Green councillors are proposing a series of measures to help people seeking alternatives to driving private petrol or diesel cars.
As Norfolk County Council sets its annual budget on Monday, the Green Group will be asking for money earmarked to be spent on the Norwich Western link road to be used, instead, on projects which would clean up our air, allow more people to use bicycles and public transport and put charging points for electric vehicles in some of the many places across the county where they are needed.
Greens want the county council to set up a scheme to provide people who discard their cars with vouchers of up to £3,000 which can be used to buy or hire a bicycle, or used on public transport. Mobility credits, which have been piloted in a scheme by Coventry Council, could be awarded in return for scrapping petrol or diesel cars which pollute our air and are reliant on fossil-fuels.
Meanwhile, to help local residents find it easier to swap petrol for electric vehicles, the Greens propose to invest more in the roll out of EV (Electric Vehicle) charging points, which has so far been slower in Norfolk than other areas. The charging infrastructure would be built out into the road to avoid cluttering pavements or reducing space for pedestrians and wheelchair users.
Councillor Jamie Osborn who represents Mancroft ward in Norwich said:
“Norwich residents often tell me that there’s no incentive to use public transport or cycle, and we need to make these options more viable. The county council’s current budget offers very little to improve the viability of public transport or walking and cycling. Green councillors are proposing a package of changes to the council’s budget to boost well-connected and affordable public transport.
“The mobility credit scheme could be aimed at people on lower incomes to make the most difference to those who use it.
“Furthermore, Norfolk is lagging behind in the roll-out of EV charging points and the lack of charging infrastructure is holding back the adoption of EVs. More charging points will allow drivers who are currently prevented from switching to electric vehicles to do so.”
Further help for residents of terraced streets is being proposed in the shape of covered cycle parking and parklets. Many houses in Norwich and the county’s town centres lack space for cycle parking while there is usually space to park a car on the street nearby. The proposal to install secure, covered cycle storage would provide somewhere safe to keep a bicycle.
Parklets are becoming more popular around the country as residents choose to give up their cars and find new uses for parking spaces. Seventy percent of the inhabitants of Hackney in London are said to no longer own a motor vehicle and parklet permits have been introduced there and in other London boroughs. The mini parks have replaced some on-street car-parking spaces with flowers and benches which can be used by the local community. [1]
A benefit of reducing the number of cars running on fossil fuels is that air quality will improve. Green county councillors have been campaigning for better air quality around schools as children are especially vulnerable to air pollution which can cause developmental damage and asthma. The Greens’ new proposal is to reduce pollution outside schools through monitoring air quality and discouraging drivers from idling. [2]
Councillor Ben Price, Leader of the Green Group on Norfolk County Council, said:
“Greens are ready to deliver change when it comes to transport. We need to make a quick and fair transition away from private cars running on fossil fuels, and the measures we are suggesting will help this to happen. Decisions at the county council are being made by yesterday’s leaders with yesterday’s ideas. Spending millions of pounds on a road which would only lock us in to years more of people being reliant on private vehicles is regressive. Not only do we need new ways to travel in order to tackle the climate emergency, we also want to give people want they want, which is the ability to cycle or take public transport, pleasanter communities and cleaner air.
“It’s time to employ scientific, rather than old-fashioned thinking and start laying the foundations for the infrastructure and economy we want to see in Norfolk in the future. We want to be at the forefront of new industries, with good quality, sustainable jobs and a better quality of life for Norfolk residents.”
Further information from: Councillor Ben Price 07947 777949 ben.price@cllr@norfolk.gov.uk Councillor Jamie Osborn 07975 881585 jamie.osborn@cllr@norfolk.gov.uk
Notes: 1. How Londoners can create a ‘parklet’ in their street | LondonWorld 2. https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/education/engine-switch-off-signs-for-norwich-schools-8679182
Norwich Green Party has ten councillors on Norwich City Council, where it forms the main opposition party, and three on Norfolk County Council, representing the wards of Mancroft, Nelson and Thorpe Hamlet in Norwich.
