18th November 2005

Greens submit their response to County Plan (i)

The County Council is currently in the final consultation stage of the 5 year Local Transport Plan (ii) which should set out how transport will be improved in the County. The closing date for comments to the county Council is today, 18th November.

Philip Booth, a Gloucestershire Green party spokesperson, who coordinated the Green partys response to the Local Transport Plan, said: "While this plan is not all bad it will fail to improve the transport system because it will lead to increased car use, poorer bus services and more traffic for pedestrians and cyclists to face. In 2004 the draft plan was  far too tame but had support from many quarters and was heading in the right direction. However in May 2005 the new Conservative administration was elected and they have changed the priorities of Plan and seriously undermined attempts to promote sustainable transport."

Philip Booth said: "The Plan also seems to have completely dropped the much-needed Stroud bus-rail interchange and proposes a disasterous new rail station - 'Gloucestershire' Parkway (iii). This out-of-city station on the A40 would mean adding 100 minutes to many people's journey times, encourage more car use and likely lead to a further downgrade of rail services in both Gloucester and Cheltenham. Indeed the unpopularity of this proposed new station was demonstrated in the County's 'Great debate' which listed opposition to it in it's top five transport issues (iv)."

Philip Booth said: "We are just not learning from our mistakes - building our way out of congestion has repeatedly failed. Climate change is real, yet this administration have got their heads in the sand. Green transport policies in contrast would bring enormous benefits to our health, our communities, our planet and our economy."

Notes:

(i) See Reports section of: www.glosgreenparty.org

(ii) See Local Transport Plan at:
http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=167

(iii) See plan:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire/content/articles/2005/07/18/gloucestershire_parkway_feature.shtml

(iv) See:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/4377358.stm