We need action, not just words

All the excellent letter-writers [Gazette, October 28] highlight the issues facing our district.

The elephant in the room for all of these is climate change, and especially the fact that soils store three times as much carbon as vegetation, so disturbing soil is extremely damaging. For example, construction involving earth moving, concrete and bricks, has huge emissions.

The Prime Minister recognises that: “Unless we get this right in tackling climate change, we could see our world go backwards”.

In contrast, the Chancellor increased the damage to the climate by reducing domestic air passenger duty, which is the most climate-damaging mode of transport available, and has frozen fuel duty.

So the Conservative national and local governments produce fine words, but their actions say the opposite.

Kent County Council and Canterbury City Council have Climate Action Plans, but they pushed through the Sturry Link Road, despite knowing that the new road would increase emissions, and damage nature, and have also refused attempts at implementing measures described by Richard Scase [Letters, October 28].

The councils have the legal capability for their actions to

match their words and to reject any proposals, such as the Mountfield scheme, unless they actively help the climate.

Chris Lowe

Hackington Road, Tyler Hill

As Mansell Jagger pointed out [Letters, Gazette, October 28], Canterbury will be ruined if the council proceeds with its current development plans.

The council can’t even control the dangers of the motorbikes, scooters and bikes in the High Street, so what hope for building control.

Build up north, not here any more.

Alderman Richard Parkinson

St Peter’s Lane, Canterbury