Council says it is too difficult to enforce car idling powers that other council have managed to do.

This evening I asked Maidstone Borough Council: "Given the Council’s stated ‘Anti Idling Campaign’, has the Council adopted the powers provided by Regulation 12 of The Road Traffic (Vehicle Emissions) (Fixed Penalty) (England) Regulations 2002 to enforce the switching off of engines when vehicles are stationary on the road?"

 

They responded that the legislation was 'impractical', i.e. too vague and difficult to enforce. Perhaps they could look at how other councils have done this such as Newcastle, Haringey and Nottingham.

They also disputed mortality figures from Public Health when I quoted the estimated death toll in the borough due to air pollution.

This is simply unacceptable and smacks of complacency. 

Air pollution is a real threat to public health and Maidstone has the 5th worst air pollution in the country outside London. The councils plans are clearly lacking in effect or grip. There are people regularly idling outside schools, at junctions and in traffic jams. There is simply no need for this. It is illegal for them to do so and it is harming people's health. 

The council must reflect on its failure to act and must put into place measures to stop this illegal pollution.  

This is the legislation:

Under Regulation 98 of The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, it is an offence to leave a vehicle engine running unnecessarily while that vehicle is stationary on a road.

Since 2002, under Regulation 12 of The Road Traffic (Vehicle Emissions) (Fixed Penalty) (England) Regulations 2002, Local Authorities have been given the powers to enforce the switching off of engines when vehicles are stationary on the road.  This enables local authorities to issue a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) to a driver who is committing an offense by idling their vehicle’s engine. 

Litter picking in Whatman Park

After months of relatively low litter levels, it is starting to rise again with the relaxation of lockdown. Obviously nowhere near as bad as we can see at the beaches but four of us decided to clean up the entrance to Whatman Park this morning with a socially distanced litter pick. 

Collected a full bin liner of people's inability to respect their local environment (I can only wonder how disgustingly dirty their homes must be...)

Climate change funded by Kent County Council

Globally, April 2020 was the hottest April on record. 

Globally, May 2020 was the hottest May on record. 

Globally, carbon emissions have bounced post Covid lockdowns as people are warned away from public transport.

CO2 hit 417ppm which according to Forbes is "likely the highest it has ever been in the history of humans on Earth". No shit... at least they reported it.

Even the Daily Mail reported that: "Carbon dioxide levels in the Earth's atmosphere are higher than they have been for the past 23 million years - and it’s a direct result of human activity". 

Meanwhile Kent County Council have £350m invested in fossil fuel companies, something I have been campaigning on for over ten years. The latest petition call on them to divest is here - please sign it.

This is the most serious global threat ever. 

It is hurting the planet now. 

It will kill billions of people and huge amounts of Nature.

It will make Covid look like a mild irritant.

Stop flying now. Stop unnecessary consumption now. Look at where you money is invested. Look at what your political allegiances are - do they meet the needs of the future? Of you children? If not, then change your allegiances and start campaigning for the Greens.