What's so bad about Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) as an air pollutant?

Nitrogen Dioxide 2009 tropospheric column density.

Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) has taken most of the blame for reports that air pollution is rising in parts of Brighton and Hove. It is produced whenever fuel is burned - mostly by motor cars burning petrol and diesel, but also by domestic cookers and heaters burning gas. It is invisible, and is less harmful to healthy adults than it is to young and vulnerable people.

Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) published its Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) 2011 a few days ago. The report says NO2 levels are rising in parts of Brighton and Hove - and has this to say about NO2:

"Nitrogen Dioxide is a respiratory irritant associated with both acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) effects on human health. Repetitive exposure can inhibit lung tissue growth and repair increasing the risk of poor respiratory health later in life. Some of the research evidence suggests chronic exposure can make the respiratory tract more susceptible to disease including allergens. Children under six (especially infants born early) and people with existing respiratory illnesses such as asthma and bronchitis are more vulnerable to repeated inhalation of Nitrogen Dioxide. Healthy adults are less likely to have any detrimental health effects solely due to the NO2 at concentrations commonly found adjacent to European roadsides. Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) and nitric oxide (NO) are both Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx). In the atmosphere oxides of Nitrogen also lead to the formation of other pollutants such as ground level ozone and particulate matter.

All combustion processes in air produce NOx emissions. Heat during combustion breaks the binary bonds of ambient Oxygen molecules (O2) releasing energy and allowing freed Oxygen atoms to oxidise plentiful atmospheric Nitrogen. It is expected that between 15 and 25% of NOx emissions from vehicles are readily formed as Nitrogen Dioxide prior to emission. This is referred to as primary NO2 and is released in the exhaust gas. The other 80% or so is Nitric Oxide which given time will convert to Nitrogen dioxide, in the atmosphere mainly as a result of reaction with ozone in the presence of sunlight. It is Nitrogen Dioxide that is associated with adverse effects upon human health.

The principal source of Nitrogen Oxides emissions in Brighton is road transport. In Brighton congested traffic in the city centre in combination with domestic and commercial heating and cooking are important sources.

NOx emissions can be mitigated by after-burning devices or recirculation of exhaust gasses. Emission of NOx are comparatively low for modern petrol cars travelling at intermediate speeds. There is some evidence to suggest that older petrol vehicles have less effective catalytic converters and consequently higher emission of NOx. In comparison diesel vehicles have higher emissions of NOx and a significantly higher ratio of primary NO2. As a general rule the older and heavier a vehicle the higher its emission of NOx, but the most modern diesel cars may be an exception to this rule. That said driving style, speed and engine temperature are also factors that influence the emissions rates. Furthermore dispersion of the emission is influenced by meteorology and the built environment."

Here's what Wikipedia has to say:

Nitrogen dioxide is toxic by inhalation. However, as the compound is acrid and easily detectable by smell at low concentrations, inhalation exposure can generally be avoided. One potential source of exposure is fuming nitric acid, which spontaneously produces NO₂ above 0 °C. Symptoms of poisoning (lung edema) tend to appear several hours after inhalation of a low but potentially fatal dose. Also, low concentrations (4 ppm) will anesthetize the nose, thus creating a potential for overexposure.
Long-term exposure to NO₂ at concentrations above 40– 100 µg/m³ [as seen in some parts of Brighton and Hove - ed] causes adverse health effects.^[3]

The most important sources of NO₂ are internal combustion engines,^[4] thermal power stations and, to a lesser extent, pulp mills. Butane gas heaters and stoves are also sources. The excess air required for complete combustion of fuels in these processes introduces nitrogen into the combustion reactions at high temperatures and produces nitrogen oxides (NO_x). Limiting NO_x production demands the precise control of the amount of air used in combustion. In households, kerosene heaters and gas heaters are sources of nitrogen dioxide.

Nitrogen dioxide is also produced by atmospheric nuclear tests, and is responsible for the reddish colour of mushroom clouds.^[5]
Nitrogen dioxide is a large scale pollutant, with rural background ground level concentrations in some areas around 30 µg/m³, not far below unhealthy levels. Nitrogen dioxide plays a role in atmospheric chemistry, including the formation of tropospheric ozone. A 2005 study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego, suggests a link between NO₂ levels and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.^[6]
Nitrogen dioxide is also produced naturally during electrical storms. The term for this process is "atmospheric fixation of nitrogen". The rain produced during such storms is especially good for the garden as it contains trace amounts of fertilizer. (Henry Cavendish 1784, Birkland -Eyde Process 1903, et-al)

Nitrogen dioxide is formed in most combustion processes using air as the oxidant. At elevated temperatures nitrogen combines with oxygen to form nitric oxide:

O₂ + N₂ → 2 NO

Nitric oxide can be oxidized in air to form nitrogen dioxide. At normal atmospheric concentrations this is a very slow process.

2 NO + O₂ → 2 NO₂

For analysis of the AQAP 2011 report: click here. 

Deadly air pollution rising despite clean air technology, says Brighton and Hove Council report

Graph showing NO2 levels rising in Brighton and Hove after 2008

Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) pollution has been increasing since 2008 in parts of Brighton and Hove, despite technology improvements that were supposed to reduce vehicle emissions.

The evidence is given in the graph above, taken from Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) Air Quality Action Plan 2011.

NO2 is linked to increased rates of death from all causes.

It was thought that improvements in engine design since the 1990s would lead to ongoing improvements in pollution levels. This appeared to be the case up to 2008 - but since then NO2 pollution has been increasing again.

The report says:

"It was thought that improvements to engine and fuel technology would reduce NO2 exceedences over time even if little action was taken locally. Nationally and internationally this has not happened to the extent that was anticipated.  In many cities estimates for air quality improvement made in the period 2000 to 2010 have been found to be over optimistic. That said locally in Brighton significant improvements have been recorded up to 2008.  It is likely that AQO compliance very close (<10 metres) to some heavily trafficked and congested roads is not likely to happen prior to 2015. Therefore further local intervention is required.  Brighton and Hove’s reports have consistently confirmed that road traffic is the primary (but not exclusive) contributing factor to poor air quality in the city. Therefore the majority of improvement measures described in the report are related to road traffic including the decisions people make when travelling.

In the main poor air quality in Brighton and Hove is a combination of stop-start heavy vehicles, accelerating engines, and the proximity of buildings adjacent to traffic." 

The report makes a strong case for the importance of this issue. Although some forms of modern air pollution are invisible, they remain deadly:

"Decision makers should be aware that reductions in ambient pollution led by investment in technology is a multiple win situation; for the urban environment, human-health and a positive growth area for the economy. Improvements in air quality aim to protect the most vulnerable members of society; most especially the very young and those with existing respiratory illness. Given that prevention is better than cure it is in the financial interests of government and the health service to save capital by investing in a healthier urban environment. Where the air is poor; airborne pollution can contribute to heart and lung conditions and influence life expectancy. Based on past figures the government white paper on sustainable transport1 estimated that poor air quality costs the UK economy £19 billion per year. As this assessment does not include all airborne pollutants it is likely to be an underestimate. Report by the committee on the medical effects of air pollution suggests fine particulate have a small contribution to 200,000 UK deaths in 2008  equivalent to a variable influence on one-third of annual mortality. A number of international studies also demonstrate a link between urban Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) and all cause mortality. The latest evidence now suggests that poor air quality is a greater risk to our society than; alcohol abuse, passive smoking, obesity, flooding and road traffic accidents."

The report identifies modal shift as a key means for reducing air pollution. But in my opinion the report fails to highlight this or put it in the context of what other countries have achieved. This is a cautious approach to the problem in a country where we are reluctant to change our reliance on the private motor car. Modal shift means getting the population to choose sustainable transport en mass. For example, in Holland up to 33% of trips are made by cycle, in the UK this is less than 2%. There is much more discussion on elements of planning for modal transport in other parts of this blog. These points are made in he report, but in a muted way:

"Local business and the general public are both the cause and the solution for the problem of poor outdoor air. This action plan follows an open twelve-week consultation period and sets out how airborne pollution can be reduced in order to improve the outdoor air in Brighton. The final action plan takes account of consultee comments and includes new references to the London Mayor’s Air Quality Strategy and the Sussex Low Emission Strategy. In 2011 Brighton and Hove have been awarded a grant under the Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) for reductions in emissions and improvements to local air quality.

The former AQAP (Air Quality Action Plan 2006) and LTP1 (First Local Transport Plan) acknowledged that road traffic was main course and encouraged modal shift; namely avoidance of private car usage and reduction in total traffic numbers, promotion of walking cycling and public transport. It has been identified that most of the traffic within the city is locally generated, with two thirds of vehicles on the road at any one time making trips which begin and end in the city. Many of these shorter journeys could be achieved by more sustainable means.

A successful program to reduce car usage makes sense in terms of reducing fuel consumption, minimising carbon footprint, freeing up road space for all users and making neighbourhoods more conducive to; cycling, walking, social cohesion and play. In our city’s AQMA (Air Quality Management Area), private cars typically contribute between: one-quarter and a half of roadside NO2 pollution. Between three-quarters or a half can arise from other sources notably; trucks, vans, taxis and buses. The majority of locally derived pollution comes from either diesel vehicles or older petrol vehicles. Therefore a policy of travel choice has to be part of a much more comprehensive air quality action plan.

The main reasons for tackling poor air quality are the links with quality of life and the need to minimise the risk to human health."

The report also makes some interesting general observations on the poisons contained in vehicle emissions, and on transport in the city. But there is a tendency to look on the bright side. When the report says say there has been a 27% increase in cycling, and omits to mention that we started at 1.5% of all trips, we are still making less than 2% of trips by cycle. We are far behind our continental partners. On the positive side, the report does make the case that, when compared with the rest of Britain, Brighton and Hove is going in the right direction. Most of the nation is, apparently, increasing its reliance on the car, as B&H gradually reduces it.

"Since 2007 a decrease in traffic volumes has been observed at some locations (in B&H). Further analysis of traffic flow changes is included in the 2010 Air Quality Progress Report (AQPR)3.  Bus patronage has continued to increase every year since 1993. This
compares favourably to the national trend, which has shown a more substantial growth in car use between 1993 and 2007.

The city’s main commercial bus operator, the ‘Brighton and Hove Bus & Coach Company’ has achieved an increase in passenger journeys of approximately 5% each year since 1993. In addition, cycling in Brighton & Hove has substantially grown in recent years – a 27% increase was recorded in the 2006-2008 period.  The seafront cycle lane has one of the highest daily flows of bicycles anywhere in the UK.

Based on 2001 Census figures, vehicle ownership in Brighton & Hove is the lowest in the south-east region (comparable to a London Borough) and one of the lowest nationally. Across the city, there is an average of less than 0.9 cars or vans per household, compared to 1.3 in the South East.  Most traffic in the city is locally generated – some two-thirds of vehicles on the road at any one time are making trips, which begin and end within the city. Journeys from adjacent areas such as Shoreham, Worthing and Lewes also account for a significant proportion of the total traffic." 

Later, the report emphasises the point that many in Brighton still regularly use cars for short journeys (3 miles or less). That's 27,000 necessary journeys a day!

"Cycling in Brighton & Hove has seen substantial growth in recent years. (27% increase recorded in the 2006-2008 period.)  However, around 45% of workers employed in the city use a car to get to work drive less than three miles. This is estimated to be over 27,000 car journeys per day, so there is great potential for increasing safe bicycle use - and also to bring other benefits on both an individual and a wider level."

Link to BHCC AQAP 2011

Brighton and Hove to publish "climate change action plan" in the autumn

A "climate change action plan" for Brighton and Hove will be published later this year, according to a report presented at a council cabinet meeting on 15 July 2011.

A spokesperson said the report outlined moves to "radically boost energy from renewable sources produced in Brighton & Hove".

Cabinet councillor for environment Pete West said: "The council is gearing up for a massive investment in sustainable energy in the city. We're leading by example by starting with the city's biggest-ever solar electricity programme.

He said this would help the local economy and open up opportunities for others to install solar electricity using the council's buying power to bring down costs.

Cllr West said: "There is no overnight fix and we don't underestimate the technical and financial challenges. But the council will be working hard to overcome them with a range of partners and agencies." 

The report was made in response to an independent scrutiny commission set up by the council in April, which called on the authority to help radically increase use of low-carbon power citywide. The council's response made on 15th June highlighted progress:

• A major installation of solar electricity panels on dozens of council buildings and schools, plus 1,600 homes. Work is expected to start this year.
• Households encouraged to participate in domestic electricity generation in the Feed-in Tariff scheme.
• Some new or refurbished school buildings are being fitted with solar hot water and electricity panels plus air-and ground-source heat pumps which cut electricity use.
• The council has undertaken to work with developers of major schemes, such as Shoreham Port, to ensure as much renewable energy as possible is included.
• A Climate Change Action Plan will be published by the council in the autumn, addressing housing, transport, industry, commerce, and sustainable energy.
• A new online tool for developers to plan low-energy buildings introduced this month by the council's planning service.
• The council is looking into setting up a Sustainable Energy Agency to co-ordinate green power initiatives in the city. The authority is also investigating how much energy could be generated by alternative sources such as wind power.
• A 'heat mapping' exercise would identify areas where high energy demand might be met from small-scale low carbon generation locally.
• There will be work done to increase training and apprenticeships in the renewable energy sector, and a campaign to spread the low-carbon message.
• A bid for £1m of EU funds is being made, aimed at setting up apprenticeships related to green energy.
• Officials will investigate funding for a scheme to help communities generate their own low-carbon power.

The Renewables Scrutiny Panel was chaired by Dr Adrian Smith, of the Science and Technology Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex. Other panel members were councillors from various political parties including Cllrs Pete West, Warren Morgan, and David Watkins.

The Panel held four public meetings, hearing from 26 expert witnesses, including council officers, representatives of city partner organisations, experts on renewable energy, sustainable energy businesses and local residents.

Air pollution is above EU permitted levels - and getting worse in some areas of Brighton and Hove

21 July 2011. Brighton and Hove City Council today published air quality data that shows pollution is above EU legal levels - and getting worse in some areas of the city, despite efforts to reduce vehicle emissions.

The Council's second Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) (link below) shows average Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) concentrations were higher in 2010 than in 2008, and higher than 2009 in some streets. Continuous analysers at Preston Park and at Hove Town Hall recorded a small increase in levels during 2010 compared to previous years.

Green Councillor Ian Davey is cabinet member for transport and the public realm. He said: "This report shows how serious the problems with traffic related air pollution are in the city. Far from improving; air quality in some areas are clearly getting worse."

A council spokesperson said that in 2010, NO2 concentrations were above the legal limit, and worst at roadside locations in Central Brighton and Portslade. A similar situation occurs in other cities in Europe with examples of increasing ambient NO2 including Cambridge and Paris. Since 2007 some local road links have shown evidence of a decline in total traffic tallies.
The spokesperson said the increase in ambient NO2 in Brighton & Hove is likely to be due to the following contributory factors:
• An ageing vehicle fleet on the road
• A higher proportion of diesel vehicles that show no real performance improvement in emissions of NO and NO2
• A higher proportion of older petrol vehicles with catalytic converters that perform less well with time
• Higher regional background NO2 across South East England
• Higher domestic and commercial heating demand during the past two winters; 2009/2010 and 2010/11, and consequently a likely higher total emission from wood burning and gas fired central heating systems.

The second Air Quality Action Plan follows a 12-week public consultation and refers to key documents published during the past year.  It includes a comprehensive set of measures and recommendations aimed at improving air quality in Brighton.

Cllr Davey added: "We are delighted that the success of the bid to the government's Local Sustainable Transport Fund has given us £4 million to spend in the Lewes Road corridor which gives us an opportunity to make a quick start in one of the worst affected areas."

Together with external partnership and council funds, plus support from the local community, the Lewes Road Corridor project will be worth approximately £6 million over four years. Work is expected to begin this year.

The spokesperson added: "The council is also linking air quality into the city's Local Transport Plan and has joined with Sussex partners to initiate a low emission strategy pilot to address the problem county-wide. This will promote initiatives such as electric vehicle use and contribute to local planning policies.

"There has been progress in providing travel choice in the city; however a number of other measures require implementation if the EU and English limits for Nitrogen Dioxide are to be met."

Click here for link to: Brighton and Hove City Council Air Quality Action Plan 2011

Brighton and Hove to survey 6,000 residents about Highways and Transport

Friday, 8 July 2011. Brighton & Hove residents will be asked what they think about their local highways and transport services, in a survey that will take place later in July.

A questionnaire is being sent to a minimum random sample of 6,000 Brighton & Hove residents with local and national results expected to be published later in the summer. Since the survey is based on a sample, all residents who receive a copy are being urged to take part.

Councillor Ian Davey, cabinet member for transport and the public realm, said: “We are committed to involving residents and listening to what they have to say. The results will help us assess how we are performing, prioritise services and to improve the service to communities.”

Nearly 70 Local Authorities across the UK will take part in the survey, from the National Highways & Transport Network (NHT) and the regional Highways Service Improvement Group. It is believed to be the first attempt to involve a number of separate highway authorities in a comparable survey format. Councils will be able to compare results, share best practice and identify opportunities to work together in the future.

Peter Radford, Chair of the NHT Network Survey Steering Group said: “There are clear benefits to conducting a public survey in this way. As well as providing excellent value for money, it also enables everyone involved to identify areas of best practice and spot national, regional and local trends.

“This is not about producing a league table to champion one geographical area over another, it is about understanding customer views better and working together to deliver the best possible outcomes for local residents.”

Details
The survey is the result of a collaboration between the National Highways and Transport (NHT) Network and the South West Highway Service Improvement Group. It is being carried out on behalf of the participating councils by market research specialist, Ipsos MORI.

Participation in the survey is voluntary. It is believed to be the first survey of its kind to bring together a large number of separate highway authorities from all over England and parts of Wales to carry out their surveys in a comparable format

The survey questionnaire covers all aspects of local highway and transport services (e.g. from the condition or roads and footways to the quality of local bus services). It should take around 20 minutes to complete.

Southern Rail U-turn on Cycle Parking at main entrance to Brighton Station: 40 new spaces at front (south entrance)

May. Cyclists locked bikes to railings outside

8 July 2011. Southern Rail today announced that a new 40-space double-tier bicycle parking facility is to be installed at the south side of Brighton railway station by September 2011.

The announcement is a reversal of the previous decision by Southern not replace cycle parking facilities at the front of the station, which were removed during renovations earlier this year. At that time, Southern said cycle parking represented a security threat in that they could not monitor bags left on cycles in the busy main entrance to the station.

The new cycle rack will be located where currently there is a small car parking area used by British Transport Police (BTP) and Southern Staff adjacent to the building that houses the BTP offices and public conveniences. It will be fenced, and monitored 24 hours a day by Southern’s CCTV Control Centre. The new facility is due to be completed by early September.  

As they once were: an estimated 100 cycles or more at station front

May: The space where the old cycle racks once were

Cyclists protested against the removal of the cycling facilities, saying no consultations were made, and that the remaining provisions were less convenient since they were at the rear of the station and required cyclists to dismount, and walk through the station onto a rear platform before they could park. As a consequence, the front railings became festooned with bicycles locked to the railings.

The cabinet member responsible for Transport in Brighton and Hove's new Green-led City Council, Cllr Ian Davey, backed the campaign to get cycle parking re-instated at the front of building. He described the move as a Green win and said: "I have been discussing the need for provision of cycling parking at the front of the station with Southern since coming into post in May. I am delighted they have listened and responded so positively. I look forward to them being opened in September.”

Cllr Ian Davey is also Brighton and Hove City Council’s Deputy Leader.

A council spokesperson said: "Southern has been working closely with Brighton and Hove City Council on plans for the station frontage including cycle parking, and following recent feedback from cyclists who use the station, installation of the two-tier rack will begin next month."

Southern’s Franchise Improvement Director, David Scorey said: “We are pleased to announce the installation of this new facility. Although we have put in over a hundred extra cycle parking spaces at the rear of the station which are very well used, some of our passengers told us they wanted parking to be available at the front. This will go some way to meeting those requirements.”

Opinion
Cycling should be made a more convenient option option, not less convenient.

In my opinion, the 40 new cycle parking spaces will barely be able to cope with the number of cycles already chained to the front of the station. It seems clear that people some people are leaving their cycles there for long term parking. Not only is there a train station and a bus terminus there, it is the gateway to Brighton's main shopping area, and dense residential areas of Queens Road, Western Road and the North Laine. If we are going to encourage cycling, we need to plan for storage for a lot more cycles. It seems a pity to waste the quadrangle in front of the Station, and Southern should play its part in promoting sustainable transport. But they do face a problem - how to deal with cycles left there long term, and even abandoned. Could they levy a small fee, as is done in some other places? Should the city provide a large cycle parking facility? Watch this space.

How it is done in Utrecht
Take a look at this video, and the comments below it, to see how another station in another city is providing parking for cyclists.

Brighton: Sign warning cyclists not to park cycles.

Brighton: Railings outside the front of the station

Brighton's Lewes Road Corridor sustainable transport project given the go ahead with £4m of government funding

Cllr Davey leads cycle campaign Feb 2011

5 July 2011. Brighton's Lewes Road Corridor project secured £4m funding from the Department for Transport's Local Sustainable Transport Fund, it was announced today.

The Brighton project was one of 39 sustainable transport schemes across England that were given the go ahead as part of a £155 million Government investment aimed at boosting economic growth and reducing carbon emissions.

Cabinet member for transport in Brighton and Hove City Council, Green councillor Ian Davey, expressed joy at the news. He said the scheme had been suggested by Greens during the previous Tory administration, and it was good news that it was won under the new Green administration: “One of our key aims is to give the city the infrastructure it needs to be open for business. A crucial part of that is sustainable transport, enabling people and goods to move around without spoiling our streets or the air we breathe.

“This is a great opportunity for the council to work with residents and business to alleviate some of the transport problems in the area, particularly poor air quality caused by congestion.”

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokesperson said: “It’s part of our ambition to make the city one of the greenest in the UK. Some 66 councils bid for a pot of £155m the government made available. 37 authorities were successful."

With external partnership and council funds, plus support from the local community, the project will be worth approximately £6 million over four years. Key partners in the bid include Southern Rail, Brighton & Hove Buses, Sussex and Brighton Universities, the Primary Care Trust, and the Engineering and Physical Research Council. 

"It will be used to help local people make more eco-friendly transport plans for themselves. Physical alterations to the road will include upgrades to public transport infrastructure, cycling improvements, traffic signal upgrades, pedestrian improvements and improved links to the new South Downs National Park.

An exact timescale for the project has yet to be fixed, but work should start this year. 

The judging panel included buses and transport expert Tony Depledge, Ian Drummond from local government body ADEPT, Stephen Joseph from Campaign for Better Transport, Adam Marshall from the British Chambers of Commerce, Lynn Sloman from Transport for Quality of Life.

Brighton Pavilion's Green MP Caroline Lucas said the news was "fantastic" and a "step in the right direction".

39 projects won funding as part of the first allocation from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund. They cover eight regions and a total of 37 local authorities, with many more as partners. All have been judged to be effective against the fund’s two key objectives of creating growth and cutting carbon.

The successful schemes also include a variety of measures such as smart ticketing, the promotion of infrastructure for electric vehicles, bus and rail improvement measures, cycling and walking and are designed to link together to create a sustainable transport package that delivers economic growth.

Transport Minister Norman Baker said: “I am delighted to be able to fund these excellent projects.

“All the winning schemes have one thing in common – they will help build strong local economies while addressing the urgent challenge of climate change.

“We have empowered local authorities to create packages of sustainable initiatives that are tailored for their local areas, and this is only the beginning – even more funding will be announced next summer following a second round of bids.”

For details of the Brighton and Hove's bid for DfT funds, click here
http://russellhoneyman.blogspot.com/2011/05/brightons-lewes-road-63m-sustainable.html

More on this story from the DfT - http://www.dft.gov.uk/news/press-releases/dft-press-20110705

Spanish Revolution protesters to leave Old Steine camp, Brighton

9 June 2011. Protesters occupying the Old Steine in central Brighton agreed to quit their camp, according to Councillor Ben Duncan, Cabinet Member for Communities in Brighton and Hove City Council.

He said: "We respect the right to peaceful protest and will facilitate it where possible but we will take action where necessary to fulfil our duties as a council and these include ensuring public parks are protected for the whole community.

"The right to peaceful protest does not include the right to camp in public parks and we will uphold local bylaws to prevent this. We have accommodated the protesters' protest and allowed them to make their point and they have behaved well so far and we expect them to leave this Sunday. It's good news that they have promised to move on and I expect them to fulfil that promise."

The following pictures capture the spirit of the non-violent protest...
(to see photos click Read More)

Southern Rail bans cycles from trains during London to Brighton Bike Ride

The following report was posted today on Brighton and Hove News

After the Naked Bike Ride through Brighton on Saturday (11 June), next weekend it’s the annual London to Brighton event.

And it’s the one day of the year when cyclists will be barred from taking their bikes on the train.
The British Heart Foundation, which runs the London to Brighton Bike Ride, has once again organised a coach and lorry service to take cyclists and their bikes to and from the event.

Details of road closures have also been announced.

Southern Railway said that on Sunday (19 June) there would be an all-day ban on bikes at Brighton, Hove, Portslade and all the other stations in the city.

The ban extends north to Three Bridges, east to Eastbourne and west to Chichester Station.
Outside this area, bikes can be carried on board trains after noon provided they are heading away from Brighton and Hove.

On Saturday (18 June) Southern is warning passengers with bikes that they may suffer delays because each service can hold only a limited number of bikes.

A queuing system will be in place for the day – and again on Monday (20 June) when the usual peak-time restrictions will also apply.

The restrictions can be found at www.southernrailway.com/cyclepolicy.
For more information about the bike ride, go to http://www.bhf.org.uk/get-involved/events/bike-rides/london-to-brighton/faqs.aspx.

A number of roads will be closed on Sunday in and around the area and others will have restrictions in place. They include

• Coldean Lane from Carden Avenue to Lewes Road will be closed from 7.30am to 9pm
• The slip road from Carden Avenue to the A27 Brighton bypass eastbound will be closed from 7.30am to 9pm
• Old Steine from St Peter’s Church to Aquarium Roundabout, bikes only in the left-hand lane, from 7.30am to 9pm
• Madeira Drive will be closed from 6am until midnight
• Mill Road, Brighton, will be closed from 7.30am to 9pm
• The B2112 from the county boundary to Folders Lane will be closed northbound only from 6am to 8pm
• The B2112 Common Lane from Folders Lane to Ditchling will be closed from 6am to 8pm
• Northend Lane, Ditchling, to Beacon Road will be closed from 6am to 8pm
• Beacon Road over Ditchling Beacon to Carden Avenue will be closed from 6am to 8pm

Brighton and Hove approves a new Local Transport Plan

27 May 2011. Brighton and Hove City council approved its Local Transport Plan (LTP) with all three main parties giving the document their unanimous support.

The plan was due to be approved in March - but the Tory admin delayed the council debate until after local elections 5 May.

A source said that when the Green Party won control of the council they adopted the plan without amendments to avoid delay since an LTP is required for government grants.

In any event the plan was supposed to be politically independent and produced in line with national policy which encourages sustainable transport according the Government's January White paper on Transport.

Earlier report on LTP3

Revolutionaries take over traffic island in Brighton

25 May 2011. A group calling themselves the "Spanish Revolution" have occupied the traffic island known as the Old Steine in central Brighton and Hove.

The group says on its website that it will deliver "real democracy" and a demonstration to "take over the streets" on 4 June. It says it is run by an "Assembly" and that it will hold meetings daily at its "camp" on the Old Steine. Other activities include yoga, belly dancing and capoeira.

Spanish Revolution website says: "We are individuals who have come together freely and voluntarily. Each of us has decided, after the concentrations on Sunday, May 15, that we are determined to continue fighting for dignity and political and social awareness."

Link to the website is given below.

The Green-led council has engaged with the Spanish Revolutionaries. Councillor Ben Duncan, Cabinet Member for Communities, Equalities and Public Protection, said: “I have spoken with members of the group and received assurances that any activity associated with their protest will be peaceful, lawful and transparent.

“The Old Steine isn’t just a public space in the city centre it’s the heart of a residential area so I am glad the protestors have liaised with the police and asked all supporters to recognise the need to respect the neighbourhood in which their encampment falls.

“In these respects the encampment is a model of the kind of engaged, peaceful protest the council and police are committed to facilitating, but of course we will be watching closely to see if this changes in the future.”

Valley Garden Project
Sustainable Transport-related background information: The Old Steine is a series of large grassy traffic islands surrounded by dual carriageway traffic in the center of Brighton. Until recent times, this area was a social centre of the town, but road developments cut the parks off from the town and surrounded them by hectic traffic. In 2000, the city made plans to reverse this domination by the car. The Core Strategy included plan to redirect traffic, and make a big park connecting the traffic islands and the Pavilion/N Laine areas. This Valley Gardens Park Project was going to create a park in the city center, reclaiming it from cars in favour of people, but these plans were squashed by Tory admin last year. The local Green Party has made it part of their manifesto to revive a city centre park project.

Spanish Revoluiton
http://spanishrevolutionbrighton.wordpress.com/

Brighton and Hove Green manifesto at
http://www.brightonhovegreens.org/

Brighton's £6.3m Lewes Road sustainable transport bid includes a direct bus-to-railway link and electric bicycles - but can it solve the problem?

24 May 2011. Brighton and Hove City Council yesterday published details of its £6.3m bid for funding for a sustainable transport project in the Lewes Road Corridor. The bid is widely supported as a step in the right direction, though there are concerns it does not go far enough.

The bid, made on 18 April, seeks funding of £4m from the Department for Transport (DfT) Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF), with additional funding of £2.3m from local stakeholders including the bus and train companies, Sussex University and the council's own Local Transport Plan. If successful, the bid funds will be applied to capital and revenue projects over the period 2011-2015.

The bid application includes letters of support from major stakeholders including the Brighton and Hove Buses and Southern Rail, the Universities and several community organisations including Lewes Clean Air Campaign.

In January this year the DfT announced the £560m LSTF, intended to encourage Local Authorities to make plans to promote sustainable transport. Brighton and Hove's application was submitted to the DfT 18 April to meet the DfT deadline for the first round of funding ("Tranche 1"), for projects up to £5m. Winning bids will be announced end of June. A second round of bids for up to £5m closes 6 June (Tranche 2). Then there is another round for projects up to £50m. Deadline for expressions of interest for this is also 6 June.

Links to download details of Brighton's bid can be found at the end of this article.

Is the plan any good?
Cycle campaigners said that the application was prepared in a short time by the council planners, and there was insufficient time for community consultation.

Lewes Clean Air Campaign spokesperson Duncan Blinkhorn said: "Lewes Road for Clean Air / Bike Train are a community partner in this bid. We support it because we want to see real progress toward this route being a sustainable transport route which can have a positive impact on local health, well-being as well as the global threats of climate change from significant reductions in emissions of CO2, air polutants and noise.

He added: "We have some concerns that the bid lacks sufficient ambition and offers little in the way of practical steps to improve cycling but we hope that these things can be developed more a later stage."

Major elements of the proposal include publicity to promote cycling, walking and public transport, bus stop improvements including weather cover and "real time" bus information displays, and improved access to the South Downs National Park, including signage and resurfacing of routes and improvement of access including rights of way.

This is all to be welcomed. However, in the absence of a citywide sustainable transport plan, it will be hard to improve the problems of slow public transport links with other parts of the city, and dangerous cycle routes into town.

In particular, the publicity-promotion of cycling seems optimistic, without provision of safe cycling routes around such obstacles and pinch points as the Underpass, Vogue Gyratory and the Level.

The report does acknowledge: "The poor surrounding cycling and pedestrian facilities mean parents and carers are reluctant to let their children walk or cycle which also contributes to a lost opportunity to improve health."

The local improvements might encourage more people to use the South Downs National Park, but will it encourage more people to cycle and walk to work and school?

To ease congestion we want people to use cars less. To do that, we need to make sustainable transport the mode of choice: prioritise public transport, so becomes as fast to get the train station by bus as it is by car; make walking and cycling safe and attractive.

There are some nods in this direction: a "green wave" on traffic lights in Vogue Gyratory will give sustainable transport priority. And a new direct bus service will allow residents to get to the station without having to change buses (extension of route 21). But overall journey times on buses are likely to remain long as buses struggle through congested streets. And a green wave for cyclists on Vogue Gyratory is unlikely to make it less intimidating. A cycle bypass is needed there, and cyclists still have to confront the Level...

Imagine a fast tram to the station,  and delightful cycling and walking routes... people leaving their cars at home or on the city outskirts. Am I dreaming? Actually, there used to be railway line running though the Vogue Gyratory, it was demolished only in 1984. Ultimately we will need to re-engineer the city to get where we want to go. That will help stimulate the economy as well.

For the time being, in my opinion, without an overall city plan that coordinates a sustainable transport policy, it will be hard for a local project like this Lewes Road Corridor bid to persuade substantial numbers of people to switch to sustainable transport for trips like work and school.

It is doubtful that more community consultation on this isolated project could have come up with better ideas - and in the end, the vocal spokesperson for Lewes Road Clean Air Campaign, Duncan Blinkhorn, gave the project his support.

In my opinion, the money would be better spent on making an integrated city plan - then we can make a start on some of the serious civil engineering obstacles - like Vogue Gyratory. And similar obstacles on Old Shoreham Road. So let's go for the big prize, the £50m bid.

In the meantime, this bid should be supported, not because it promises fundamental change - but because it is a step in the right direction, and an opportunity to focus the city's attention on what is needed to promote real modal shift toward sustainable transport. If it does not go ahead, we will lose the funding opportunity.

Bid Details
The application includes elements under the following headings:
SC1 – Personalised Travel Planning (PTP)
SC2 - Travel Planning (Universities)
SC3 - School Travel Planning
SC4 - Community Road Safety Campaign
SC5 - Electric Bikes Research and Promotion
TI1 - Links to South Downs National Park (SDNP)
TI2 - Traffic Signal Review and Upgrade
TI3 - Pedestrian Wayfinding Extension
TI4 - Bus Real Time Information (RTI) Extension and Upgrade to GPRS
TI5 - Rail Station Access Improvements
TI6 – Improved Bus Stop Waiting Environments
TI7 - Bus Service Improvements to Brighton Station

Download the full details of Brighton and Hove's "Lewes Road Corridor
2011-2014" LSTF Bid here:
http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1146323

On Thursday, will Greens accept the Local Transport Plan made by the old Tory-led council?

Core Development Areas (LTP3-App 3)

24 May. The delayed Local Transport Plan (LTP) will be presented to a Special meeting of Brighton and Hove City Council on Thursday 26 May 2011.

This LTP was devised under the just-demised Tory leadership of the council. So is the LTP full of plans to remove cycle lanes and turn green spaces into parking spaces? Not at all. In fact, the Plan makes it sound like the Tories had a Road to Damascus Moment and converted to the Green Cause. Here is the vision statement:

“To deliver an integrated, accessible and balanced transport system that supports economic growth and enables people to travel around and access services as safely and freely as possible while minimising damage to the environment and contributing to a safer, cleaner, quieter and healthier city.”

OK, no mention of the "sustainable" word in the vision statement, but plenty inside.

The LTP is a truly awesome document in hundreds of pages. A quick scan (link below) shows how transport planning impacts many aspects of our lives - housing, how we go to school, work and shop, what our cities look and feel like. Air quality affects our health, traffic affects our enjoyment of the urban environment. Our economy depends on how transport flows - not just how quickly, with billions being lost by traffic jams - but also how enjoyable the experience is, with some high streets being blighted by noisy dangerous traffic, and others boosting retail trade with safe enjoyable pedestrian areas like New Road in Brighton.

UK's local authorities are supposed to work to 12 year strategic plans, and the last one (LTP2) was drafted in 2000. So a new one (LTP3) was supposed to be agreed by the end of March 2011. But the council administration was in a turmoil - with the possibility of council opposition defeating the LTP just weeks before the May local election - so everyone agreed to delay considering the LTP until after the election.

Well, as we now know, the Tories lost, and the Greens won the election by a margin that surprised everybody.

So the LTP becomes almost the second major policy document to be debated by a the Green-led council. (The first item on the agenda is councillors' allowances - Green promised to scrap these as part of thier election promises).

Although created under the demised Tory administration, the LTP is supposed to be non-political, being drawn up in the best interests of the city by council officers. But, as we experienced over four years of Tory admin, council officers are susceptible to political pressure - as the sad demise of Old Shoreham Road Cycle Freeway, Valley Gardens project, etc etc bears witness. Many of these were components of the last (2000) LTP2.

Back in November I did query the questions asked in the public consultation that formed part of the LTP. For example, there was no clear question that asked: Do you favour a clear commitment to Sustainable Transport?" The closes we got was:

"To reduce the need to travel  - and enable people to travel more sustainably."

The the above, 73% agreed,  21% neither agreed nor disagreed, 6.5% disagreed. So what part of that sentence did they disagree to? This is a trickster question. It is important, because the the LTP bases it's priorities on the results of public consultation. Other policies had higher approval so these get given priority.

My sources tell me this new LTP3 is masterpiece of worthy generalisation, which would have allowed a Tory administration to adapt the sustainable-sounding plan to its nefarious ends, while still being fit for the purpose of securing government funding.

But the good thing about this vague kind of Plan is that it allows the incoming Green administration an equal flexibility.

The word is that it will be adopted by council on Thursday.

In any event, delay would be extremely uncomfortable - government funds will not be forthcoming until the LTP is agreed. Local highway authorities have a statutory requirement to produce a Local Transport Plan [LTP] as part of the process to secure government grant funding. The current LTP expired at the end of March 2011 and the third LTP [LTP3] for Brighton & Hove was supposed to be in place by the beginning of April 2011.

Click link here for downloadable copies of LTP3. The details are in Appendix 3 and 4.

Bike Train to Springwatch Festival at Stanmer Park, Brighton, 5 June 2011 - call for volunteers

Bike Train visiting the Drive, Hove

Brighton's Bike Train will try out an hourly service on 5th May, along the Lewes Road to Springwatch festival at Stanmer Park. The ride is part of the run-up to national Bike Week (18 -26 June).

Details of ride times and call for volunteers shown below.

Bike Train provides a safer, escorted service along Lewes Road - one of Brighton's main cycle routes - which is notorious for its dangerous pinch points and cycle-unfriendly junctions.

Organiser Duncan Blinkhorn said: "Bike Train enables people to cycle two abreast, taking up one traffic lane, in a fun, sociable, assertive and safe formation."

An hourly, family-friendly, group cycle-ride will go between The Level in central Brighton and Stanmer Park. There will be two speeds of ride each hour - an "Easy Rider" slow ride and a faster, though still moderate speed, "Express train". All rides will be supported by experienced ride marshalls and accompanied by some groovy tunes (yes, you heard that right - Mr Blinkhorn has a sound system mounted on his bicycle, loud enough to be heard in the traffic).

"If successful, we will run similar services to other events at Stanmer and the new Falmer Stadium," Mr Blinkhorn added.

Call for volunteers
Mr Blinkhorn called for volunteers: "We need lots of help on the day staffing the two Bike Train stations and supporting the rides."

If you can help for part or all of the day (8am - 6pm), contact Rebecca on 07739 181337 or Duncan on 07944 152706 or by e-mail info@biketrain.org

Depart from The Level:
10am, 11am, Noon, 1pm.

Return Rides from Springwatch:
1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm, 5pm.

Join at any point along the Lewes Road Route.

More info: http://www.biketrain.org/

The event is registered with Team Green Britain Bike Week as an official Bike Week event: http://www.bikeweek.org.uk.

Brighton's Bike Train offers safety in numbers for cyclists in rush hour traffic

A community-run project offers Brighton's cyclists a safe way to cope with rush hour traffic by gathering them together in one big group - the "Bike Train".

Bike Train is a volunteer-run project set up by the Lewes Road for Clean Air community group, which is working to clean up air pollution on the Lewes Road
"through positive citizen action, promoting a shift to sustainable transport for a low-carbon future".

Of all Brighton's official cycle routes none are as scary as Lewes Road, with the Level and Vogue Gyratory and the underpass pinchpoint danger spots. The latter is where cyclist Joanna Walters was killed 14 July last year. She was cycling on the cycle route near the underpass on the Lewes Road when she was struck by a delivery van.

Other danger spots along this cycle route - National Cycle Route 90, no less - include the "Vogue Gyratory", a monster roundabout built in the mid 1980's with no provision for cyclists, and "The Level", with its cycle paths positioned in the path of oncoming buses.

Bike Train runs daily from The Level to Sussex University, departing from The Level at 8.30am.
www.biketrain.org

With no money in the budget, can policy alone achieve Sustainable Transport in Brighton and Hove

heroknight.blogspot.com

On Thursday (21 May) the UK's first Green council administration was voted into power by a full meeting of the city council in Brighton and Hove. The council officers are said to be overjoyed to be working with a Green administration and bursting with ideas of how to implement the local Green manifesto. How exciting, you might think, now we can put all those sustainable transport plans into action? Not quite. There is no money at all for new capital projects in the council's Transport budget, so this rules out infrastructural changes.

But not everything needs money. Significant change might be achieved through policy decisions alone. I've been chatting to activists, consultants and councillors about what can be done. Above all, what the city needs is a detailed sustainable transport plan. Some policy changes might be effective in the short term:

1. 20 mph default across the city. Signage is expensive, and planning is needed, eg where higher speeds are needed. But on the face of it, 20mph default should cost almost nothing.Some big signs as you enter the city, possibly enforced by sub-contracted commission-paid officers presently engaged in parking ticketing. 20 mph will make other transport options more attractive by slowing traffic - and if people use other transport options, traffic will be less and journey times may even end up being shorter - even by car. We can visit Portsmouth and ask them how they did it.

2. Planning suburban traffic around 'semi permeable cells'. Suburban areas can be planned so 'rat-run' type traffic speeding through residential roads (and endangering children) is blocked. This is done by 'semi permeable' barriers such as one-way streets and bollards, creating cells with limited access to cars but open to walkers, cyclists and public transport. Cars can only enter via a few roads. Cells are linked by traffic arteries. So if you want to travel by car from suburb to neighbouring suburb, you need to drive out of your cell onto a connecting road (such as a ringroad) and back into the neighbouring cell. In Dutch cities this type of planning means that short journeys are much more convenient by foot, or cycle or public transport.

3. Speed up bus transport. We need rapid buses on strategic routes. It is ridiculous that it takes an hour to travel from Aldrington to Hollingbury or Falmer by bus - but 15 minutes by car or taxi. Brighton's main bus company is a near-monopoly that runs huge buses on centralised routes that suit them. Encourage more independent bus services to bid for routes that communities help to plan. Set up a council-led community bus service so that a self sustaining community service can evolve. Policy decision and encouragement may be all that is needed here.

4. Invest in planning. The budget inherited from the Tories allocates £4.5m to improving car parks. This can be put off for a little while. Invest the money into making a unified transport plan for the city. Maybe we won't need these car parks in these places if we do a proper plan.

5. Look at best practice. Let's talk to the Dutch. We may even find the EU will help pay for consultation with people who have already made sustainable transport work. EU funding is allocated to Brighton and Hove for sustainable transport - this was used to pay for the cycle counters installed last year. Better to use this money for planning than for cycle counters.

6. Central Government has set up a £560million Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF). Brighton and Hove applied for grant funding from this, during the previous Tory administration. But the proposal involved scant community consultation and I have not yet seen it - I'm hoping to soon. It is said to involve the Lewes Road corridor, which has issues of heavy traffic, poor air quality and a dangerous cycle route.

Background

When voters reacted against the Labour government and let a Tory minority administration take power in 2007, the city suffered four years of mean spirited self interest that clearly saw sustainable development as a threat to the Tory way of life - especially the right to drive and park cars everywhere. The Tories leaned on the city's planners, and tore the heart out of the city's sustainable transport plans by cancelling the core elements of it, for example the city centre Valley Gardens project, Old Shoreham Road cycle freeway and Marine Parade cycle lane. In January 2011 they actually tried to repeal the council's commitment to sustainable transport.


Tory admin was voted out of power in the 5 May local elections, and the voters have entrusted the city to a new group of Green councillors. But the period of freely available funds is over. We will long regret the damage done to our city by the Tory failure to take the golden opportunity during the decade of unfettered funding.

The budget inherited by the Green administration from the Tories imposes £23million of cuts on the council. This is due to cuts in funding from central government. More cuts are indicated in future years?

Cyclists protest against the removal of cycle parking facilities from Brighton Railway Station

This cycle parking at Brighton Station is scrapped. greynet.org.uk

19 May 2011. On Friday 13 May cyclists at a meeting of the Station Gateway Group protested against the removal of cycle parking racks from the main (south entrance) of Brighton Railway Station. Scores of cycles are now chained to railings at the front of the station and facing the bus depot and surrounding shops.

A Brighton resident who was at the meeting said: "There was no community consultation about the decision to remove the cycle racks. Southern Railways says cyclists can use the cycle racks at the rear (north entrance) of the station. But most people arrive at the station from the main entrance, which faces the seafront and the North Laine shopping and entertainment areas. To get to the rear you have to dismount and walk through the station and onto a platform. Studies show that cyclists typically won't go more than fifty meters to park their cycles. The response of the station manager who was at the meeting was unsympathetic to cyclists - he said that since cars have to park at the back, there's no reason why cyclists should not do so as well."

Chris Hudson, Media Relations Manager for Southern Rail who operate the station, said security was the primary reason for the decision to remove all cycle storage facilities from the station frontage on a permanent basis. He said the chained cycles represented a security risk in the crowded front for the station, since rucksacks and satchel bags are left attached to bikes.

"People have been chaining their bikes to the railings around Brighton station for many years. There are sufficient cycle parking facilities at the rear of the station, so there should be no need for people to chain their bikes to railings at the front," Mr Hudson said.

"We re-painted the canopy which stretches across the entire station frontage and in order to carry out the work safely bicycles the coffee bar and the taxis were moved from the front to the back. Cycles are now permanently parked at the rear of the station which has been the intention for some time," he added.

In answer to speculation that Southern Rail will use the space freed up by removing the cycle storage for retail sites, Chris Hudson said: "There are no plans at present to develop the area left free by the cycle park at the front of the station."

Cycling England lives on... website given a new lease of life by DfT

When Cycling England was closed by the DfT, it was thought that Cycling England website - containing much research and reports - would be closed. But the other day I thought I would check - and I see the DfT has decided to keep the website on-line, without updating it. That's a good decision - at least local authorities chasing the DfT's Local Transport Fund money will be able to take a look at the results of the 6 years of work and £160 investment inspired by Cycling England's vision.

Cycling England website. http://www.dft.gov.uk/cyclingengland/

Farewell from Cycling England

Regular readers of my blog will recall that I tried hard to get comment from Phillip Darnton, head of Cycling England, before his organisation was closed down. He press officer told me it would not be appropriate for him to comment. But the day after my article was published in the Guardian, Darnton did make a comment on Cycling England's website.

In an open letter titled "Farewell Note from Cycling England", Darnton says: "The Government’s decision to abolish Cycling England – as being a “quango” is regrettable, and cost ineffective but it is not the demise of this little group of managers which is to be lamented it is the loss of the nationally extended network of enthusiasts, with their acquired knowledge, skills and engagement which is the real waste.

"With the backing of the Professional Support Team as well as the crucial involvement of Sustrans and CTC and other partners in their many schemes, cycling was well on track for long- term growth and much positive momentum.

"Unfortunately, Government has yet to appreciate these key lessons of consistency, continuity and the need for a long term strategy for an integrated transport policy for Britain.

For full text of the Farewell Note, click Read More

Greens now biggest party on Brighton and Hove City Council after elections today

Greens are now the largest party on Brighton & Hove City Council after election results today. This is the first time a local council in the UK has elected the Greens as the largest party.

People voted Green across Brighton & Hove. Greens held all their seats and gained 10 more for a total of 23 Green councillors, making them the largest group of on the council, and the largest Green group of councillors in the country.

It’s a huge vote of confidence in the Greens. Green convenor Bill Randall said, “The the city has listened to the Greens and we have listened to the city. Greens will now sit down and plan how to take the city forward in these difficult times."

Bill Randall said: “The next step is for us to talk to other parties about how we will work with them and implement our manifesto pledges at a very challenging time for local government budgets."

Key Green wins included:
• Goldsmid returned three Greens, winning one seat each from Labour and Conservatives. Alex Phillips, Ruth Buckley and Rob Jarret were elected.
• Brunswick & Adelaide returned two Greens. It was previously LibDem stronghold
• Queens Park returned three Greens, despite determined efforts by Labour to win back the three seats they lost in 2007.
• Regency returned two Greens - up by one.
• Hollindean And Stanmer had three labour councillors - now they have one. The other two seats were taken by Green candidates Sven Rufus and Christina Summers.
• Conservatives lost another seat to Greens in Central Hove.

• Safe Green Wards St Peters & N Laine, and Preston Park returned three Greens each.

I spent an exciting day at Hove Town Hall watching the vote being counted. Here is my video of council leader Bill Randall after the results were announced.


For full results see the Council Website
http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1244854

Cycling England is dead; long live cycling in England

A delayed posting of the link to my second story for Guardian Environment. 28 March 2011. Cycling England has been abolished and the Department for the Environment says it will take the work in house and promote sustainable transport using a new £560m Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF). But sustainable transport lobbyists say the "localism agenda" may derail attempts by government to achieve "modal shift towards sustainable transport". After all, not all local authorities want sustainable transport - the Tory administration in Brighton and Hove declared in January that it wants to repeal moves in that direction.

Link to Guardian story, with comments, here

My story was subbed to fit the Guardian word count. My original story is below:

Cycling in England after Cycling England is abolished

1590 words

By Russell Honeyman

russellhoneyman@yahoo.co.uk

22 March 2011. On March 31, Cycling England will be no more, and critics fear its successor will be unable to achieve modal shift toward sustainable transport because it is crippled by the “localisation agenda”.

To all intents and purposes, Cycling England is dead already. The “Non Governmental Public Body” that was supposed to get “more people cycling, more safely, more often” in England has been abolished as part of coalition government reforms to “increase accountability, deliver smaller government and improve efficiency”.

The Department for Transport (DfT) will bring key functions of Cycling England in-house. It says the work can be done better within the Department through the mechanism of a £560m Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF).

Secretary of State Norman Baker launched of the LSTF in an online video describing his vision for “modal shift to sustainable transport”. Electric cars and long distance rail travel will help reduce carbon and yield health and environmental benefits. Physical inactivity and poor air quality cost the state scores of billions a year, while walking and cycling improves high street turnover by 10-15%. Congestion, he said costs us £11bn a year.

Mr Baker praised Cycling England’s Demonstration towns. Over £160million in government funds to 18 towns and cities over 6 years saw increases of 27% in cycling, and doubled the number of children cycling to school. During this time cycling was on a general decline in the rest of the UK.

But Mr Baker wants an end to “the top down approach”. He wants to hand power back to local authorities, alongside decentralised economic power, regional growth funds and Local Enterprise Partnerships. He wants to move away from specific grants to local, customised solutions.

Hence, he abolished Cycling England, and in its stead, set up the Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF). He envisages local authorities working in partnership with voluntary sector, community and business to put forward proposals for grant funding from the scheme. The first round will be in April 2011.

That’s just over a week a away.

Sustainable Transport charity Sustrans' Policy Manager Jason Torrance broadly welcomed the LSTF. But today, he warned: “The localism agenda makes it difficult to have an adequate response to climate change or physical inactivity. We need a national response to a national crisis. Devolving responsibility to Local Authorities to interpret, or in their own way prioritise as they see fit, is not necessarily a recipe for success. Phillip Hammond quotes national policy as giving over-riding commitment to localism – the reality is that this may well end up undermining the government’s very own strategy.”

Mr Torrance is sanguine about the demise of Cycling England: “We don’t have a funding environment that has £140m for a Cycling England. It is now incumbent on the local authorities to use the momentum in a wider sense and move towards integrated transport systems as a part of upcoming Local Transport Plans published at the end of March.” (more>>>)