What future for funding?
Andrew Forster
When new governments come to power, one of the things they like to do is tinker with the structure of local government. Labour did so in 1997 by creating the architecture for regional government in England. The plan to... continue
I park, therefore I am
John Dales
What hope for the latest plan to boost core cities when past initiatives have failed?
Alan Wenban-Smith, Urban & Regional Policy
Unlocking Growth in Cities is a joint production by the Departments of Business, Innovation &?Skills and Communities and Local Government, which brings together many policies and actions with a bearing on the ‘Core Cities’ (Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham/Derby and Sheffield). But its real significance lies in the recognition that the core cities, not just London and the South East, are... continue
In passing
FirstGroup UK?bus managing director Giles Fearnley briefed trade journalists last week on the company’s new localist approach to bus operations (see page 19), with one facet of the plans being that subsidiaries will be able to brand their buses to reflect the local area. So, for instance, buses in Leeds will be branded First Leeds, buses in Bradford First Bradford and, you got it, buses in Cornwall, First Cornwall. Fearnley added, however,... continue
Blame NHS and district council for Kent’s inaccessible hospital
Malcolm Bulpitt, Maidstone, Kent ME15
So the new Pembury Hospital is having access problems (‘Councils and NHS seek access solutions for out-of-town hospital’ LTT 19 Jan). Now... continue
Whose job is it to ensure the North benefits from HS2?
Mike O’Sullivan, Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes MK11
Congratulations on your succinct coverage of the Government’s HS2 decision, it usefully pulled together a wide range of complicated issues (LTT 19 Jan). I would like to pick-up on the matter that you mentioned on page... continue
We need new rail capacity but HS2 isn’t the right solution
Mike Crowhurst, Chairman, Railfuture, Leeds LS25
My compliments on your thorough coverage of the Government’s statement on HS2 (ibid). Now that it is out, perhaps it is time I had my say on behalf of Railfuture. May I begin by reiterating that, in common with other... continue
Birmingham Airport can solve London’s capacity shortage
Mark Cartwright, Centaur Consulting, Guildford, Surrey GU2
It appears now that the HS2 rail spine will be built, and from 2026 passengers will be able to travel from London to Birmingham in 45 minutes (ibid). Authorities in the West Midlands are very bullish, although they still... continue
The jury’s out on the impact of new car club models
Chas Ball, Chief executive, Carplus, Leeds
The emergence of new models of car-sharing (or what we in UK and Ireland uniquely call ‘car clubs’) has suggested a “much needed boost” will be given to car clubs (James Dark, Business Briefing, LTT... continue
‘Free’ parking? There’s no such thing!
Ray Bentley, Bere Alston, Devon PL20
Although complaints are often heard about the price of fuel and sometimes tax increases on fuel get delayed, we never hear demands for free fuel. Nor do we expect our local garage to maintain our cars free of charge. We... continue
