Nailsworth CAN have been thinking about projects that the town, community groups and businesses can sponsor or participate in. Here are some initiatives we can all play a part in promoting:

• Priority for Pedestrians: How often do we see cars racing through the town? With a new 20 mph speed restriction this will help, but more is needed to make the town truly pedestrian friendly.

• Cycle Lanes: We need to make it much safer for those wanting to leave the car at home and cycle to work. Most car journeys are just a few miles and for those that work within 5 miles, commuting by bicycle ought to be a easy and safe option. With an electric bike, 10 miles or more is within reach.

• Electric Bikes: To convince people to skip the car and use a bike can be a challenge with the hills we have in the Cotswolds, but Electric Bikes offer a great solution, and there is an electric bike shop in town that can offer advice.

• Cycle Stations: Cyclists need safe places to park their bikes. Commuters, local citizens and tourists can all enjoy what the town has to offer, and do so travelling on bikes. Bike Lockers are increasingly being deployed in cities - why not in a rural setting like Nailsworth?

• Businesses: Can help promote healthy options by participating in the Government’s Cycle To Work scheme.

• Car Share Schemes: Particularly for those that struggle to finance a car, car sharing can be a great solution. It is challenging during a time of Covid, but not impossible, done with care. We want to promote responsible schemes.

• Bus Routes: We need the Government, local authorities and bus companies to do more to support local bus routes. Currently, the limitations in bus routes and timetabling are not helping to reduce car use.

• Electric Buses: We need to lobbly for a change. Buses need to become electrified to reduce carbon emissions and also improve air quality. One myth that bus companies have used is that the grid cannot cope. Well, it seems to be OK in Harrogate, so why not the Stroud district? Electric Vehicles are inherently more efficient than petrol/diesel. They are also becoming cost competitive.

• Shuttle Buses: A specific idea we want to promote for our hilly town, would be to stop using a double decker to go to Forest Green and instead have a shuttle Electric Bus operating continuously between there and the centre. This could radically shift the mode of travel, even for those that have to use a car for communiting, but need to pop into town for leisure and shopping.

• EV Car Charging Points: It is probably true that most charging of Electric Vehicle (EV) cars will be done at home, with off-peak electricity, but we still need to have charging points in publics places such as car parks, supermarkets, etc. to allow for topping up. In Nailsworth we only currently have EV charging points at Forest Green Rovers (FGR). We need to lobby for more.

• Air Quality Zone: While some monitoring of air quality has been done, it is not comprehensive, so we want it to become a priority to monitor and report on air quality, and to work to improve it, especially for the health of the young lungs of our children and grandchildren.

What are the benefits of these projects?

Carbon Reduction: Walking, cycling, and electrification of buses and cars will all help to reduce the carbon emissions from transport, while also improving our health.

Local Economy: Jobs in leisure and low-impact travel can only be improved in the ‘modal shift’ towards cycling and walking.

Fairness: Providing access to well funded transport options will be fairer to those on lower incomes. Worth highlight the wonderfull Access Bikes project based in Stroud that not only creates opportunities for youth jobs, but is currently making bikes available to key workers.

Health & Wellbeing: There are a wide range of health benefits from reducing our reliance on petrol and diesel cars, including air quality of course, but also the overall environment and wellbeing of the town, and in terms of mental health.

Nature Restoration: Changing the built environment to be less dominated by the car will be good for nature, both in terms of the physical environment but also the impact of pollutants on plants and animals.

Resilience: In the longer term, if we can move to local transport being powered by local renewable sources, we will no longer be dependent on volatile and increasingly challenged fossil fuel markets.