This might be the year that some small steps are taken towards more sustainable ways of getting around in the Moorlands – and then again it might not. The new County Transport Plan is out soon, and closer to home, an exciting new cycling initiative is underway in the Moorlands. But over it all hangs the strained nature of national public finances and Reform taking control at County Hall.
At present, the Government is working on its Comprehensive Spending Review, which is due to be published on 11 June. The Campaign for Better Transport has been lobbying hard for improvements to public transport, focusing specifically on prioritising investment in local transport; moving to long-term funding settlements that would allow increased stability and security; and targeting needs-based bus investment in underserved areas, (Moorlands Connect being a classic example) to ensure every community has a reasonable level of service. They’re also pushing on other initiatives designed to redress the balance between climate-friendly transport and fossil fuelled alternatives.
As mentioned in our Spotlight article, the County Council is developing a new Local Transport Plan for Staffordshire, which aims to shape the future of transport, considering all the ways we get around, including walking, cycling, wheeling, public transport, rail, cars, and freight. This is supposed to help accelerate the shift towards active travel and to public transport; national funding guidelines dictate this; but the Reform Party is avowedly ‘pro-motorist’ and may yet have something to say on this. The Plan will go out for public consultation very soon, so there will in theory be an opportunity for us all to have our say. To keep in touch, you can go to their dedicated website page Let’s Talk Transport.
Despite increasing sales of electric bikes, Leek appears to have reached saturation point where cycling is concerned, although we would love to be proved wrong. However, Leek is not the only town in the Moorlands and we are thrilled to be associated with Chain Reaction, a project run by Biddulph Town Council, Outside Arts, Staffordshire County Council and others to promote cycling across the Staffordshire Moorlands. Boosted at its launch by a long distance off-road ride to London by Biddulph Town Mayor, Nigel Yates, and companions, its motto is “Recycle, Ride, Revive – Pedalling for a Greener Future for the Moorlands”. See their website above for full details.
It would be fair to say that, at the moment, the project seems to have many parents but lacks a clear overall guiding hand. MCA would like to support this, and there is funding available, but we await a clearer picture before we commit. In the meantime, we continue to promote an occasional cycle repair service at some of our repair cafés.