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Royal Parks urged to reduce traffic and pollution
CPRE London has responded to The Royal Parks Movement Strategy consultation urging bolder action to reduce the impact of cars.
Alice Roberts of CPRE London said: “Responses to the last consultation gave a clear mandate for more concerted action in particular to remove through traffic and therefore we would urge that the strategy is revised to take quicker and bolder action”. CPRE London is proposing the following:
- All action needs to be more urgent – within the next 12 months
- Through-traffic / commuter motor traffic should be eliminated from the Royal Parks, not simply discouraged
- There should be more traffic-free days and weekends – or even whole weeks at busy times
- Many more roads should be transformed into permanent car-free, walking boulevards
- A priority should be to create individual plans for each park
- There should be speed limits of between 5mph and (max) 20mph
- The Strategy presents cycling unnecessarily negatively. We believe this is a huge missed opportunity. Instead, cycling through, to and from, or in the parks should be supported and championed.
- Generally, the strategy should more clearly respond to London’s crises around climate, nature, air quality and inactivity/health. Action to address these issues should be prominent in the strategy.
Alice said: “Our research has shown that one third of London’s parks are seriously impacted by traffic noise, reducing their amenity and, in the worst cases, stopping people from using them at all. We would like to see The Royal Parks demonstrating leadership on this issue, taking action to eliminate the negative impacts of cars in and around London’s parks and in doing so, encouraging others to do likewise.”
Download our response to the consultation – CPRE London Royal Parks Movement Strategy consultation response 24 March 2020
