A new source of top-down decision making by our elected representatives is the growth in the number of Councils which are suddenly promoting schemes to create “15 minute” cities.
In short, these cities are to be divided up into areas where it will be possible - although not necessarily convenient or enjoyable - to access your work and shops; attend your school and GP; and enjoy some form of entertainment, e.g. a park, restaurants, a cinema, or night club, by walking or cycling there, or by using public transport.
But not only are these areas to be defined, which might be useful for some, but also penalties will be slapped on people who use the wrong routes to drive through different zones, or who use cars within certain areas. Everyone is assumed to want to walk or cycle. Even many people who can, or could, still actually do not wish to subscribe to such medieval town planning, and such tiny localisms.
Consequently, these Councils are imposing trials, experiments and temporary schemes to get their plans up and running (no pun intended…). Why? Because whatever the noble benefits trumpeted, these schemes will be mandatory and fines collected for breaches their regulations.
Oxford City Council have released a statement after receiving online abuse based on the current theories being portrayed on online platforms, which has dispelled many of the myths surrounding the plan. A council meeting was also besieged by people demanding to be consulted on the changes planned.
In essence, some of the facts that have come from its statement are:
- Six traffic filters are set to be tested for a minimum of six months around Oxford city from 2024. This means that between 7 am and 7 pm, private cars will need a permit to get through.
- Drivers using the filters who do not have a permit, or are not exempt, will face a penalty charge notice of £35, which will increase to £70 if not paid within two weeks.
A council spokesperson has added, “Everywhere in the city will still be accessible by car, although some private car drivers may need to use a different route during the operating hours of the traffic filters,”
“Everyone, wherever they live, will still be able to drive to and from any destination in Oxford, or anywhere else, anytime they like, as often as they like.”
“Traffic filters are designed to reduce traffic levels across the city, making bus journeys quicker and more reliable and walking and cycling safer and more attractive,” the spokesperson said. “Traffic filters are not designed to stop people from driving private vehicles.” (So it’s ok if you’re rich??)
This is a typical example of the weasel words employed by Councils embarking on a change that will be “controversial”.
In essence the wheeze is to run an experiment, in this case something will be “tested” for a period. At the end of the experiment, lo and behold, it will have been found “successful” by the Council, marking its own homework.
The “testing”, or trial period, will not be voluntary, as in medical trials in which the public participates. In this case a significant hefty fine will be imposed on every single act of disobedience – a nice little earner from the get-go.
A “consultation” will then be carried out which will reveal that those consulted think the scheme is desirable. The profile of those consulted will largely match people who would be likely to welcome the plan. In Oxford’s case, people using the six routes will not be asked, nor will many people who benefit from others using them.
The Conservative Party needs to look closely at this phenomenon from a Conservative perspective. This looks like local authority over-reach, and the creation of little local autocracies making big changes to people’s lives just because, it seems, they can.
