As you might have read in our November newsletter, Oxfordshire County Council is currently informally consulting on proposals to introduce a Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ) within Oxford City.
We strongly encourage you to add your input to the process, as there will be strong voices both for and against. Low Carbon West Oxford will be responding to the consultation as a group, as well as as individuals. See below for the line LCWO will be taking.
The consultation is closing on Sunday 26 November 2017, so make sure you do it soon.
Tell me more about the ZEZ:
If you missed it in the news, you can read about the ZEZ proposal and the quick Mail poll which showed 52% in favour of the plans, in the Oxford Mail here.
Link to the consultation online.
Link to the Oxford City Council video on youtube.
Download the ZEZ FAQs fact sheet produced by Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council.
What’s LCWO’s response to the ZEZ?
LCWO will be submitting a response to the consultation, as well as encouraging individuals to respond for themselves – the more voices, the better.
Some key points, which you may also wish to include in your own responses:
- We support plans for a ZEZ. In addition to the obvious health and environmental benefits, the introduction of the ZEZ will have the co-benefit of supporting our local electric car industry and be a bolster for the creation of more green jobs in Oxfordshire.
- We feel it should be more ambitious, covering a greater area, and being rolled out sooner.
- Why wait? The damage is happening now, as the longer the exposure, the worse the effects – every year counts!
- We would like to see the ZEZ extended to include Ferry Hinskey Road, to take into account the planned redevelopment of Osney Mead, and increase the positive impact of the ZEZ on a greater section of the Botley Road.
- The plans do not remove vehicles from the roads, and are only tackling part of the problem (NOx), as particulates from brakes etc are still a problem with electric vehicles. We would like to see the ZEZ combined with a sustained and major effort to promote walking, cycling and public transport across the city.
And in the meantime… tackling air pollution NOW – LCWO’s plans
Locally, LCWO will be taking action on air pollution in 2018.
Plans include installations to highlight various aspects of the issue, including the fact that the worst air is actually in the car (little known, and a way to break down any ‘them’ and ‘us’ feeling between campaigners and drivers); a ‘stop idling’ campaign on the Botley Road, and increased monitoring of air (using the FoE monitoring kits), hopefully in partnership with local children.
WANT TO GET INVOLVED? We’d love to hear from you.
With gift-giving becoming a focus for many over the next few months, why not pop one of these in someone’s stocking?
The FoE Clean Air kits are fab, and easy for children to use (6+, with adult help) – and they will tie in with work we hope to be doing in early 2018. Results feed into this funky map , and the more West Oxford data we can collect the better. Get your kit here for £15.
To play a part in tackling the problem further afield, buy someone a solar lamp via Oxfam.
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