." Hardly hostile.

Sad that you are rejoicing in this Rocks. Total ignorance by the authorities on 15 minute cities. Do you not agree with any of the Councillors views? And... could you and others please use the LTN threads rather than hijack this one which is about the governments u turns etc on climate change commitments. Your time would be well served listening to people like Sir David King.

Not sure why you consider London is in such a mess, there are good things and bad things. Most of us still want to live in the Metropolis. Recent governments have looked to reversing some of the mess from privitisation of buses, using the TfL franchise model, and the first publicly run buses have returned to Greater Manchester https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-66901355 . Under Johnson there were quite ambitious plans to increase bus patronage across the country, but I expect this has been put on the back burner https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/558349/the-bus-services-bill-an-overview.pdf. Let's see if Sunak agrees with the vision in the Bill: The Government wants to: Grow bus passenger numbers,Tackle air quality hot spots, Improve bus services for passengers, Enable a thriving and innovative commercial bus sector, Help cities and regions unlock opportunity and grow their economy Of course we forget we have a Labour Mayor (Livingstone) to thank for much of the improvements in bus services - reversed in some respects due to Covid but in particular Johnson's bad deal with the government over TfL funding. It's too easy to look at his failings rather than his positive legacy. Hmm, got that one wrong. The Bus Bill was actually from 2016. I understood that in 2021 we were going to have a new Bill under Johnson, but that doesn't have seem to gone ahead. I will ask my Whitehall contacts for more info.

By blaming Southwark and TfL for the national picture you have fallen into Sunak's trap. This is about how awful our government is. It doesn't matter a jot to me about Khan, Southwark or any other Labour authority. Sunak senses that many reasonable people may vote for him and is exploiting that I'm currently on a185 bunched with another 185 on Champion Hill. Annoying but not vote Tory due to that.

he's going to announce this at conference. He's going to centralise control rather than allow local decisions. This is what some of you seem to want - carcentric transport policy. You can drive your kids to school at 30mph, and if you hit the rare kid walking to school so what? They should have been in a car, I'm avoiding using the language of what I think about this shower.

My fear is that it won't be middle England but left leaning professionals that keep this incompetent lot in power. Don't let this be on you conscious. Maybe now time to take all this stuff you don't like on the chin for the benefit of society. I'm not sure that Starmer has the balls to respond to what will come out at Tory conference next week including central government overriding decisions, right or wrong, taken by local government. Heavens Sunak is pathetic In my view, not that of this site

Back to Thames Water why did many of us well over 40 rejoice in the privatisation water and other utilities under Thatcher and particular Major and even under Blair whilst we made a quick buck. I didn't buy any shares .... Serves us right!

That applies to most lager. Earl pubs in London have always been expensive. Or you can compromise your principles and go to wetherspoons. Or go to the Blythe the best pub in the world. The creation of pub chains, closing of breweries and national and regional brewers to global multi-nationals hasn't helped. But go into LL at a weekend and there are plenty of people prepared to pay top dollar for overhopped overcooled over fizzy and over priced IPA. Don't get me started on the contamination of our traditional apple fermented drink (cider) with other fruits to make it an alcopop.

Wrong thread FM. There are plenty of others having a go at Southwark. This one is about national government. (Rather alarmist post by the way. Not worth commenting whatever thread it was on!)

There is a fundamental issue about driver behaviour that I have banged on about for years. It's the soft on the accelerator and minimised braking, watching the road ahead and anticipating. Let's face it that 90 percent of drivers have no idea. I do very little driving but would beat most in any ecodriving challenge. Having had a professional interest in road user behaviour and standards it frustrates me greatly. Government does diddly squat and gave up on its own road to zero commitments on this published under the last Tory government. Such a shame that drivers see no room to improve.

I'd say bloody mindedness. For clarity that was a facetious comment/banter not a snide comment. 😊😊😉

It was tackling anti social behaviour amongst all road users. Cars were impounded, drivers were arrested and there were more tickets issued to none pushbike users. Standard and others are playing into this drivers Vs cyclists manufactured culture war nonsense. If I had a penny for every time I said this then I'd have enough money for a milky way.....

A misleading title for the article Rocks as this was not just aimed cyclists for example drivers on mobiles and discouraging mobile phone theft. Perhaps an anti cycling bias?!

Maybe you've got a Poltergeist! But to be serious I can't see this being anything to do with your mains water

Ask the price in future. I used to drink in the Crystal Palace Tavern. What happened to that local boozer? I've twice refused to pay, once for a half which was so expensive I thought they were charging me for a pint, on Vauxhall embankment. More recently I refused to pay in the Dulwich Woodhouse, but I should have known it would be overpriced. Both pubs had the right to insist I paid Suggest you drink in the Blythe, Castle or Capitol in future

It's was not the threat, this was already happening before the UK and the EU came up with bans. Many manufacturers have embraced this such as Volvo and VW - JLR who were the major who were happy for postponement of the ban being an exception. Drivers like electric cars (once they have sat down and driven one), and once the second had price starts to tumble they will be far more affordable so that isn't an issue (as well as prices coming down due to economies of scale). Whatever people think about the 'dirty, polluting Chinese' they will be ahead of the game in green technologies, they are already manufacturing electric buses for the UK (the wonderfully named BYD or Build Your Dreams) and BYD and MG are targeting fairly successfully the lower end of the market. The Leaf built in Washington is a great success and, certainly in the recent past, and the ideal city car (far more competitors now particularly as VW comes up to speed). So a Tory dog's dinner. Again.