We need a climate friendly West of England spatial and transport plan

Bristol Green councillors have raised concerns about the spatial plan and transport plan currently being produced by the West of England partnership.

The plans are to build over one hundred thousand homes over the period 2016 to 2036 and spend £7.5billion on transport schemes (although these schemes have no funding source at this time). 

However, it includes no plans on how it will achieve the regions climate change targets over the same period. Bristol has committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2050, and the other councils in the partnership area are committed to 80% reductions by the same date.

Charlie Bolton said 

’2036 is well over half way to the time when we need to be achieving these vital targets. And yet, as things stand, each new house will add to the regional carbon footprint by location, quality, and type of housing, plus relationship to where jobs and facilities are. When it comes to the transport plan, the partnership’s own figures suggest a cut of just 600 journeys by car (1) over that period out of a total of 330,000which is abysmal and unacceptable.’

Fellow Green councillor Jude English – who chairs the Bristol City Council Place scrutiny commission added

‘With Climate change deniers currently in the Whitehouse  and Westminster it is more important than ever that Bristol CC continues to lead our region in implementing positive innovative and proactive measures to keep to our CO2 reduction promises . Only in this way will we safeguard the health and prosperity  of our children and grandchildren. ‘Carbon neutral’ must mean ‘carbon neutral ‘ and not some pretended aspiration that fails our future and wrecks our economy.’

Greens want to see the West of England partnership plan to build houses which are carbon positive going forwards, and to see a much more ambitious and effective transport plan.

1. http://www.bristolgreenparty.org.uk/woe-transport-plans

2. Green Party campaign for a climate-friendly spatial and transport plan: http://www.bristolgreenparty.org.uk/a-tale-of-climate-woe

3. Question to WoE partnership re transport emissions  http://www.bristolgreenparty.org.uk/question-and-reply-from-west-of-england-partnership-re-emissions