Out here in the sticks we can enjoy beautiful country walks, village pubs and a better sense of community than residents in busy towns. However, from a transport perspective we are less fortunate than residents in Trowbridge, Salisbury or Chippenham who have train stations, regular bus connections and better cycling and walking infrastructure.
At October’s Full Council meeting I submitted a motion to force colleagues to acknowledge this disparity. Too often people neglect the fact that in rural areas like The Lavingtons we don’t have the services we need at the end of the road, and can’t rely on public transport. My motion had two further purposes; to increase the ambition for public transport and active travel improvements in rural areas AND to reject schemes that might suit those living in Salisbury or Trowbridge, but which penalise those of us living more rurally who can only get about in a car or van.
You have probably experienced ULEZ, Congestion Charge Zones and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in certain areas of the UK. Many view them as a stealth money-making tactic (£27.50 in charges to drive into London) but in certain circumstances they have been shown to cut emissions. In other places, however, they have been proven to worsen air quality as cars are shifted off target roads and onto others, leading to increased congestion and longer idling times. The fact is that implementing ULEZ in a place like London where public transport is reliable, easily accessed and cost effective is very different from implementing it in Devizes or Salisbury where those of us living twenty minutes away struggle to reach the town centre via anything but a car.
I am passionate about improving air quality and tackling climate change and recognise that to be successful we all need to work together. Implementing restrictions on certain residents that have no choice but to use a private motor vehicle is unfair. We often talk about a “carrot or stick” approach to behaviour change (punishing people for doing one thing or rewarding them for doing another). When it comes to residents in The Lavingtons, unfortunately, one certain group of councillors in the chamber would rather reach for a big stick to hit you with before offering you an alternative option.
My motion, which thankfully was supported by Conservative members who actually care about the day-to-day struggles of residents, will safeguard all of us from demonisation for having no choice but to drive our cars. It has NOT changed the Council’s investment in air quality improvements or reduced our expansion of active travel and public transport improvements. This does not stop us from continuing to implement 20mph limits outside schools or installing air quality monitors across the county. In fact, as you will see from our upcoming Local Transport Plan, these improvements are front and centre in our plan to improve Wiltshire for everybody.
You can watch my full speech below…
