Give us alternatives to car-dependent thinking

READING the article about the strategic growth plan for the city and county, I could not agree more with labour county councillor Terri Eynon, who is quoted as saying that “we need to do something about affordable homes and public transport” (What councillors think about plan to build thousands of homes across Leicestershire”, Leicestershire Live).

Being one of the few people who actually responded to the strategic growth plan for the city and county, I agree that the plans are old-fashioned, with more of the same cardependent executive estates, with no infrastructure or public transport.

There is little or no social housing or rental properties, despite this being what is desperately needed.

Where are the new train stations? Where is the ambition for achieving the type of housing we all know we need, with renewable energy, proper public transport, close to jobs.

We need more political scrutiny and genuine public consultation on these crucial issues.

However, instead of lamenting the low numbers of respondents, our councillors need to be proactive and ask, why don’t people respond? I found the documents massive, rambling, confusing and almost deliberately complicated, so many of us are just too time-pressed or intimidated to respond.

Secondly, I’ve asked time and again for our council to drag themselves into the modern world and utilise social media, as if they genuinely want to hear people’s views, they need to get consultations and simple questionnaires on Facebook etc.

We all know we need to live differently in the future, but this is an opportunity and has been done brilliantly elsewhere, with people having the freedom to live better lives, where you don’t have to suffer from isolation, or drive to get a pint of milk, where children don’t need to be ferried like packages to school or clubs.

However, we desperately need politicians and those in power to show genuine leadership and be ambitious. Please, city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby and county council leader Nick Rushton: be leaders. Be brave.

Mags Lewis, Leicester Green Party