Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
We won’t give up on car-free day, say green campaigners
Campaigners insist plans for a car-free day in Canterbury have not been kicked to the roadside.
It was hoped the city council would back the green initiative after it was put forward by Labour councillors at the start of the year.
But the proposal hit the buffers after it was passed to Kent County Council, as the roads authority, and has not been adopted.
Its backers, however, are still urging people to not get behind the wheel in the city on September 22, Global Car Free Day.
They braved driving rain on Friday to make their case for the ambitious scheme as concerns over the level of pollution in the city intensify.
Gwen Armstrong was among those who marched through the city. She said: “We need to be encouraging people not to use their cars. Poor air quality has a major detrimental effect on people’s health.
“We got soaking wet on Friday, but the day went really well. We got a lot of toots from motorists so we really think we got the message out there.”
Research by Dr Ashley Mills and Prof Stephen Peckham estimates that more than 100 premature deaths in Canterbury are caused by air pollution every year. Poor air quality is linked to asthma, birth defects, diabetes, cancer and respiratory diseases.
Ms Armstrong added: “Children are particularly affected by pollutants such as vehicle emissions and children’s lungs sustain lifelong damage from levels of NO2 regularly found on all major roads within Canterbury.
“There is mounting concern over these dangerous levels.”
Members of the Canterbury Society have been patrolling St Dunstan’s Street asking drivers waiting at the level crossing to switch off their engines.
They were out on Monday and yesterday (Wednesday). They will also be out on Saturday, September 16 and on Saturday, September 30.
The society says it is striving to reduce the amount of pollution in Canterbury and to improve people’s health.
Cllr Alan Baldock, who suggested a car-free day with fellow ward member Cllr Jean Butcher, says the idea still has life despite the apparent reluctance of local authorities to back the proposal.
“It’s not going to happen this year and that’s a shame, but that doesn’t mean the idea of a car- free day is gone for ever,” he said. “We’ll certainly be stirring it up again.” To mark Global Car Free Day the city’s Labour Party will be staging a bike ride round the city on Saturday, September 23, leaving from the Victoria Hotel at 4pm.
The city’s Labour MP Rosie Duffield is also backing the cycle ride.
She said: “This will be a fantastic event, drawing attention to an issue often forgotten by some of our city leaders. I am supporting the Labour group of councillors in this excellent initiative.”
There is a Facebook group for the event called Canterbury CarFree Day Cycle Ride.