Evesham Branch Secretary, Roger Woollen, and Press Secretary, Dr Peter Daw, call for local government to ‘Get Serious About Evesham Travel’.
The residents of Evesham and the surrounding villages are being let down by Conservative-led administrations, at both national and local levels, over the continued traffic congestion and lack of provision for active travel.
At a meeting of the Evesham Labour Party on November 22, the level of frustration and anger was palpable as members and supporters discussed this issue.
The County Council and National Highways have seemingly given up on improvements to the A44 and A46 through routes which contribute to the town’s traffic problems.
Midland Connect works with County Councils to build business cases to attract the funding for the A46 corridor, but South Worcestershire Councils confirm that no business plans are currently being prepared. However, despite the lack of such schemes, there is still so much that could be done to reduce car usage and promote active travel.
Despite years of traffic surveys, plans and consultations we learn that Worcestershire County Council has recently received a ‘Zero Rating’ for it’s Active Travel Plan which has thus deprived it of any additional funding. Why? Because of the ‘lack of leadership and support’, the absence of any ‘plans in place’ and initiatives being ‘confined to lower complexity schemes’. What a litany of failure!
At the meeting numerous ideas were suggested which could be realistically and cost-effectively implemented at speed. These included;
- Well signed cycle paths throughout the town, especially to provide safe routes to the schools to limit ‘school run’ traffic
- Trial a bike-hire system that gives financial incentives to people that use it
- Improve the maintenance of walking and cycling routes, both into town and into the surrounding countryside
- Help to establish a community bus provision, especially from the peripheral estates and villages into the town centre
If a short debate could generate many such ideas, why have we seen decades of comparative inactivity from our local politicians and councils?
Surely it is time to get serious about this and act!
Roger Woollen
Secretary, Evesham Labour Party
Dr Peter Daw
Press Secretary, Evesham Labour Party
Letter first published in the 8th December 2022 Evesham Observer