Of all the many issues brought up by the need to get the Moorlands to Net Zero by 2030, EV charging infrastructure is one that excites more attention than most from members of the public – and elected councillors. As the accompanying ZapMap shows EV charging points in the Moorlands are few and far between. Across the country it remains a postcode lottery with those areas of the country nearest the Moorlands much badly served then in the South.
Read more: Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Points in the Moorlands
With the gradual relaxation of Covid restrictions in the UK and overseas, many of us are starting to lift our eyes to the horizon and contemplate travel further afield. Given that we’ve all become used to a slower pace of life and simpler pleasures, slow travel may have a greater appeal than ever before. That appears to have been the experience of many who took to canal holidays during the pandemic, in addition to the more obvious camping and caravanning. Even if forward motion is slow, the view is still changing and we get to see new places and meet new people, all without flight anxiety or guilt.
Never let it be said that our outgoing chair, Nigel Williams, didn't make his presence felt in the past. This 30 year old cutting reveals how, as Transport spokesperson for North Staffs Friends of the Earth, he believed that traffic congestion and road safety could be improved in the run up to the 21st century. It seems that not much has changed since then but Nigel was speaking with some experience of the infrastructures he was calling for, having lived for several years in Sheffield when the bus service was second to none and a cross-county fare was 10p for an adult (and 2p for a child). The result was low levels of traffic congestion, speedier journeys into town and most families giving up second cars - great for decarbonisation, although that wasn't the issue then. That of course was dependent on having an efficient subsidised bus service (South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive) run by councils that not only had the political will to improve public transport but also the finance to afford it.
This year’s holiday season in the Peak District National Park may be in sight but a solution to one of its biggest problems seems further away than ever. As more and more people visit the Park, the number of car journeys is climbing relentlessly, with consequent pressure on roads, the availability of parking spaces in villages and last, but certainly not least, the amount of greenhouse gas emissions. MCA knows from conversations with the National Park at Board level that trying to encourage the availability and use of public transport and reverse the relentless tide of cars is a priority. We also know that they have struggled to get meaningful engagement on the subject with elected representatives on the Staffordshire side of the Park borders.
In our last article on green transport possibilities in the Moorlands, we focused on community buses, electric bikes, active transport and car sharing schemes. However, there is another serious possibility - increased use of electric cars, which has had little traction in the this area so far. More than likely that is due to motorists’ “range anxiety”, a legitimate concern, especially to those of us who live in rural areas. The good news is that moves are afoot to dramatically increase the number of EV charging points in the UK, with Ofgem planning to build infrastructure for 3,550 new ultra-rapid charging points on motorways and in towns, as well as investing in upgrading Britain’s electricity grids.
There are lots of metaphors for lack of progress in the world of travel, such as ‘stuck in the mud’ and ‘up shit creek without a paddle’. No doubt ‘attached to the bank of the Suez Canal’ will become another. This will resonate with MCA members concerned to reduce our travel carbon footprint in the Moorlands – lots of interest, lots of ideas but apparently no coherent plan and definite uncertainty about the roles of different levels of government. At SMDC level even the promising topic of electric vehicles has been moved from their Travel and Transport working group to that of Energy, although that’s no reason that we in MCA’s Transport group can’t continue to push for its promotion.