'No plans' for Coventry pollution charge

[dutchman]

Revealed: Plans to open up Coventry road running next to primary school



Controversial plans to close Coundon Road have been scrapped under the council’s new pollution-busting plan - with a new ‘direct link’ to the ring road instead proposed.

Coventry City Council has made two significant changes to its Local Air Quality Action Plan, it can be revealed, which aim to avoid a government-imposed Clean Air Zone on the city.

As well as new traffic modelling, it also includes the removal of plans to close Coundon Road at the level crossing – a move which initially sparked a 3,539 petition from residents fearing it would have a knock-on effect on other roads.

Instead, the council has proposed to open up Upper Hill Street to create a direct link onto the ring road, helping more cars to avoid Coventry’s most polluting street, Holyhead Road.

St Osburg's Primary School sits on Upper Hill Street near to the Ring Road.

Cllr Jim O’Boyle told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “One thing we have proposed is to open up Upper Hill Street up to the ring road.

“When people come down Coundon Road they go down Barras Lane.

“A straight road to the ring road would free up Holyhead Road and keep traffic moving. That is one important aspect of the change.

“It [closing Coundon Road] was one of the possible changes but it was not the be all and end all.

“It was designed to support the idea of helping Holyhead Road but we do not need to do that if we opened up Upper Hill Street so we think that is a better solution.

“It is about moving traffic and keeping it flowing. If you keep it flowing the emissions are less.”

[rebbonk]

O'Boyle doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

One of the biggest issues along the Foleshill road is that the council removed the bus stop bays, thus every time a bus now stops the traffic also stops. many of us saw this issue, but the council (because they know better!) rode rough shod over us.

To revert to the prior situation will cost a pretty penny, but the council don't care because it's not really their money.

It really is time that our councillors were held personally responsible for the actions that they take.

[dutchman]

I didn't understand a word of it myself?

[rebbonk]

O'Boyle was (I think) on local radio this morning. Not only was his presentation appalling, he was completely wrong in his assertions. Whilst I'm happy to accept that moving traffic is better, it doesn't prevent, or necessarily reduce, pollution.

Plenty of people are now jumping on this particular bandwagon, but the air in Coventry is now far better than it ever was in the 50s and 60s. We are moving in the right direction.

But as older and less clean cars reach the end of their natural life (MOT failure etc.) cleaner cars will replace them. This is a natural life cycle and I really can't see any justification in introducing this draconian measure for (what ought to be) a few years.

When I was a kid we used to joke about the government finding ways to tax the air that you breath, I think it's just started coming to fruition.

[dutchman]

Boris Johnson promises to 'look again' at congestion charge plans for Coventry



Boris Johnson has promised to ‘look again’ at controversial plans to introduce a congestion charge on Coventry’s roads.

On a visit to London Electric Vehicle Company on the outskirts of the city, CoventryLive asked the Prime Minister what he thought of the proposals.

Mr Johnson spoke widely of green transport during his visit, and said that Coventry and the West Midlands are at the forefront of a ‘green industrial revolution’.

Almost 10,000 people have signed a petition calling on the government to scrap the plans.

Mr Johnson said ‘we will look at the scheme and the proposals’ – but stopped short of promising to throw them out entirely.

Asked about the CAZ and plans, which the city council oppose, to charge some motorists to enter the city, Mr Johnson said: “We will look at the scheme and the proposals.

"When I was mayor of London the low emissions plans were coming in just as the recession was biting in 2008 and they were postponed for a few years to help people who would otherwise have to scrap their vehicles.

“We will look at the details of the scheme and what we are proposing. It’s a good thing if we can improve our quality of air in town centres but we've got to do it in a way that’s fair and sensitive to the needs of people who need to drive their vehicles.”

[rebbonk]

Mr Johnson said ‘we will look at the scheme and the proposals’

Meaningless hollow words from a shallow proven liar.

[dutchman]

Under the terms of the FAKE Brexit negotiated by May and Johnson, Britain is still bound by EU regulations on vehicle emissions and will be for all eternity.

[rebbonk]

Did you know it was because of the Germans that we are obliged to fit catalysts to cars? We had a technology (lean burn) which negated their use. The Germans (lacking the technology) lobbied the EU parliament to legislate on catalysts so we didn't have a commercial advantage!

[dutchman]

Coventry clean air charge plans scrapped

Coventry will not be getting a clean air zone (CAZ) after the government said it supported the city council's alternative plan to reduce emissions.

The local authority had been under pressure to cut toxic emissions that are forecast to exceed legal limits.

However, the government has now said it is content with proposed alternative options including improving pedestrian and cycle routes on roads.

It has given the council £24.5m to help reduce pollution in different ways.

In a letter to the authority, parliamentary under secretary of state MP Rebecca Pow said: "On the basis of evidence provided, I am content you should proceed with implementing your preferred alternative option to a charging CAZ."

The council is to submit its final business case to government by 19 June. The proposals include:

• Improving vehicle capacity on roads as well as pedestrian and cycle routes on the B4106 (Allesley Old Road) through Spon End and Junction 7 of the ring road
  
• Introducing restrictions on the eastern section of the A4114 (Holyhead Road)
  
• Opening Upper Hill Street on to the ring road to give Junction 8 access
  
• Constructing a cycle route between Coundon and the city centre
  
• Banning HGVs on part of Foleshill Road
  
• Assigning electric buses to Foleshill Road

Labour councillor Jim O'Boyle, of St Michael's ward, said the outcome was "excellent news" adding that a CAZ "would have potentially created worse air quality on many residential roads bordering the charging zone as drivers would have sought alternative routes".

[Melisandre]

All of which is missing the most basic point. We are over-populated! But nobody will dare tackle that particular elephant in the room, will they?

No they wont Rebbonk they continue to build more flats homes here which will cause more polution then we keep getting told about polution as I ve said before the lunatics are running the asylum... I also question why are mps royals celebrities still driving gas guzzling cars and using planes if that's the case.

Plus parking problems as planners are building with not adequate parking spaces to park for visitors to our properties.