Conservative councillors’ behaviour was a disgrace

I am so outraged at the behaviour of some councillors at a recent Bromley council environment committee call-in meeting on School Streets.

It was my first time at a council meeting, and I was astonished at the level of rudeness and discourteous behaviour within the room, from grown adults.

I am shocked that these people are making decisions that impact the lives and health of all of us.

The meeting was to decide whether to continue with the council’s decision not to actively support School Streets, and not to roll them out across the borough.

School Streets restrict motor traffic around schools and have been shown to reduce air pollution and increase road safety and learning outcomes for children.

Despite strong statements from several councillors on the impact of air pollution on our children’s health, and the benefits of School Streets in this respect and on road safety, sadly the Conservatives were not moved to change their minds.

Evidence was presented that other outer London boroughs like Havering, Croydon and Ealing, are forging ahead with School Streets.

They have all found ways to do so, finding the money for cameras to enforce the scheme (the outlay breaking even over time), so that our overworked teaching staff do not need to give their time to man barriers.

Why can’t Bromley do the same? It feels as though we live in the dark ages here. Bromley is not a poor borough.

We are living through unprecedented times with the cost of living crisis, war in Ukraine driving up our energy and fuel bills, and now extreme heatwaves – I hope whatever our views, we can all agree that we need to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels as quickly as possible, to reduce energy bills, air pollution and emissions.

Air pollution permanently damages children’s health – it is the number one environmental risk to public health in the UK. And yet, Bromley cannot even get behind a scheme that restricts motor traffic twice a day in term-time only, in order to improve the long term health and well-being of our children.

I came away from the meeting sad, frustrated and worried at what felt like a lack of transparency, and certainly a lack of ambition to lead the way and ensure a healthy future for our children from Bromley council.

Jane Dutton
by email

Pictured:  Pixabay / webandi