Asked by
To ask His Majesty’s Government what are the health benefits of
low traffic neighbourhoods.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for
Transport () (Con)
My Lords, when implemented well and with good community
engagement, low-traffic neighbourhoods can improve air quality
and bring the obvious health benefits of increased cycling and
walking. The Government continue to promote traffic management
that enables more choice in how people make their journeys. That
is why we are carrying out a review to ensure that, where they
exist, low-traffic neighbourhoods are delivering the attractive
choices for active travel that we all want to see.
(Lab)
I thank the Minister for that reply and welcome him to his new
post, but why did the Prime Minister order a review of
low-traffic neighbourhoods? I quote from the Telegraph:
“I just want to make sure people know that I’m on their side in
supporting them to use their cars to do all the things that
matter to them”.
Does that not include the health of their family, or does the car
come first?
(Con)
I thank the noble Lord for his welcome. On 30 June, the Prime
Minister announced a review of low-traffic neighbourhoods to be
carried out by the Department for Transport. The review is
intended to focus on the processes for creating low-traffic
neighbourhoods, including understanding the consultation and
engagement processes that were followed for such schemes and the
views of local communities impacted by them. The review will
focus on the schemes installed since the start of the Covid-19
pandemic and will not look at historical street layouts.
(Con)
My Lords, I too welcome my noble friend to his new role, one that
I covet somewhat, having previously been a transport director for
this city at City Hall. On low-traffic neighbourhoods, one of the
challenges we faced in this city was managing the balance between
safety, economic policy and keeping the city moving when
implementing policies, especially on the roads. So, on
low-traffic neighbourhoods and 20 mph zones, do the Government
approve of a blanket approach to this type of policy, or does it
have to be a bit more sophisticated?
(Con)
I thank my noble friend for that question. As a resident of
Wales, I can speak with some experience on this. The Government
are very concerned about excessive vehicle speeds and believe
that any form of dangerous or inconsiderate driving behaviour is
a serious road safety issue. The power to impose 20 mph speed
limits rests totally with local traffic authorities and I
emphasise that the Government support 20 mph limits in the right
places. We do not, however, support 20 mph limits set
indiscriminately on all roads in England, with due regard to the
safety case and local support. The Transport Secretary announced
The Plan for Drivers in October, which included an assurance that
we will update the 20 mph speed limit guidance for England to
prevent inappropriate blanket use.
(CB)
My Lords, is the Minister aware that in Oxford LTNs have been
bitterly divisive and a disaster? Teachers are resigning because
they cannot get to school; shopkeepers, often of ethnic minority,
are closing shops; ambulances cannot get through. Will the
Minister ensure that locals are given the truth? So often, we are
not told that the pollution displaced from one road simply moves
to another. We need to insist that local authorities give us the
true scientific picture.
(Con)
The noble Baroness makes a very good point. We are aware of the
Oxford situation and I fully support what she said.
(LD)
My Lords, I welcome the noble Lord to his new role. My question
very much follows from the previous one. What are the Government
doing to ensure that local authorities undertake frequent and
systematic monitoring of air quality, not just in low-traffic
neighbourhoods but in traffic hotspots, to ensure that they
pursue traffic reduction measures in general and not just in
certain targeted areas?
(Con)
I thank the noble Baroness for her kind words. Transport is the
largest source of greenhouse gases in the UK, with domestic
transport accounting for some 26% of all emissions in 2021. Road
vehicles produce over 90% of transport’s domestic carbon
emissions, so the transition to electric vehicles is a clear
priority as well as an opportunity to grow the economy. We will
end the sale of all new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2035.
From 2040, all new HGVs will be fully zero-emission.
(Lab)
My Lords, I welcome the Minister to his new role—this is a blood
sport and he is the fox. Local authorities held accountable to
residents at elections are best placed to decide how to manage
traffic in their communities, yet we are now more than four
months into a Whitehall-led review of the implementation of
low-traffic neighbourhoods. Can the Minister explain how much
this review process is costing, what value added is expected and
whether the Government are contemplating primary legislation?
(Con)
The review is focusing on fact-finding to ensure that these
schemes work for residents, businesses and emergency services and
enable more choice in how people make their journeys. We expect
the review to report back in early 2024, after which the
Government will consider its findings and any necessary next
steps to ensure that the schemes deliver the objectives they set
out and take account of communities’ views.
(Con)
My Lords, I very much welcome the review that my noble friend has
outlined and, like others, I welcome him to his new role. My
concern is with air pollution levels, particularly when linked to
health. Among young children, allergies, bronchitis and asthma
are very much on the increase. Can this be taken into
consideration in the review so that we can understand the impact
of pollution on health?
(Con)
I thank my noble friend for that excellent question. The latest
published emission figures show that air pollution has reduced
significantly since 2010—emissions of nitrogen oxide are down by
45%. Under the nitrogen dioxide plan, we are supporting 64 local
authorities with £883 million of funding specifically to develop
and implement measures to address their nitrogen oxide
exceedances in the shortest possible time.
(Lab)
My Lords—
(Non-Afl)
My Lords—
The Lord Privy Seal () (Con)
My Lords, there is time for both the noble Baroness, Lady Hayter,
and the noble Baroness, Lady Fox, afterwards.
(Lab)
My Lords, the Minister will be picking up from his predecessor
the portfolio about glare from oncoming headlights. Given the
effect of this, the 20 miles per hour speed limit is really
important, because eyes do not adjust enough to glare. Will the
Minister meet me and others on this continuing issue of glare so
that we can move forward on it?
(Con)
I know that this issue is of particular interest to the noble
Baroness. I would be delighted to meet her.
(Non-Afl)
I welcome the noble Lord. Can the review look at the detrimental
mental health harms of being forced, for example, to take three
times as long to take the kids to school or the disabled and
elderly being unable to get taxis from or deliveries to their
doors due to LTNs, and the health impacts of heavily congested
roads and LTNs? Will the Minister look at a new report, “Clean”
Air, Dirty Money, Filthy Politics, which looks at the distorting
influence of big money on the science and health evidence? We
need to say that there are bad health effects of some of these
anti-car policies.
(Con)
I thank the noble Baroness for her question. I take on board what
she says, and I cannot disagree with it. There is nothing wrong
with driving. Most of us use a car, and for many, life would not
be liveable without one, but I take on board exactly what the
noble Baroness says.
(CB)
My Lords, I add my own congratulations to a retired detective who
has been put in charge of traffic, which is truly a remarkable
promotion. What plans do the Government have to ensure that
cyclists do not exceed 20 mph in the low- traffic zones or,
frankly, anywhere else that they choose to break the law?
(Con)
I thank the noble Lord for his kind words. He makes a very good
point, and it is something, perhaps, that the Metropolitan Police
should take good note of.
