Less traffic and less indiscriminate building

Living on a main road, the A394, one of the joys of lockdown was the reduction in traffic. For the first couple of weeks it was eerily quiet. The lack of fumes was noticeable and being able to enjoy our garden In peace and hear the birdsong was a delight. Of course the traffic has returned to something approaching normal and there has been some dreadful speeding as motorists took full advantage of the emptier road. I have in the past cycled on this road and it is not a pleasant experience. There are no proper cycle lanes. Surely having cycle paths linking our major towns would encourage people to cycle to work especially now that electric bikes can help with the hills.

The flowers on our hedges and verges have been spectacular this year. Well done to the Council for delaying trimming - a win/win situation that allows the plants to flower and seed and saves the Council money, something they are likely to be desperately short of for a considerable time. Some people do trim verges by their homes and while some have regard to the plants there others do not. The only trimming needed is where driver visibility is obstructed and a narrow strip for walking on. Can over-zealous trimming by individuals be stopped?

As more and more homes are built the traffic will only get worse. We need to pause, rethink and build only what is necessary, to a better standard, only what our infrastructure can cope with and not for sale as second homes. No big estates on greenfield sites but brownfield sites to be used up and small scale additions to villages which allow growth in a natural and sustainable way.