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Following my research into how funding received from housing developers is spent in our communities, I posted The secret world of S106 funding blog on my social media. Of course, while social media can be a useful tool, it is no substitute for actually getting in touch with the decision makers directly. As the planning department failed to come back with a response to my queries, I contacted the leader of Central Bedfordshire Council directly. The email is below in full. I will provide an update when I receive a response. Dear Adam Following the commencement of the recent development in Langford, 150+ houses (CB/19/00336/OUT) just South of Cambridge Road, bordering the East Coast Mainline, I started doing some investigation into how S106 funding is spent within Central Bedfordshire and the transparency and accountability of that funding. My research does raise a number of issues, that I would be grateful if you could answer. I have approached CBC’s planning department on a number of occasions, but apart from an initial contact and a promise to look into the issue I have not received a response, which is why I am forwarding it to you. The results of this research are contained in the following blog: http://julianvaughan.blog/2023/10/31/the-secret-world-of-s106-funding/ This research also links to the provision of cycle routes across the Biggleswade, Langford, and Arlesey area, and I am pleased to see that the Council has adopted my suggestions, put to the Council in 2021, for a route that links these three areas into the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan proposals currently out for consultation. You can read these suggestions here: http://julianvaughan.blog/2021/09/02/safe-cycle-routes-for-langford/ My questions are as follows: 1. While the Council does post data on S106 funding per parish ( for reference here: https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/info/44/planning/458/planning_obligations/2 I have included a link to this in the blog) in terms of the following: date received, unallocated, committed, spent. However, the Infrastructure Funding Statements do not provide sufficient detail on how the money was spent and which development that spent money was received from – a link to the Infrastructure Funding Statements here: https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/info/44/planning/458/planning_obligations/8 You will be able to see that when the money comes in it is directly linked to a planning application, but when it is actually spent no such link is shown, just the amount and what the project is. This means that it is difficult if not impossible to trace the money from the start of the process – the signing of the S106 agreement, through to the end of the process – the money being spent on an infrastructure project. Further, I had to spend a considerable amount of time looking at different links and Excel spreadsheets to bring all this information together. Q: How will the Council substantially improve the transparency and accountability of the S106 funding and spending process – and in a form easily accessible and understandable to the public? 2. From the 2021/2022 Infrastructure Funding Statement (the latest statement online) we can see that there are £45 million (image attached) of unallocated funds from previous years, some of this funding is from a number of years ago and a few of the S106 funding amounts risk being clawed back. This £45 million is a substantial increase from earlier years. Bearing in mind that the Central Bedfordshire area is in desperate need of improved infrastructure this level of unused funding is a concern. Further, this money hanging around over a number of years results in less accountability about where this money eventually ends up. I know you have personally raised concerns in the past about funding being obtained from one village or town and then spent in areas a significant distance from those areas. Q: What steps are the Council taking to ensure that this money is spent promptly and in the locations where the development took place? Will you also provide the latest unallocated S106 funding amounts? 3. The S106 funding agreement for the development states that £80,000 is to be provided towards a scheme to provide pedestrian and cycle access over the East Coast Mainline (via the humpback bridge at the end of Edworth Road). This money has been received by the Council, but the project was de-linked from the development during discussions at a Development Management Committee Meeting in September 2019. As I set out in the blog, what is happening with this scheme is a bit of a mystery, to me as well as the Parish and Ward Councillors. However, I can see from the recently opened consultation on cycle routes in the area that there is a proposal to link up the cycle routes via improvements to the humpback bridge. This would link a proposed cycle route just to the East of the railway line running all the way up to Biggleswade with a route running through the new development off Cambridge Road in Langford onto Henlow and Arlesey. Q: Can you advise me of the status of this project, which would bring safety as well as connectivity benefits to the area? 4. From the conversations I have had, local parish councils have little say in how the S106 funding is allocated within their areas. Parish Councils have a significant level of understanding about what their communities need, but this knowledge seems to be being ignored. This goes against what Central Bedfordshire Council set out in the Mythbuster infographic (attached) which talks about the importance of involving the relevant Parish Council at virtually every step of the process, from pre-application to completion. Q: What steps will Central Bedfordshire Council take to improve this? With trust in politicians at a low ebb and the lack of infrastructure in the area a hot topic, I hope you will agree that the issues discussed above are an area that needs improvement. Happy to discuss this further either on the phone or in person if it would be helpful. Due to the interest in and importance of these issues, please regard this as an open letter. Many thanks Julian Vaughan 2nd November 2023 *Update – I received an email response from Adam Zerny later that afternoon saying that he will discuss the issues raised in the email with officers and ensure that I get answers. I will update you when I receive a full response. A ‘myth buster’ infographic produced by Central Bedfordshire Council highlighting the involvement of local town and parish councils in the S106 allocation process. Unallocated funding received by Central Bedfordshire Council from housing developers via S106 funding. This is an increase from £29 million two years earlier. #UKpolitics #housing #Bedfordshire #S106funding #democracy #Politics #accountability #transparency #Hertfordshire

One of the most frequent issues that came up on the doorstep while campaigning during the Mid Bedfordshire by-election was the number of housing developments lacking associated infrastructure. Having walked around numerous housing estates over the last few months it seems that developers are permitted to lazily lob in a generic play area and completely ignore the need for any shops, community spaces, or anything at all for older children. The fact that we need more houses, particularly affordable houses is undeniable, but people are rightly unhappy about how the new housing does not seem to bring the much-needed infrastructure along with it – and the resulting pressure that is put on our doctors, schools and roads. Firstly, to meet the significant challenge of climate change we will need to both cut CO2 emissions from our housing stock and reduce our reliance on the car. Secondly, to help get communities onside with the need for more housing we must be transparent about how money received from developers (known as S106 funding) is allocated. Currently, I believe we are failing in both areas. This blog will talk about, and evidence, the lack of transparency in how this money is spent as well as the need for dedicated cycle lanes, separate from road traffic, to encourage a modal shift from the car to the bike to reduce pollution, cut our CO2 emissions and promote a healthier lifestyle. What is S106 funding? The definition of S106 funding, taken from the Local Government Association website is as follows: “Planning obligations under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act, commonly known as s106 agreements, are a mechanism which makes a development proposal acceptable in planning terms, that would not otherwise be acceptable. They are focused on site-specific mitigation of the impact of development. S106 agreements are often referred to as ‘developer contributions'”. There is a very useful Q&A on S106 produced by East Lindsey Council here: https://www.e-lindsey.gov.uk/media/10014/Section-106-Contributions-Facts-and-Questions/pdf/Section_106_Contributions_Facts_and_Questions.pdf and below is a ‘myth buster’ re S106 funding from Central Bedfordshire Council below. Cycle routes in Bedfordshire I will discuss S106 funding, specifically in relation to a development in Langford, Bedfordshire later in this blog, but before then a brief description of cycle paths, or the lack of them, across Langford and the surrounding area. There is currently a significant gap in the National Cycle Network between Arlesey and Biggleswade and anyone cycling between these two towns has to share the road with cars and lorries or travel along poorly maintained unlit bridleways prone to flooding and barely suitable for cyclists commuting to work. Improvements to the cycle network in the Langford area (Langford is a sizeable village with 3,712 residents in 2021) have been identified for many years. These improvements were set out in the Local Area Transport Plan (LATP) for Arlesey and Stotfold, published in 2013 and covering the period between 2011 and 2026. The main areas of improvement are set out in the table below. 10 years on and we are still waiting for a cycle route between Langford and Biggleswade, real-time information signs at bus stops in Langford and new bridleways on the East side of the railway line. Currently, the bridleways to the East of the railway line, the vertical line in the centre of the map below, are fragmented and do not provide a direct route between Langford and Biggleswade. A map of the footpaths and bridleways in the Langford area. The brown dotted line indicates a potential route to link the bridleways between Arlesey and Biggleswade. S106 funding agreement The need to provide both a safe cycle route across the East Coast Mainline railway and the linking up of bridleways seemed to have at last been recognised in the S106 funding agreement for 150 houses planned on the South East edge of the village of Langford. The Section 106 funding agreement relating to the housing development off Cambridge Road, Langford was signed on 16th April 2021, and planning permission was granted three days later on 19th April. This funding agreement included the following commitments: Part two of the agreement sets out that the ‘Highways Contribution’ must be paid prior to the commencement of the development and the ‘Cycle Links Contribution’ paid in instalments as the development is occupied. For reference, below is a selection of some of the other S106 funding for the local(ish) area: For those who live in Langford, the more detailed table below may be of particular interest. The table shows the itemised S106 amounts for each contribution type. Data from P139 of September 11th 2019 Development Management Committee Meeting pack relating to application number CB/19/00336/OUT While researching for this blog I did manage to find more information about the status of the S106 funding in terms of whether it had been received by the council from the developer and if those funds received have yet to be committed. Here is the link for these reports for parishes across Central Bedfordshire: https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/info/44/planning/458/planning_obligations/2 However, while this information is welcome it lacks detail on how exactly the money was spent, if indeed it has been spent at all, and the data also indicates that a significant amount of money received up to 10 years ago remains ‘uncommitted’. It is not clear whether this is due to data not being regularly updated, or whether there is a large fund of uncommitted money/committed money not yet spent in local council coffers. Either way, the lack of transparency of the data and the publicity given to it means that the general public has little idea of the benefits provided to their communities via developers’ contributions. Returning to the cycle path issue in Langford, an outline of the plan to ensure cycle and pedestrian access across the East Coast railway line via the humpback bridge was set out in a memo (dated April 2019) from Central Bedfordshire’s Highways Department to the Principal Planning Officer. The relevant sections of this memo are set out below: In addition to these plans there is a memo (dated April 2019) from the Rights of Way Officer detailing plans for a bridleway extension across the humpback bridge: Indicative map created by the Central Beds Council Rights of Way Officer. The grey vertical line just to the right of centre indicates the path of the East Coast Mainline. The humpback bridge crosses this at the Edworth Road/Cambridge Road junction The two memos from the Highways and Rights of Way officers to the Principal Planning officer were responses to a consultation, so it doesn’t mean what they recommend will actually take place – although I would argue that extending and linking bridleways should be a priority for any local council if they are serious about promoting sustainable means of travel. It is clear that the local Parish Council had concerns about whether these plans were going to be taken forward in the planning application and set out these concerns in an email to Central Bedfordshire Council on 13th September 2019. Looking back at the relevant minutes of the Central Bedfordshire Council Development Management Committee (DMC) meeting on 11th September 2019 (two days before the email above) the Highways Officer again puts forward the case for speed reduction measures and pedestrian and cycle route access over the East Coast Mainline via the humpback bridge – further they suggest an £80,000 contribution via S106 funding to assist in achieving this. Further down in the minutes the Rights of Way Officer again suggests linking up the bridleways via the humpback bridge (see Figure 1 above). The response of the Central Bedfordshire planners to these two issues is confusing and lacking in necessary detail. The response to the Rights of Way Officer’s suggestion is fairly straightforward, if disappointing. They rule out linking Bridleway 4 and Bridleway 8 due to the slope of the land on the Southern side of Cambridge Road leading up to the humpback bridge, but point out that a contribution of £40,000 has been agreed by the developer to “provide cycle links between the development and Arlesey and Biggleswade stations”. The planners’ response to the Highways Officer’s recommendations is far less straightforward and just as disappointing. It agrees that speed reduction measures should take place and the £80,000 figure, but states that these be de-linked from the delivery of the development. Crucially their reasoning for their decisions lacks any detail on the nature of the speed reduction and fails to mention anything about cycle or pedestrian access across the humpback bridge. As the proposals (whatever they are) have been de-linked from the development they were not included in the ‘recommended conditions’ which must be satisfied to enable the development to proceed. The humpback bridge looking towards Langford and the site of the new development. From this point, the trail of what exactly is happening in terms of creating a cycle route across the humpback bridge goes cold. The issue has been raised in a number of Langford Parish Council meetings, including by me as a member of the public in October 2021. However, despite the issue being raised by myself and others, and answers sought from Councillor attendees, no answers have been forthcoming. What is known is that to date Central Bedfordshire Council has received the £80,000 Highways contribution and £20,000 of the contribution to cycle paths between Arlesey, Langford and Biggleswade. What is unknown is how the Council intends to spend this money and whether it will be spent as per what is set out in the S106 funding agreement. While the planning team at the Council have acknowledged my query, they have yet to provide a satisfactory response. Conclusion Central Bedfordshire’s cycle network, like many other areas across the UK, is badly fragmented – and where it does exist cyclists will often have to share the road with cars and lorries. Councils seem to believe that painting a white bicycle on the road surface somehow provides cyclists protection – a lazy tick-box attitude that does little to solve the issues faced by cyclists. A perceived lack of safety puts off many potential cyclists and it’s clear that a modal shift from our cars to our bikes will not occur until we have dedicated cycle lanes separated from vehicle traffic. The looming climate emergency means that we must take all practicable steps to reduce car use and increase cycling, walking and the use of public transport as sustainable means of travel. Further, cycle paths need to be of a sufficient standard to encourage commuter as well as leisure use. Turning up to work looking like you’ve just taken part in a cyclo-cross event is clearly not acceptable. Bridleway 9 South of Biggleswade We also need far more transparency in how the money received by Councils from developers is spent in our communities. Currently, as I have found out through researching this blog, this means looking through multiple pages online and delving through Excel spreadsheets, without actually getting to the bottom of how monies have been spent. This lack of transparency and accountability further erodes our trust in politics and politicians. Creating linked-up cycle networks across the Bedfordshire/Hertfordshire region isn’t rocket science. However, they will need funding and Councillors and Councils with both the vision to make them happen as well as the ability to work with landowners across the region to come to agreements regarding land use. There will be challenges, but the multiple benefits of lower pollution, reduced congestion on our roads, cuts to our CO2 emissions and a healthier population are surely worth the time, effort and money required. Julian Vaughan 30th October 2023 *Postscript: When doing some final checks prior to posting I did find further information on how S106 funding is spent across Central Bedfordshire. The link to the latest reports can be found here: https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/info/44/planning/458/planning_obligations/8 I note that while the collection of the money is set out per development, when the money is actually spent it is not clear from which development in which village this money originated from. Further, it is clear there is a substantial amount of money that has been received by the council, but has yet to be allocated. As this money could be held for a number of years it further reduces the transparency of the process. The table below shows the amount of unallocated money from previous years up to 2021/22. This figure of almost £46 million is a substantial increase in unallocated funds from just two years previously when the figure stood at £29 million. For reference, the ‘Leisure and Libraries’ budget for 2023/24 is £5.1 million. Sources and Further reading S106 FAQs https://www.e-lindsey.gov.uk/media/10014/Section-106-Contributions-Facts-and-Questions/pdf/Section_106_Contributions_Facts_and_Questions.pdf Central Bedfordshire Council decision re Land of Cambridge Road, Langford https://cms-centralbedfordshire-uk.azeusconvene.com/data/45cdcad9-fd9d-4452-9bbd-a1b90ac50b6a/parts/6.2%2019.00336%20Report.pdf Central Bedfordshire Rights of Way https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/info/82/countryside/431/rights_of_way Sustrans – National Cycle Network https://www.sustrans.org.uk/national-cycle-network Langford Parish Council Minutes https://langford-pc.gov.uk/parish-council-minutes/ Langford Neighbourhood Plan https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/directory_record/87061/langford_neighbourhood_plan Central Bedfordshire S106 funding agreements by Parish https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/info/44/planning/458/planning_obligations/2 Central Bedfordshire Council – Development Management Committee minutes 2019 onwards https://cms-centralbedfordshire-uk.azeusconvene.com/index.html?TYPE=hFUdrecOOu #UKpolitics #biggleswade #cyclepaths #sustainabletravel #Bedfordshire #Langford #S106funding #Politics #cycleroutes #Arlesey #transparency #housingdevelopment

Rishi Sunak believes that a General Election is “not what anyone wants”. After the Tories’ disastrous Conference in Manchester, he is in a vanishingly small minority. For Sunak to stand behind a lectern in Manchester emblazoned with the slogan “long-term decisions for a brighter future” while announcing the shelving of the HS2 route to Manchester, is either arrogance or stupidity, or a mixture of both, depending on your point of view. The build-up to the Conference, with Sunak rowing back on the UK’s net zero commitments, gave an indication of what was to come and both Sunak’s and Braverman’s speeches set out the direction of travel for a Tory party out of ideas and lacking any sensible heads to correct their frantic dance towards the hard right. While Mordaunt’s “stand up and fight” warm up act was just bizarre, Sunak’s speech was deeply disturbing. Acknowledging that trans people are among the most vulnerable and persecuted groups in our society doesn’t diminish the rights of anyone else. Words matter – Sunak’s deplorable speech, a cynical attempt to cling to power, is very likely to lead to more abuse and violence against transgender people. Solidarity with all those in the LGBTQ+ community. Apart from the wildly inaccurate portrayal of Labour policy, Braverman’s dog-whistle filled rant failed to mention the huge cultural, societal and economic benefits migrants have brought to the UK or the need for the UK to play a role in reducing global inequality. The Tories talked about making long-term decisions and taking the “difficult options” all while blitzing us with their scattergun policy offerings that are both short-term and purely for political gain. The public deserves better than a government flailing around desperately trying to stoke up culture wars while creating false enemies. I am proud to be British and it is distressing to see how this government is trashing our public services and our reputation around the world. All this Tory government has left to offer is to sow hate and division. We are better than this. A Labour government will have a fair, effective asylum system and will tackle inequality, poverty and the impacts of climate change around the world. After 13 years of a Tory government’s indifference and mismanagement, it is time for empathy, compassion and competence in our politics. The Tories won’t provide this – a Labour government will. Julian Vaughan 7th October 2023 #Politics #UKpolitics

Due to the threat of legal action by disability activists and a number of metro mayors, the 21-day consultation window on the Rail Delivery Group’s (RDG) proposals to close almost 1,000 ticket offices across the rail network has been extended to 1st September. As of around a week ago, some 170,000 responses to the consultation had already been received and it is clear that the public are overwhelmingly against the closures. For an in-depth look at my interpretation of the spin coming from both the RDG and the Department for Transport click here. On behalf of both the Arlesey and Biggleswade Rail User Groups, I collated and forwarded a number of questions to Thameslink and Great Northern Railway. The questions and their replies (received on 28th July) are set out in full below. 1.  What happens if the Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) are not working and a passenger is unable to buy a ticket prior to boarding a train? A:  As today, if a ticket machine is not working then customers will be able to board a service and purchase a ticket at their destination. 2.  Will extra TVMs be provided at either station? A:  No, this is not part of the current proposals. 3.  Will the location of the TVMs be changed at either station? An additional TVM for the N/B platform at Arlesey? The current location of the TVMs can obstruct the public from walking across the bridge. A:  We would be open to looking at the best locations for TVMs at stations following consultation feedback. We previously moved one TVM from the platform to the front of the station at the request of the Rail User Group. 4.   What will the ticket offices be re-purposed for? A:   Possible options could include using the space for commercial, community or social use. Staff will also continue to need space for rest breaks and toilet facilities etc. This will depend on the station and no decisions have been made. 5.   How will I know I am getting the best-value ticket? For example, the ‘super off-peak’ ticket is not on the top page of the TVM display. A:   Our ticket machines are set up to show the lowest cost National Rail through fare based on the information a customer puts in. 6.   What welfare facilities will there be for platform staff and will there be a place of safety for staff who are lone working? A:  Staff will continue to need space for rest breaks and places of safety, so this would continue to be provided. 7.   Can cash be used in the TVMs? A:   Yes, both Arlesey and Biggleswade have cash TVMs 8.  How will problems with tickets purchased via ‘Trainline’ be resolved? Currently, these are resolved by ticket office staff via a downloaded NCode exchange letter from Trainline. A:  Trainline will be able to advise their customers on what they will need to do. 9.  As the proposals are to close the ticket office, will there be additional sheltered waiting areas installed? A:  We do not have any plans for additional waiting shelters under these proposals, but existing waiting rooms and shelters will remain available to passengers. 10. Other Train Operating Companies (Southeastern for example) have published their Equality Impact Assessments for each individual station. Why hasn’t GTR? A:  Initial versions of Equality Impact Assessments for each individual station have been completed and shared with the Department for Transport, Transport Focus and London TravelWatch as part of the consultation process. These are however live documents, so are continuously being refined based on consultation input. 11.  Can GTR guarantee that there will not be a reduction in the total current combined headcount of ticket office/platform staff? A: As part of these proposals, there may be some potential for redundancies for a certain number of staff across the network, especially as not all staff may be interested in the proposed new roles. We cannot pre-empt the outcome of consultation but will be consulting with the trade unions on avoiding job losses. 12.  Will the current platform staff presence outside of ticket office opening times be maintained? For example the platform staff present at Arlesey and Biggleswade between 16.00 and 20.00 Monday to Friday. A: It will vary by location and in part depends on the type of staff and why they are at a location. Schedule 17 should not be confused with station staffing, as while there is a link with single member of staff locations, most stations such as Biggleswade are already staffed far in excess of Schedule 17 hours such as for accessibility, dispatch, or revenue / security as examples. Platform staff are not involved in retail, so no change at Biggleswade for example. As a rough rule of thumb for a network-wide view, where a station only has a ticket office, the proposed ticketing assistance hours match. Where a station has a ticket office and a gateline, the hours match the gateline as these exceed ticket office hours. Medium size or large stations often have other forms of staff such as platform staff, or dedicated accessibility staff whose hours will normally exceed both – they are not proposed to become involved in retail however, so do not feature. 13.  Will there be a core location point for the assistance staff so that passengers will know where to go for help? Or will passengers, including disabled passengers have to go looking around the station for them? How do you expect this will impact passengers with disabilities? A:    We understand how important meeting points are as a consistent static point for customers to seek assistance and will be reviewing their locations as part of the proposals to establish a new policy for our station meeting points. This will also give us the opportunity to make sure they are in the best place for customers who need assistance (ie. easy to find and in an accessible location) and work with industry partners on a consistent approach across the country.. We will continue to provide support in line with our Accessible Travel Policy. 14.   Will your changes restrict the ability of disabled passengers to ‘Turn Up and Go’ (TUAG) rather than book assistance in advance? A:     We will continue to provide support in line with our Accessible Travel Policy, for example turn up and go support such as ramp access for disabled customers. 15.   Will it be possible to purchase and load a Smartcard for immediate use from ticket machines? A:   Ticket machines are not able to issue new smart cards, but customers will be able to purchase and load tickets onto smart cards at the ticket machines. 16.   Where will the nearest retained ticket office be located? A:    Additional retailing facilities are proposed to be available at Peterborough, Huntingdon, Stevenage, Welwyn Garden City, Cambridge, Finsbury Park, St Pancras and King’s Cross. 17.  If I have to travel to an open ticket office to purchase a ticket that is not available from a TVM will I have to buy a ticket to travel to this location? How will I be reimbursed? A:   Yes, you will need a valid ticket for your journey. This will be refunded by the staff at the station. 18.  What plans are there to improve the reliability of the TVMs? A:   The role of the station teams will continue to include maintenance of the TVMs to mitigate against them going out of service, plus fault reporting for any issues that they are not able to fix through established finger-tip maintenance processes. We will also continue to monitor TVM availability remotely and investigate any issues, as per current procedures and to ensure any repairs are carried out as quickly as possible. 19.   When will an e-ticket option to Finsbury Park be available? A:   We are working on this with Transport for London as it is their station, they are looking into options to support the acceptance of eTickets at their stations. 20.   How will passengers purchase split tickets? A:     Split ticketing options will remain available as today online or manually via machines. 21.   When will a day return with London Underground Zone 1 only be available to purchase from a TVM? This is currently only available from a ticket office. A:    They are already available to purchase Online and we looking at options to make more products available via the ticket machines. 22.   How will a passenger purchase a ticket via a Warrant or travel Voucher? A:   You will be able to use a Warrant or Voucher at a station with additional ticketing facilities.  This is also being examined at an industry-wide level 23.   How will passengers exchange delay repay/enhanced delay repay tickets? A:    If you mean a Delay Repay Voucher, you will be able to use one at a larger station with additional ticket facilities. This is also being examined at an industry-wide level 24.   What are the estimated cost savings of these proposals? At a station by station and total level. A:    While we clearly need to ensure the railway is efficient and sustainable for the long term, we cannot pre-empt the result of the public and employee consultations. 25.   How will passengers purchase cheaper advance tickets? A:   They will be available to purchase Online or at a larger station.  This is also being examined at an industry-wide level 26.   How will passengers apply for ticket refunds? How much longer will this process take? A:   Passengers will be able to get refunds Online and by post via our Customer Services team as today, or at a larger station with additional facilities. 27.   What options will be available for passengers wishing to purchase a railcard who can’t buy one online? A:    They will be available at a larger station, with some already being available by post. 28.   How will ‘Priv’ tickets be purchased? A:     They are already available to purchase online, and will be available at a larger station with additional facilities. 29.   Currently £2 child fares can be purchased at a later time than the adult ticket was purchased. With TVMs, these will need to be purchased at the same time. How will GTR resolve this? A:     They will continue to remain available at a larger station with additional facilities, and we are currently looking at options to make more products available online or via ticket machines. Julian Vaughan Chair Bedfordshire Rail Access Network 1st August 2023 Further reading and links to have your say below: Train station ticket office consultation Homepage Rail Delivery Group: Customer Focused Stations July 2023 https://www.raildeliverygroup.com/uk-rail-industry/customer-focused-reform/customer-focused-stations.html? I also recommend following the Association of British Commuters who do excellent campaign work for justice and equality in public transport. #UKpolitics #ticketofficeclosures #accessibility #publictransport #railways #Politics #ukrailways #Transport #ticketoffices

This summer has seen extreme temperatures across the globe, with the UK having the warmest June ever recorded (smashing the previous record by 0.9ºC) and extreme heat across the US, China and Europe, with the ongoing heatwave providing a nightmare vision of the future and wildfires resulting in the evacuation of thousands of UK holidaymaker in Greece. Meanwhile, we see political pushback on even moderate pollution reduction proposals such as the upcoming extension to London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and the climate crisis descending into a culture war via Grant Shapps’s foolish interventions – he would be better advised to address his government’s failings set out in the June 2023 IPCC Climate Change report. The evidence of climate change is all around us and we can no longer afford to kick the can down the road. In July 2019 I wrote the bulk of the blog below, which sets out the impact of global temperature rises of 1ºC up to 6ºC, we are currently at 1.15ºC I have now updated the blog with additional information added in bold and including a section on the UK government’s progress on combatting climate change. Time is running out. As a child completely obsessed with all things weather related, I first came across the concept of ‘global warming’ while reading a book that contained a chapter entitled ‘Fire or Ice?’ At the time there was actually some uncertainty about which type of climate emergency we were heading for, as there was a view among some scientists that the planet may be heading towards a ‘mini ice age’, as temperatures had been falling from a peak reached in the 1940s. Since first reading that chapter all those years ago global temperatures have shown a steady rise – and this rise has also been matche by an alarming rise in CO2 levels. CO2 levels were approximately 338 particles per million (ppm) in 1980. By 2019 this had risen to 415 ppm with the rate of increase rising (in June 2023 these atmospheric CO2 levels had risen to 423ppm) These levels of CO2 are the highest levels seen for over 14 million years and the rise has taken place in less than two hundred years, an infinitesimally small time in geological terms. There are a number of challenges in dealing with the issue of rising CO2 levels: Unlike pollution from cars or heavy industry, CO2 is not visible and doesn’t have any immediate effects on our health or our daily lives. Humans are effective at dealing with immediate and tangible threats to our way of life or existence. However, rising CO2 levels in our atmosphere are not perceived as a ‘clear and present danger’. Fossil fuel energy companies spend vast sums of money to influence politicians at the highest levels of government to play down the effects of CO2 emissions and to continue to receive tax breaks for fossil fuel extraction. The International Monetary Fund estimated that the global production and burning of coal, oil and gas was subsidised by $5.9 trillion in 2020 and an analysis of Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development figures claims to show that Britain currently supports the fossil fuel industry through tax breaks and subsidies for exploration and research and development to the tune of £10 billion a year. Effective action against climate change will require significant changes to our way of life which may be unpopular among voters. Any political party pushing an effective CO2 emission reduction agenda risks losing political support, while parties that take a less hard-line approach are likely to prove more popular, but won’t deal effectively with the problem. By the time we see the most significant changes resulting from climate change, it will be too late to stop the catastrophic changes in upcoming years – we cannot adopt a wait-and-see approach. Some argue that the global economic system is not sustainable in its present form if we want to effectively combat climate change. The Paris Agreement of 2015 aimed to pursue efforts to limit temperature increases to +2.0ºC above pre-industrial levels (with an aspiration to achieve a 1.5ºC limit) although the signatories could not reach an agreement on when emissions have to peak. Global temperature has already increased by around 1ºC, (as of 2022 it has risen by 1.15ºC) so these limits already seem extremely ambitious and likely to be exceeded. The question seems to now be how close we can keep temperature increase as close to 2ºC as possible. However, before looking at what is possible let’s take a look at how a warming world potentially affects life on Earth at between 1º and 6ºC of warming. + 1º Centigrade A warming of +1ºC does not mean that the globe warms up equally across its surface. As we already approach this level of warming we are finding significant variations in the level of rise, which is particularly pronounced in arctic areas such as Greenland, Alaska and Antarctica. This has resulted in the significant reduction of sea ice particularly in the summer months, as well as causing entire lakes to drain away into the ground as the permafrost underneath them thaws. The reduction in sea ice creates the first tipping point: warmer temperatures melt the snow covered ice (which reflects more than 80% of the sun’s heat that falls upon it) and is then replaced by the darker open ocean (which absorbs up to 95% of the incoming solar radiation) warming the sea and making it more difficult for ice to re-form during the next winter. At current rates of ice melt, we are heading for a summer ice-free Arctic between 2030 and 2050. In 2023 sea ice in Antarctica has reached its lowest extent since records began. This warming of the Arctic is likely to lead to significant changes in the weather patterns of the mid-latitude areas such as the USA, Europe and Japan. The circulation of the atmosphere is governed by the contrast in temperature between the equatorial and polar regions. Excessive warming in the polar areas will reduce this contrast which will in turn have an effect on the jet streams which circulate the globe and influence our weather systems such as the ‘low’ and ‘high’ pressure systems that we see on the TV weather. Small temperature rises also affect coral reefs already affected by overfishing, sewage and agricultural run-off. The number of ‘bleaching’ events where the algae is expelled from the coral polyps is on the increase and the death of the coral occurs unless the waters cool again quickly. A warmer world at this level will present challenges, but will not exceed our ability to adapt. + 2º Centigrade So how do increased CO2 and increased temperatures affect us in a +2ºC world? Around half of the carbon dioxide released every time we jump on a plane ends up being absorbed by the oceans. Ocean chemistry is complex and being slightly alkali allows many animals and plants to build calcium carbonate shells. However, CO2 dissolves in water to form carbonic acid. This increased acidity means that by around 2050 large areas of the ocean will become effectively toxic to organisms with calcium carbonate shells. Go above the levels of CO2 which would produce a +2ºC rise and most of the world’s oceans will eventually become too acidic to support calcareous marine life. This will affect plankton, perhaps the most important plant resource on Earth, as an essential part of the food chain of numerous species from mackerel to humpbacked whales. Their calcium carbonate structure makes them especially vulnerable to ocean acidification, essentially dissolving them. Phytoplankton are crucial to the carbon cycle, removing billions of tons of carbon from circulation as their limestone shells rain down on the ocean floor. As the oceans turn more acidic there will be fewer plankton to remove the carbon in the oceans, increasing the problem even further. Warmer surface waters also stop the upwell of cooler nutrient-rich waters that the phytoplankton need to grow. These two factors mean we are potentially altering the entire chemistry of the oceans, without any idea of the consequences. A 2ºC rise will mean summers across Europe like those in 1976, 2022 and this summer, will become the norm rather than the exception, devastating crops, causing wildfires and increasing mortality among vulnerable people unable to cope with the excessive heat. This heat also stresses plants, causing them to emit carbon dioxide rather than absorb it, adding to the CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. The Greenland ice cap contains enough water in its three-kilometer thick bulk to raise global sea levels by around seven metres. Climatologists have put a figure on Greenland’s critical melt threshold at regional warming of 2.7ºC. Due to polar amplification warming occurs at a far faster rate in polar latitudes and a global warming figure of 1.2ºC would result in the above regional threshold being crossed. At this point, we could potentially get another positive feedback loop due to ‘albedo-flip’ caused by wetter, darker ice absorbing more energy increasing melting rates. This could result in far greater sea level rises than 26 to 82 cm by 2100 as predicted in 2013 by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. This in itself is a higher rise than the same Panel’s projection, made just six years earlier in 2007 of an 18 to 59 cm rise. + 3º Centigrade If governments meet their current pledges it is forecast that there will still be an average global warming of 2.7ºC by 2100. *in November 2022 this forecast was reduced to 2.0ºC based on government pledges and targets. To go back to similar temperature levels we have to go back around three million years to a period of time called the Pliocene. Analysis of sediments from this time, both in Antarctica and the Northern tip of Greenland, show shrub growth in the former and pines and conifers in the latter, hundreds of miles North of the current tree line. Analysis of fossilised leaves can identify the number of stomata which in turn indicate the levels of CO2 at the times the leaves were living. Fossilised leaves from the Pliocene period indicate concentrations of CO2 between 360 and 400 parts per million, a similar level to what we have reached today. Estimates of global temperatures at that time place them at +3º C above today’s levels. A reminder that the current levels of CO2 are 415ppm and the rate is rising. Due to thermal inertia even if we stabilised CO2 concentrations immediately, the planet would continue to warm for centuries. At the +3ºC level of temperature increase some very startling factors come into play such as the ‘carbon cycle feedback’. Warmer seas absorb less CO2 leaving more of it to accumulate in the atmosphere; warmer soils begin to emit stored carbon due to increased bacterial activity; the carbon cycle is reversed as vegetation starts releasing CO2 rather than absorbing it; the drying of peat in tropical rainforest areas such as Malaysia and the Amazon and resulting fires leads to extra CO2 entering the atmosphere. The Amazonia area contains half the world’s biodiversity and the Amazon river contains 20% of all the water discharged into the world’s oceans. Some models predict that the Amazon rainforest is doomed unless global warming levels are held at +2º C or below. A +3ºC temperature rise will result in huge changes to the climate across the globe, with some areas being struck by super droughts and huge rivers such as the Indus being affected by the reduction in glacial run-off and snow melt. Climate change will affect crop yields, increasing in some areas, but with an overall reduction leading to food shortages. Population movements are likely to dwarf the current migration levels caused by wars or crop failures. These climate refugees are likely to spill into already densely populated areas and the current political pressures caused by migration will pale into insignificance in comparison. + 4 º Centigrade Warming of +4ºC will have devastating effects across the globe and will put many of the World’s major cities such as Mumbai, New York and London in grave danger unless huge amounts of money are poured into developing new defences. Sea level rise will create refugees escaping from coastal areas. Our destruction of the rainforests will mean Earth’s natural defence mechanisms will have been severely weakened. Global weather is likely to go increasingly haywire with temperature, drought and flooding extremes becoming commonplace. Temperatures in Europe will resemble those currently experienced in the Middle East. Drops in food production along with migration will put pressure on the political system struggling to cope with financial shocks caused by extreme weather events. By this point, one of the most dangerous feedback loops comes into play. Around 1,400 billion tons of carbon are estimated to be locked into the arctic permafrost. As this permafrost thaws, vast quantities of carbon and methane (an even more dangerous greenhouse gas) will be released. The rate of release and the effects of this release are not yet fully understood but there will be increased plant growth in these areas that may offset some of the resultant rise in CO2 levels. However, by the time we have reached a 4ºC rise, it is likely that the extra release of CO2 into the atmosphere may make a 5ºC rise more likely and this is where we reach the tipping point – and perhaps the most frightening feedback loop of all which is described in the next section. + 5º Centigrade There is much disagreement among scientists about the potential effect of methane hydrates (an ice like combination of methane and water that forms under the intense pressure and cold of the deep sea) on global warming. However, geologists looking back 55 million years to the Paleocene period have found evidence of major deep-sea extinction events through sediment analysis from core samples from this era. These samples contained ‘dead zones’ and scientists have also found evidence of huge submarine landslides occurring at this time. Warming of the oceans may cause the melting of these hydrates making them unstable and cause thousands of tons of methane to enter the atmosphere. Methane is 23 times more powerful than CO2 in terms of its global warming properties and could add to an unstoppable feedback of runaway global warming. This instability may lead to undersea landslides, which will have disastrous consequences for millions living in coastal areas as we have seen with recent tsunamis. Records indicate that warming in the Paleocene period took place over approximately 10,000 years, giving plants and animals time to adapt to the change. As things stand this level of temperature change may take place in a hundred years, far too rapid for ecosystems to adapt both on land and at sea. This is likely to result in mass extinctions and as the habitable areas retreat to the poles, large scale developed human society would no longer be sustainable. Conflicts between migrants and those already present in these cooler areas are likely as the economic and social structures break down. + 6º Centigrade A six-degree rise in temperatures would increase the severity of all the previously mentioned outcomes and turn the oceans anoxic as they are stripped of oxygen. Failure of the ecosystem to adapt to the temperatures would create food shortages and as society collapses population reduction is almost inevitable. All the previously mentioned tipping points, the collapse of the Amazonian ecosystem and resulting soil carbon release, could add to the thawing of the Siberian permafrost adding more carbon to the atmosphere and adding more warming, which in turn increases the possibility of the release of methane hydrates resulting in even more global warming. The rate of increase in CO2 levels caused by human activity has never before happened on Earth. We are in grave danger of knocking over the first in a long row of dominoes, with no possibility of recovery. How have we ended up on the brink of disaster? This is difficult to set out briefly in a blog that aims just to give a flavour of the issue, but the answers can be summarised as follows: Human nature reacts poorly to risks that don’t seem to pose an immediate threat, such as a war or a natural disaster. The globalisation of the economy and the resulting mass exports of produce across vast distances has fed the fossil fuel and CO2 emission boom. Deregulation of the corporate sector and deregulated capitalism. The ‘free market’ is seen by some as being incompatible with climate change mitigation. The current economic model demands expansion and increased consumption and the steps we must take are in direct conflict with the ‘grow or die’ ethos. The influence, both financial and political, that the most polluting companies have over governments across the globe. The steps required to halt the slide to disaster can be seen as restrictive on personal freedom or a barrier to the pursuit of profit. Therefore any political organisation that recognises the scale of the issue may temper its policies in this area to enable them to get elected to at least pursue some of the policies required. Unfortunately, all the evidence points to the reality that the time for a little tinkering around the edges has passed. Emerging economies whose CO2 output is increasing are reluctant to stifle their growth to cut emissions when established economies had no such disadvantage during their development. How do we fix it? Tree planting needs to increase substantially to act as a ‘carbon sink’ for CO2 emissions. Currently, the UK target for tree planting (20,000 hectares per year) is being missed by a wide margin every year. * the 2019 Conservative Manifesto promised to plant 30,000 hectares of trees per year by 2025. Currently, they are significantly short of their target at only 12,700 hectares in 2022/23. By placing restrictions on air travel. Another of the anomalies in the accounting of CO2 emissions by each country as part of the climate change agreements is that only domestic air travel is recorded. International air travel emissions have no ‘home’ and therefore, although they are recorded, are not included in any emission targets. Some have argued for a ‘frequent flyer’ tax where one trip per year could be a ‘freebie’ in terms of tax rates, but any additional travel will be severely taxed. UK Carbon Emission Scenarios from UK Government Net Zero Strategy October 2021 – page 318 Some experts believe the ‘free market’ will be unable to address the challenge of climate change and that the dominance of corporations must be reduced and governments take the lead in a holistic approach to tackling climate change. The era of disposable products must end and goods made, not only to be more energy efficient but also made to last. By eliminating the reliance on the car, including electric cars, as a primary means of travel (with the phasing out of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030) by providing cheap public transit for all and safe alternatives for cycling and walking. Replace into law the ‘zero carbon’ homes policy abandoned by the Conservative government in 2016. By promoting research and development of Carbon Capture & Storage as it is currently absent in the UK and is a necessity to meet ‘net zero emissions’ targets by 2050. *Note that in the above table taken from the UK Government’s 2021 Net Zero Strategy, for an unproven technology greenhouse gas removal is doing a lot of heavy lifting to get us to net zero. ** The UK government has committed up to £20 billion to fund the development of Carbon Capture and Storage, but to date, no CO2 has been captured and stored in the UK. By providing incentives for domestic green energy production such as solar power. These not only reduce the reliance on fossil fuels, but can also change cultural attitudes to power consumption as people are likely to become engaged in energy use when they are producing it on their own rooftops. All new buildings should have solar panels installed on available roofing and be retrofitted where possible. By adoption of ‘the polluter pays’ principle on the oil and gas companies which have for many years been the most profitable in the global economy. This could be in the form of a ‘carbon tax’ along with higher royalty rates on fossil fuel extraction. By promoting renewable energy production co-operatives run by the communities that use them. This would encourage ‘buy-in’ from local communities who directly benefit from them by selling their clean energy back to the grid. At this point, I will hold my hand up and admit I have been skeptical about onshore wind generation in the past, due to unfounded concerns about noise (we live approx 1 mile away from a 10 turbine windfarm) and localised benefits from local infrastructure would provide popular incentives to alter attitudes. An end to ‘fracking’ as a means of extracting natural gas, which has been found to produce methane emissions that are 30% higher than those linked to natural gas. Further, methane is 34 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide. We must stop extracting fossil fuels and end the significant subsidies to those who extract those fossil fuels. Is the UK Government on track? In June 2023 The UK Climate Change Committee reported to Parliament on the progress to date in reducing CO2 emissions as well as setting out policy risks and gaps and priority recommendations. There is a link to the full report in the ‘sources and further reading’ section below, here are some of the highlights: the willingness of UK Ministers to embrace Net Zero, and accept a legal obligation to meet targets on that path, represented genuine leadership. However, the true test of leadership is delivery. And here, I am more worried. The commitment of the Government to act has waned since our COP26 Presidency. There is hesitation to commit fully to the key pledges. p8 We have backtracked on fossil fuel commitments, with the consenting of a new coal mine and support for new UK oil and gas production – despite the strong wording of the Glasgow Climate Pact. p13 We have been slow to react to the US Inflation Reduction Act and the EU’s proposed Green Deal Industrial Plan, which are now a strong pull for green investment away from the UK. p13 The decision on the Cumbrian coal mine sent a very concerning signal on the Government’s priorities. The UK will continue to need some oil and gas until it reaches Net Zero, but this does not in itself justify the development of new North Sea fields. p15 No airport expansions should proceed until a UK-wide capacity management framework is in place to assess annually and, if required, control sector CO2 emissions and non-CO2 effects. p15 Tree-planting rates continue to be too low and are not increasing at the rate required. Rates will need to double by 2025 for the Government to reach its target of 30,000 hectares per year of woodland creation. p20 The UK has particularly missed opportunities to respond to the energy crisis with policies that both reduce emissions and cut household/business costs – policies that other countries implemented to increase their energy security. p57 To avoid low-income groups being locked out of the cost savings that low-carbon technologies will increasingly provide, the Government should consider targeted support for the take-up of key technologies such as EVs. p58 The Government has set out no plans to support the public to shift to a lower-carbon diet. p101 From 2010-2021, bus and rail prices increased by 80% and 43% respectively, significantly faster than inflation. By contrast, the cost of car travel rose by just 27%. Spikes in fuel prices and Government interventions to limit further growth in fares have reduced this gap during 2022 and early-2023. P114 Only 2.2 km of railway track was electrified in 2021/22.42 This is symptomatic of the current stop-start nature of network electrification, which is failing to deliver the infrastructure upgrades required. p127 In March 2023, the active travel budget received a substantial cut, with the £700 million allocated at Spending Review 2021, minus the £230 million already allocated, being reduced to just £100 million over the remainder of the period. The Government must restore the previously agreed funding settlement. p129 Installations of heat pumps across the UK must rise nine-fold in six years, from 69,000 per year in 2022 to 600,000 in 2028. The UK is not currently on track to hit this target. We outlined in a letter to the then Secretary of State for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) on 24 February 2022 that increases in domestic oil and gas extraction would have, at most, a marginal effect on prices. The best way to reduce the UK’s exposure to volatile markets is instead to cut fossil fuel consumption through measures such as rapidly shifting to renewables, improving energy efficiency and electrifying end uses (such as heating, industry and transport). p222 The long-term price trend for rail travel shows a 32% increase on 2009 levels compared to a 10% decrease for short haul business flights. p271 Can we avoid disaster? The fight against climate change presents many challenges, at an individual, political and corporate level. While the UK government should be commended for setting an ambitious net zero carbon target, they mean nothing unless backed up by positive actions to achieve it. As Lord Deben, the Chair of the Committee on Climate Change stated in the Foreword of his July 2019 report to Parliament “The need for action has rarely been clearer… now do it.” Further, while Lord Deben said in his Foreword to the June 2023 Climate Change Committee report to the UK Parliament that “the UK continues to avoid the polarised climate politics that plague other countries”, I believe we are seeing the first signs of this in our media and our politics. It seems that just when the early impacts of climate change are being felt in the UK, there is a concerted movement to deny the extent of the problem, or use it to stoke up division rather than concentrate efforts to put in place a fix. After mulling over all the evidence gathered while researching for this blog it is very easy to reach the conclusion that we are beyond hope and there isn’t the political will to make the necessary changes. Further, on an individual level, it can seem that personal efforts to reduce CO2 emissions are inconsequential in the great scheme of things and we are doomed. However, it is individual changes repeated across society and the political pressure applied by individuals teaming up to fight for change that will go a long way to achieving success or condemn us to failure and a terrifying future. The colossal scale of the challenge does not absolve us from personal responsibility. We may not succeed, but surely we must try. Julian Vaughan July 2019 – updated with recent data and additional links in July 2023 Sources and further reading I have drawn heavily on the detail contained in the following books: Naomi Klein’s ‘This Changes Everything’ and ‘Six Degrees’ by Mark Lynas. I recommend that you read both of these books in full. Not used for this blog, but interesting reads on this subject are: ‘The Water Will Come’ by Jeff Goodell and ‘How Bad Are Bananas’ by Mike Berners-Lee which gives estimates on the carbon footprint of just about everything! The website for the UK-based Committee on Climate Change is a very useful source of information: https://www.theccc.org.uk/ Carbon Brief is another UK-based website providing extensive information on the latest in the science and policy decisions concerning climate change: Record-breaking 2023 heat events are ‘not rare anymore’ due to climate change IPCC 2023 Climate Change Report https://www.wri.org/insights/2023-ipcc-ar6-synthesis-report-climate-change-findings UK Climate Change Committee – Progress in Reducing Emissions 2023 Report to Parliament 2023 Progress Report to Parliament Modern Diplomacy – Free Market Capitalism and Climate Crisis Free-Market Capitalism and Climate Crisis House of Lords Library – Oil and gas Industry: outside interests https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/oil-and-gas-industry-outside-interests/ UK Government Net Zero Strategy October 2021 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/net-zero-strategy Climate Action Tracker Thermometer https://climateactiontracker.org/global/cat-thermometer/ Sea Level Rises Data https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/sea-level/ Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Levels Data https://www.co2.earth/monthly-co2 #tippingpoints #UKpolitics #ClimateEmergency #CO2emissions #sealevelrises #Politics #climate

On the 5th of July, the Rail Delivery Group announced a 21-day consultation exercise regarding their proposals to close just short of 1,000 ticket offices across the country. In their rush to push these proposals through, it seems they did not have time to discuss their proposals with either the Office of Road and Rail (ORR) or the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). Many thanks to the excellent Association of British Commuters for their work in this area, you can read their open letter to the ORR and the EHRC, signed by a number of rail and disability experts and activists here: https://abcommuters.com/2023/07/04/experts-call-for-orr-and-ehrc-to-intervene-in-ticket-office-closures/ The Rail Delivery Group has spun this as the launch of ‘Customer Focused Stations’, but what is the reality behind their sunny vision of the future? This short blog will focus on staffing levels, rather than the multiple issues around ticketing. The proposed staffing levels for all the stations managed by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) can be found by clicking this link: https://www.thameslinkrailway.com/about-us/our-commitments/public-consultation and then clicking ‘Station Information pdf or Excel’. The proposed staffing levels for Northern can be found by clicking the link below. I will point out that Northern has at least been more transparent and states (on page six of the document) that at the 131 stations where the ticket offices will close “We will also reduce the number of hours that Northern colleagues are present at these stations”. https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/sites/default/files/2023-07/Public%20Consultation%20Document.pdf As yet, I haven’t had a chance to look at every single station, but a clear pattern has emerged from the stations that I have looked at. It seems clear to me that these proposals will result in substantial destaffing of the rail network, under the cover of what the Rail Delivery Group breezily describes as ‘Customer Focused Stations.’ The documents from GTR and Northern set out current ticket office hours vs the proposed ‘ticketing assistance hours’. Central to understanding the Rail Delivery Group’s proposals is the definition of what is meant by ticketing office hours. There are two clues in the literature provided: 1 – Crucially, the ticketing assistance hours are defined (as per GTR’s public consultation FAQs) as when staff would be available in the main station area (ie. all station areas apart from the closed ticket office) to help with ticket purchases and queries. 2 – GTR in their description of accessibility provision under the new proposals (Column H) states at four of their stations, Carshalton, Cheam, Coulsdon Town and Crawley that; “following the end of ticket assistance hours, accessibility provision provided by Mobile Assistance team through to last train”. As the vast majority of other stations under their control have been flagged as having first to last train assistance available, even though they are not staffed throughout the time trains are running, I have been unable to find out what is different about these particular stations. I suspect that mobile assistance teams will be used to provide accessibility assistance when requested. This is obviously completely different from a permanent staff presence at the station. Both these descriptions indicate to me that the ‘ticketing assistance hours’ are actually setting out the hours during which the stations will be staffed. When I raised this directly with GTR on 7th July, I was told that the platform staffing hours were a separate internal employee process from the ticket office opening hours and they could not give any guarantees about the platform staffing levels outside of the proposed ticketing assistance hours. Northern has made it clear in its consultation documents that the number of hours that staff are present at their stations will reduce and that outside of their ‘Journey Maker’ hours their stations will be unstaffed. In my view, GTR has been less transparent. However, I believe it is fair to deduce from the information that we have been given that ‘ticketing assistance hours’ on GTR means exactly the same as ‘Journey Maker hours’ on Northern. It is relevant to say at this point that the Rail Delivery Group (an oxymoron if ever I have heard one) will not guarantee that there will not be compulsory redundancies as a result of their proposals and their dispute resolution offer to the unions only commits to no compulsory redundancies until December 2024. The offer to the rail unions only commits to no compulsory redundancies until December 2024. The rather more transparent Northern admits there will be an overall reduction in the headcount of station staff across their network, as per their answer to Q12 below. FAQ Question from Northern Rail. Question – Will there be a reduction in the overall number of colleagues at stations? Answer – Our proposal which is subject to consultation is that the overall headcount will reduce once we introduce the new Journey Maker role. Further, GTR has also not given any commitment to the timings of access to toilets at their stations. Currently, these are only open when the station is staffed, either by platform staff and/or when the ticket office is open. Northern has also provided a helpful infographic about the new multi-purpose role for the former ticket office staff which includes fare advice and accessibility assistance, who on Northern at least, will now be called ‘Journey Makers’. There is no reason to believe that the multi-purpose role set out below will be any different for GTR ticket office staff. An infographic from the Northern Rail consultation brochure setting out the responsibilities of the proposed ‘Journey Maker’ staff which are 1 – give customers information 2 – help customers buy tickets online and via machines 3 – provide extra assistance to those who need it 4 – make announcements at stations 5 – help resolve customer issues 6 – assist during service disruption 7 – keep stations clean and tidy. Under the RDG’s proposals, ticket office staff will undertake a multi-purpose role ‘in front of the glass’ to replace all existing station based roles, offering accessibility assistance as well as performing gateline duties currently performed by other members of staff. This will clearly be an opportunity for the train operating companies to reduce staff numbers to avoid what they will see as duplication. GTR states that no stations that are staffed today will become unstaffed. However, under the guise of retaining ‘ticketing assistance,’ it enables GTR and the other train companies to reduce the time that they are staffing their stations. There are many examples in the data, too numerous to mention, but I provide a few examples below. Arlesey – proposed ‘ticketing assistance’ hours Monday to Friday 06.45 to 12.10 Under the proposals, the station loses the platform staff currently present between 16.00 and 20.00 Biggleswade – proposed ‘ticketing assistance’ hours Monday to Friday 06.20 to 14.15. Under the proposals, the station loses the platform staff currently present between 16.00 and 20.00. This will also impact the opening times of the toilets that have just opened at the station. Crawley – proposed ‘ticketing assistance’ hours 06.00 to 22.30 Monday to Friday. This is an increase in the current ticket office hours, but the station will become unstaffed from 22.30 at night whereas currently the station is staffed until 01.00 Deansgate (Northern) – proposed ‘Journey Maker’ hours on Monday to Friday from 05.50 to 12.50. The current ticket office hours are 06.00 to 23.30 Hexham (Northern) – proposed ‘Journey Maker’ hours Monday to Friday 09.00 to 12.30. This is a reduction from the current ticket office hours of 07.15 to 17.30. It should be noted that at this station the barrow crossing between platforms can only be used when the station is staffed. The barrow crossing at Hexham station. only accessible when staff are present. Leagrave – proposed increase in ‘ticketing assistance’ hours between 05.45 and 21.10 Monday to Friday. This is an increase from the current ticket office hours, but the station will be unstaffed from 21.10 at night. If you detect a lack of neutrality in this post I will hold my hand up and admit bias. I along with the travelling public, accessibility campaigners and the rail unions want an accessible, safe, affordable and fully staffed rail network. It is now clear that the Rail Delivery Group and this Government do not. Whose side are they on? Julian Vaughan Chair – Bedfordshire Rail Access Network 9th July 2023 Twitter: @julian_vaughan_ Sources and further reading Rail Delivery Group – Customer Focused Stations https://www.raildeliverygroup.com/uk-rail-industry/customer-focused-reform/customer-focused-stations.html#consultation Northern Railway – Changing how we support our customers at our stations https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/consultation-2023 Thameslink – public consultation including FAQs https://www.thameslinkrailway.com/about-us/our-commitments/public-consultation Rail Delivery Group – the RMT Offer https://www.raildeliverygroup.com/uk-rail-industry/customer-focused-reform/rmt-offer.html Association of British Commuters – Experts call for ORR and EHRC to intervene in ticket office closures UK Parliament Early Day Motion – Future of Railway Ticket Offices https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/61155 #UKpolitics #stepfreeaccess #accessibility #publictransport #railways #Transport

Earlier today the Bedfordshire Rail Access Network (BRAN) team met with Network Rail, Richard Fuller MP, town and district Councillors and Govia Thameslink Railway to discuss the latest on the step-free project and the transport hub. The previous meeting took place on 3rd February and you can read a summary of that meeting here: http://julianvaughan.blog/2023/02/05/step-free-project-hits-the-buffers/ At the start of the meeting, there was a short discussion about the makeup of the ‘committee’. It is worth pointing out that I believe we are on the 4th Network Rail project team since Biggleswade station was awarded ‘Access for All’ funding in April 2019, which has made it more difficult to build working relations. Further, only the BRAN team, which represents the views of disabled people, has been present throughout the project. Bus Interchange Work on the bus interchange is making good progress along with surrounding walkways in the area of the new zebra crossing. There are a few issues that delayed the proposed walkabout of the interchange, but this has been re-scheduled for the week commencing 22nd May. Due to concerns about the lighting of the interchange on nearby residents, the lighting will now be centrally controlled and either dimmed or switched off out of bus service hours. Coordination of bus and train services At the last few meetings, I have raised the importance of coordinating the bus and train timetables so that bus services are a viable option for commuters. Since the last meeting in February, I emailed asking whether there had been any meetings at all between the rail and bus companies. As the rough completion date for the bus interchange has been known for some time, it is very disappointing to hear that as yet there have not been any. We were told today that a mixture of commercial and subsidised routes will serve the station, with the implication that commercial routes can do as they please. The bus interchange – photo taken on 4th May While the nature of a privatised bus network means this is true, it does seem a very negative approach to not make an effort to coordinate public transport in the area – which would surely be beneficial to both the rail and bus companies. This part of the meeting ended with some not entirely convincing assurances that discussions will take place on this later in the year. We need to be doing far better than this if we are to get the full potential from the interchange. Fiona from our team also raised the issue that when the station does become step-free, the timings should include a time allowance for station staff assistance for those with reduced mobility who are travelling by bus and then by train. Toilets Work on the toilet block is also progressing, with a ‘snagging’ meeting due to take place on 8th June with an opening date shortly after that. At the moment there is likely to be an official joint opening of both the toilets and the bus interchange at a yet to be confirmed date in June. Staffing levels At every meeting, I have raised the issue of what the staffing levels are going to be at the station, as this could potentially impact both the availability of the lift service and the hours that the toilets are open. Once again we were not given an answer, but I got the strong impression that there will be no increase in staffing levels at the station. There did not seem to be an appreciation that an unstaffed rail network discourages people from travelling due to safety concerns, as well as making the railway inaccessible to many people. We need a complete change of culture in the area. As it stands at the moment the new toilets may only be open when the station is staffed. These hours are set out below in a screenshot from the National Rail Enquiries website. Lifts – timeline toward installation We were presented with the latest timeline of all the steps that need to be taken before the lifts come into service. The good news was that the date has not moved back from the last meeting and remains December 2024. I would also say there is more confidence now that this date can be achieved. A number of questions were raised about the potential for the stages to be achieved over a shorter time and we were told every effort would be made to speed things up. At the moment construction will begin on site in February 2024. You can read more about the previous slippages to the timeline in the blog mentioned in the first paragraph, so I won’t go over old ground here. An early outline of the ramp toward the lifts on each platform. The current bridge, which will remain is shown in grey, with the site of the bus interchange shaded amber. Summary I’m delighted that this Summer Biggleswade will have a transport interchange that links up bus and rail services and that we will finally have toilets at the station. However, the devil is always in the detail and unless we have some joined up thinking the potential benefits of the interchange may not be realised. I will continue to press for greater cooperation between the transport companies and will be keeping a very close eye on what they offer us. The government’s ‘Bus Back Better’ strategy has failed and bus services are getting worse not better across Bedfordshire. In terms of step-free access at the station, it is good news that the timeline hasn’t slipped any further and that there is more confidence that the date can be achieved, but we have serious concerns that the lack of staffing will impact both the accessibility and usability of the new facilities at the station. If the station is unstaffed it will mean that for many people the station will remain inaccessible. A fully staffed and accessible rail network, linked with frequent and reliable bus services would bring huge benefits to Bedfordshire and the UK. Unfortunately, we are going in the opposite direction. The BRAN team will be attending the opening of the bus interchange and station toilets in June, with our next meeting with Network Rail in the diary for September. You can get in touch with us via email at: bedsrailaccessnetwork@gmail.com Thank you to the BRAN team for their support and advice. Julian Vaughan Chair Bedfordshire Rail Access Network #stepfreeaccess #biggleswade #buses #accessibility #Bedfordshire #publictransport #railways #Transport

While I’m obviously disappointed not to have been elected, I’m delighted for my five Labour colleagues who are now Central Bedfordshire Councillors. After years of Tory domination, the council has moved to ‘No Overall Control’ and we have two Labour Councillors (Stotfold and Arlesey and Fairfield) in what will be the new Parliamentary constituency of Hitchin, which bodes well for the future. Thank you to those from across the political spectrum who have sent private messages of support, it means a lot. I’m also super proud of our campaign team in Biggleswade who worked so hard over the last few weeks. We were definitely noticed across the town, fell short by just 18 votes in Biggleswade East and finished ahead of the Tories in Biggleswade West. Politics is a serious business and we worked very hard, but we also had a lot of fun during the campaign and we had a happy team. Thank you to all those who helped out, you were amazing. The UK faces huge challenges ahead. Whatever your views on Brexit, it has polarised our society and 13 years of Tory austerity has resulted in our NHS and public services being on their knees. Inequality is deeply entrenched in our society and we have a government that prefers to stoke up hate and division rather than fix the deep-seated problems we face. I believe we enrich our communities when we look after everyone within it. People in ‘small boats’ didn’t trash our NHS and homeless people didn’t wreck our public services. I have now stood in two General Elections and two local elections and have yet to be elected. One day it would be nice to write one of these from a winning perspective! However, my drive for social justice remains undimmed and my life experiences have provided me with the determination to persevere. Watch this space. In the immediate future, next week I’ll be attending a walkaround of the new Transport interchange in Biggleswade – and yes we do need more buses! The following week I will be meeting with Network Rail and others regarding step-free access at the train station and I’ll be posting an update about the latest on my campaign for a fair deal for prepayment meter households which resulted in the issue being raised in Parliament recently. I totally understand why people are disillusioned with politics. However, politics has the potential to change our lives and our communities for the better. It is politics that created our NHS. One day I hope to be a part of that change to a fairer more equal society. But first I’m going to have a long sleep! Julian Vaughan 7th May 2023 #labourparty #Politics #UKpolitics

On 31st March, the pause in the installation of prepayment meters by warrant will end. The appalling treatment of prepayment meter customers, who are among the most financially vulnerable people in the UK, is a national scandal. Ofgem, the UK’s energy regulator has fundamentally failed in its role to protect vulnerable energy users and while they have recently been forced into finally taking action, pressed by public outrage rather than any sense of proactiveness on their part, prepayment meters still endure a number of injustices that the government have yet to fix. Below is the email I have sent to my local Conservative MP, Richard Fuller, setting out how Ofgem has failed as a regulator, pointing out the continuing sky-high standing charges endured by PPM customers and the lack of progress by the government on the urgent need for a ‘social tariff’ providing reduced rate energy for financially vulnerable households. Dear Richard Following on from my email to you on 8th December 2022 and your reply on 14th December, I am writing to you to draw your attention to issues arising from your reply and subsequent actions taken by the government. Bearing in mind that the pause in prepayment meter installations is due to end on 31st March, I ask that you give the issues below urgent attention. In my email to you, I drew your attention to households being forced onto prepayment meters at an industrial scale, without the required notice period, via remote switching, and in cases where the customer was vulnerable. You responded by saying: “In relation to prepayment meters, Ofgem has taken a number of actions on prepayment meters in recent times. It warned suppliers in June 2018 that prepayment meters should be installed only as a last resort for debt collection. Ofgem banned forcible installation for vulnerable customers in 2017”. Subsequent events have set out that Ofgem fundamentally failed in its role of (in words taken from their website ) “stamping out sharp and bad practice, ensuring fair treatment for all consumers, especially the vulnerable”. The disgusting treatment of vulnerable customers was revealed not by Ofgem, but by an undercover reporter. I also remind you that only back in November 2022, Ofgem gave British Gas a clean bill of health, stating that their approach to vulnerable customers only had ‘minor weaknesses’ (link below). I believe Ofgem is currently not fit for purpose and is failing to carry out its responsibilities in a timely manner. Its recent action against British Gas only came as a result of a public outcry, not proactive or effective monitoring on their part. Can you advise what steps the government will take to ensure that Ofgem will actually work effectively to protect energy consumers? While it is welcome that the government will remove the longstanding premium paid by prepayment meter customers in the higher rates they pay per kWh of energy there still remains the injustice of the exorbitant daily standing charges paid by PPM households which the government will not resolve until April 2024 (link below – Spring Budget para 2.25 p40). This standing charge premium is partly a result of money being clawed back from the ‘Supplier of last resort Scheme’ after a number of companies folded due to weak oversight by Ofgem and shady practices by the companies. It is plainly unjust that prepayment meter customers are shouldering the cost of the failures of the regulator and sharp practices by unscrupulous energy company CEO’s. I request that you ask for this standing charge premium applied to PPM customers be removed as a matter of urgency. While there is talk of a ‘social tariff’ that will provide a reduced price tariff for financially vulnerable energy users there is little action. Other countries provide social tariffs, so why is it proving so difficult for the energy regulator and the UK government to sort this issue out promptly? I’m sure that you are aware that many households are struggling to afford to heat their homes, even with the government support that is being given. Can you ask the relevant government department what the timescale is for a social tariff to be introduced? Aside from the mental and physical health impacts of being disconnected from their energy supply and the resulting cold and damp homes, prepayment meter customers have to endure the further accumulation of debt via their daily standing charges that continue to apply even after they have been cut off and are shivering in cold and unlit homes. I hope you will agree that this situation is beyond grim. Can you ask that steps are taken to stop the accumulation of further debt in this manner and that when a prepayment meter household is disconnected, their standing charge is halted until the time of reconnection? The pause in the installation of prepayment meters is due to end (for all suppliers except British Gas) on 31st March. I have little confidence that sufficient safeguards are in place to protect vulnerable customers from inappropriate prepayment meter installations. In addition, the higher standing charges paid by PPM customers and the lack of a social tariff mean that PPM customers will continue to pay the highest rates for their energy even though they are the most financially vulnerable. This is clearly unjust. I would be grateful if you would urgently make the case for the pause in the installation of PPMs to be continued until the three issues mentioned above; adequate safeguards, reduced standing charges, and a social tariff have been introduced. Finally, Ofgem in a written answer to the Business Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee in October 2022 stated that they are collecting data on the number of self-disconnections by repayment meter customers and will release this information in ‘early 2023’. I have been in touch with Ofgem in the last week and they are still unable to provide a firm date for publication. Can you press Ofgem or the relevant Minister as to when this data will be published? Please do get in touch if you have any questions. As before, please regard this as an open letter. Julian Vaughan 26th March 2023 Sources Spring Budget 2023 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1144441/Web_accessible_Budget_2023.pdf Ofgem review into how suppliers support customers in vulnerable situations – published 27th November 2022 https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/ofgem-completes-review-how-suppliers-support-customers-vulnerable-situations Ofgem written evidence to the BEIS committee – October 2022 https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/30191/documents/174915/default/ The injustice of prepayment meters – an open letter to my MP 8th December 2022 http://julianvaughan.blog/2022/12/08/the-injustice-of-prepayment-meters-an-open-letter-to-my-mp/ #UKpolitics #socialtariff #costoflivingcrisis #prepaymentmeters #Bedfordshire #Politics

Since we first started campaigning for step-free access at Biggleswade station I have sat in numerous meetings to discuss the many issues that have needed to be resolved. Without a doubt, Friday’s meeting with Network Rail, Govia Thameslink Railway, Richard Fuller MP and Central Bedfordshire Council was the most disappointing meeting I have attended to date. In short, Network Rail took us through a brief PowerPoint presentation to tell us that the estimated completion date has now slipped back to December 2024 – and even this date is dependent upon arranging a suitable ‘possession’, a railway term for safe access to the track and the surrounding infrastructure for engineering work to take place. The likely date for the lifts to be in service is therefore early 2025, which is SIX years from when a successful bid for ‘Access for All’ funding was announced. Explaining their reasons for the delay, Network Rail placed most of the blame on a four-month pause while reviewing our request to bring the additional steps to the new bridge back into the scope of the project. Network Rail had intended to remove this from the design to cut costs. However, this 4 month pause has inexplicably turned into an 18-month delay to the project, shifting the completion date from June 2023 to an estimated January 2025. Further, and again we find this hard to believe, they now have issues with the ‘footprint’ of the lifts in relation to safety clearances to the platform edges. We find it incomprehensible that three years on from being supplied with detailed designs showing platform clearance (to the centimetre) with no concerns raised, this has suddenly become an issue. Design drawings supplied to us in December 2020 showing the new bridge with lifts/ steps and the platform edge clearances (shown in centimeters) In addition, Network Rail said that they had to move their design team onto other projects while this pause was in place. However much of the design work was due to be completed between January and August 2022. We first became aware of the removal of the steps (shown in the diagram above) from the scope of the project in July 2022 so much of the design aspect must have been completed. It is not credible that two sets of stairs, already present throughout all the early designs, are now the cause of such an extended delay. It seems each setback or change to the scope of the project results in it going back almost to square one in what is a baffling, byzantine and opaque process, lacking any transparency. Multi-million pound projects such as the provision of step-free access to the station must be transparent and those public bodies in charge of the project should be accountable. If there is no transparency, it is extremely difficult to achieve accountability. I believe the public has a right to know what is happening and why it is happening. As per the Nolan principle of openness, “information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.” This is why I have posted regular updates since the start of the project. Below are the series of timelines that were supplied to us at each of the meetings, starting with the oldest first: Project timeline as of 18th January 2021 As you can see the original target entry date for the completion of the scheme had been brought forward from Autumn 2023 to a potential date of late Summer 2022. This acceleration of the project was made possible through the scheme being chosen to take part in the Department for Transport’s Project SPEED. Project timeline as of 7th March 2022 One year on you can see that the completion date has slipped, but the Investment Authority has been received and the surveys and detailed designs are in progress. ‘Shovels in the ground’ are estimated to start on October 2022, with a completion date of June 2023. Obviously, this is considerably later than earlier estimates, but still ahead of schedule in comparison to the original forecast. Project timeline as of May 2022 At the May 2022 meeting, the timeline presented to us hadn’t changed, although we were advised that they were looking at the scope of the scheme (outside of the core remit to provide step-free access) with a look at a ‘value engineered design’ – in English, cost-saving measures. Below, we move on to the timeline as of July 2022. Nothing has changed in the timeline, with the estimated completion date still June 2023. We were advised that the scheme had been presented to the Network Rail Investment Authority panel on 7th June 2022 and was fully endorsed, funded and authorised for delivery. However, we were also advised that the steps to the additional bridge being constructed (the bridge that will accommodate the lifts to each platform) had been removed from the scope of the scheme. Project timeline as of July 2022 The Bedfordshire Rail Access Network team, objected to the removal of the steps from the additional bridge. The reasons we objected were that, although the steps don’t impact the step-free route, their removal would mean that the station would not be ‘future-proofed’ for the increase in passenger numbers in the coming years and passengers would have to rely on the current steps to the platforms, which are not fit for purpose and create safety issues at peak times. Regular users of the station will be aware of the crowding at the bottom of the stairs when two trains arrive at the same time. Our objection was backed by other stakeholders in the room with a consensus that the small saving resulting from removing the steps from the project was not worth the disbenefit to passengers using the station over the coming decades. Network Rail agreed to take this away and come back to us. We acknowledged that this would delay the project slightly, but felt the long-term benefit to the station users outweighed the cost. Four months later Network Rail came back to us and stated that the steps had been brought back into the scope of the project, but that a number of hoops had to be jumped through again, including further financial reviews, a re-pricing exercise, and that re-authority for the project would have to be obtained. Therefore, as you can see from the timeline below, the ‘start on site’ and ‘entry into service’ dates now had a ‘to be confirmed’ label attached to them. Project timeline as of November 2022 We were also advised that the design phase will recommence once these authorities have been obtained. *It is worth noting here that the ‘surveys and design phase’ which is shown in previous timelines as taking place between January to August 2022, had almost been completed before the initial removal of the stairs from the project. We asked for an estimated date for the entry of lifts into service and were told it could be late 2023. Moving on to our latest meeting held on Friday 3rd February and we were presented with the timeline below. Project timeline as of February 2023 The timeline shows that the predicted completion of the scheme is now December 2024, with a proviso that this is subject to obtaining access to the railway to complete the works. Further, the timeline includes a six-month period of ‘detailed design’. This is a similar length of time that was allocated to the surveys and design phase previously. This would seem to suggest that they have had to start from scratch and redesign the whole project, This is just not credible. It has been put to us that there is a difference between ‘initial’ design and ‘detailed’ design, While we understand that concept, how is it that this was never highlighted in all the previous timelines, which went from ‘surveys and design’ to ‘procurement of materials and plant’ to ‘main works on site’? Further, there is a five-month gap between the end of the ‘detailed design phase’ and the start of works on site. A gap that was not present in previous timelines. Additionally, re-authorities for funding will be required as well as the need for ‘Station Change’ to be submitted to Govia Thameslink Railway and other rail industry bodies. So much for ‘Project SPEED’! The BRAN team outside Biggleswade station in October 2021 Not to put too fine a point on it we feel that we (as representatives for disabled people) are being excluded and are not being provided with the full picture. While we have meetings every three months (we insisted that they be held regularly) we are not given any updates on problems or progress between these dates. At the moment it seems that the consultation with us is little more than a tick-box exercise. On a more positive note, while Richard Fuller MP and I disagree on many things, we continue to work well together on this project and we were in broad agreement that the delays to the project were completely unacceptable. Richard suggested that we jointly write to Network Rail and the Department for Transport setting out our concerns, which I have agreed to do. We asked once again about what the staffing levels would be at the station, once the lifts are finally in service. Unfortunately, Govia Thameslink Railway was again unable to provide us with any assurances that the station from the first train until the last train, or whether the lifts could be used if the station were unstaffed. Bus interchange The bus interchange is on course to be completed by April/May this year which is excellent news. However, we do have concerns about the poor levels of bus services provided to Biggleswade and the surrounding villages. We also said that to encourage people out of their cars and on to public transport, every effort should be made to coordinate the bus and train timetables so that they become a viable option for both commuters and leisure travellers. We said that this process should be open and transparent and that we would be happy to work with them on this issue. Station toilets Work will start on the new toilet block on Monday, with an estimated open date again around April/May this year. There will be a male, female and accessible toilet in this block which will be situated just to the right of the current taxi office. The BRAN team presenting their petition to the DfT in November 2018 For much of the UK’s rail network to remain inaccessible to wheelchair and mobility-impaired users is unacceptable in the Century. The ‘Victorian infrastructure’ line is wearing thin after 150 years. It is likely that the problems we have encountered with the step-free project are being repeated elsewhere. Of course, step-free projects must offer value for money, but it has been proven that step-free stations return far more to the economy than the initial investment. The current governance of these projects seems excessively complicated. The residents of Biggleswade and people with disabilities across the UK deserve far better. Our next meeting is on 15th May. However, we will be in contact with both Network Rail and the Department for Transport over the coming weeks. Do get in touch with us if you have any questions, our email address is below. Julian Vaughan Chair Bedfordshire Rail Access Network email: bedsrailaccessnetwork@gmail.com 5th February 2023 Further reading: Inclusive Mobility: A guide to best practice on access to pedestrian and transport infrastructure https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1044542/inclusive-mobility-a-guide-to-best-practice-on-access-to-pedestrian-and-transport-infrastructure.pdf Rail Project SPEED – Launched February 2021 https://www.gov.uk/government/news/launch-of-project-speed-challenges-rail-industry-to-cut-time-and-costs-of-rail-upgrades Bigglesade Station Update: 16th November 2022 http://julianvaughan.blog/2022/11/16/biggleswade-station-update-16th-november-2022/ Biggleswade Station Update: 15th July 2022 http://julianvaughan.blog/2022/07/15/biggleswade-station-update-15th-july/ Biggleswade Station Update> 9th May 2022 http://julianvaughan.blog/2022/05/09/biggleswade-station-update-9th-may/ Equal Access on the railways: How much longer? http://julianvaughan.blog/2020/01/10/equal-access-on-the-railways-how-much-longer/ #stepfreeaccess #buses #accessibility #publictransport #railways #Politics

While we may have moved on from the limited voting rights of the 19th Century, in 1832 the Reform Act granted voting rights to men only if they were freeholders of property and over the age of 21 (women didn’t get full voting rights until 1928) we are very shortly about to see a significant change in how we vote at polling stations across the country. This blog provides links to register to vote at your current address, sets out the different ways to vote, gives details on the new Voter ID requirement when you vote at a polling station and what to do if you do not currently have the required identification. The first elections the new voter ID requirements will affect are the local council elections on 4th May 2023. How to register to Vote You only need to register once at a given address, but if you move home you will have to register again at your new address otherwise you will not be able to vote. The online form should take no more than five minutes, you will need your National Insurance number to hand. To register to vote, stick the kettle on and click on the kettle below, or click on this link: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote The deadline to register to be able to vote in the local council elections in May is Monday 17th April. If you don’t want to fill in a form online, you can register to vote (this is not voting by post) by filling out a paper form which you can print from here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-to-vote-if-youre-living-in-the-uk Voting as a Student Students can register at both their home address and their term-time address. You can vote at both addresses in local council elections and Police and Crime Commissioner elections, provided the addresses are in different council areas. In a UK Parliament Election (a general or by-election) a UK referendum (such as the Brexit vote) or London Assembly/London Mayoral Elections you can only vote at one address. More details on student voting here: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/students In England, you can vote from the age of 18. In more enlightened countries such as Scotland or Wales, you can vote in some elections from 16+. Applying for a postal vote You can apply to vote by post. You will need to send a completed paper form to your local Electoral Registration Office. The link to print off a postal vote application is here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-for-a-postal-vote You do not need to provide photo ID to vote by post. The deadline to apply for a postal vote in Central Bedfordshire is Tuesday 18th April. Applying for a proxy vote If you can’t vote in person you can in certain circumstances get someone else to vote for you. These circumstances include if you are in the armed forces if you are living overseas or have a disability. I have included the link for if you have a disability: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-to-vote-by-proxy-due-to-a-disability The deadline to apply for a proxy vote for the local elections is Tuesday 25th April. What are the upcoming changes to how you vote? From 4th May 2023, you will need to provide photographic ID when you attend a polling station in England to cast your vote in local elections and parliamentary by-elections in England and Wales. From October 2023 this will extend to voting in General Elections in England, Scotland and Wales. The list of acceptable ID you need to show at the polling station is below. International travel Passport issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, a British Overseas Territory, an EEA state or a Commonwealth country Driving and Parking Driving licence issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or an EEA state (this includes a provisional driving licence) A Blue Badge Local travel Older Person’s Bus Pass Disabled Person’s Bus Pass Oyster 60+ Card Freedom Pass Scottish National Entitlement Card 60 and Over Welsh Concessionary Travel Card Disabled Person’s Welsh Concessionary Travel Card Senior SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland Registered Blind SmartPass or Blind Person’s SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland War Disablement SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland 60+ SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland Half Fare SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland Proof of age Identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card) You can apply for a PASS card here (cost £15): https://www.postoffice.co.uk/identity/pass-card Other government-issued documents Biometric immigration document Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card) National identity card issued by an EEA state Electoral Identity Card issued in Northern Ireland Voter Authority Certificate Anonymous Elector’s Document You will only need to show one form of photo ID. It needs to be the original version and not a photocopy. What if my photo ID is out of date? You can still use your photo ID if it’s out of date, as long as it looks like you. The name on your ID should be the same name you used to register to vote. What if I don’t have an accepted form of ID? You can apply free of charge for a Voter Authority Certificate by clicking on the link below. You will need a recent digital photo of yourself and your National Insurance number. https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate More details about the voter authority certificate can be found here: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/voter-id/applying-a-voter-authority-certificate How can I check if I’m registered to vote? Contact your local Electoral Registration Office. You can find out where yours is by entering your postcode at this link: https://www.gov.uk/contact-electoral-registration-office The above information has been sourced from the Electoral Commission as well as the government’s gov.uk website. My personal view is that the voter ID requirement is a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist so the motives behind the change are highly suspect. You can read about the Local Government Association’s concerns about the timetable of the implementation of Voter ID here: https://www.local.gov.uk/about/news/lga-statement-parliamentary-vote-plans-introduce-voter-id You can read the House of Commons Library research paper on how Voter ID came to be introduced in the UK, along with case studies of ID schemes in Northern Ireland and Canada here: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9187/ Julian Vaughan 20th January 2023 #UKpolitics #elections #voterID #registertovote #democracy #Politics

While we may have moved on from the limited voting rights of the 19th Century, in 1832 the Reform Act granted voting rights to men only if they were freeholders of property and over the age of 21 (women didn’t get full voting rights until 1928) we are very shortly about to see a significant change in how we vote at polling stations across the country. This blog provides links to register to vote at your current address, sets out the different ways to vote, gives details on the new Voter ID requirement when you vote at a polling station and what to do if you do not currently have the required identification. The first elections the new voter ID requirements will affect are the local council elections on 4th May 2023. How to register to Vote You only need to register once at a given address, but if you move home you will have to register again at your new address otherwise you will not be able to vote. The online form should take no more than five minutes, you will need your National Insurance number to hand. To register to vote, stick the kettle on and click on the kettle below, or click on this link: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote If you don’t want to fill in a form online, you can register to vote (this is not voting by post) by filling out a paper form which you can print from here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-to-vote-if-youre-living-in-the-uk Voting as a Student Students can register at both their home address and their term-time address. You can vote at both addresses in local council elections and Police and Crime Commissioner elections, provided the addresses are in different council areas. In a UK Parliament Election (a general or by-election) a UK referendum (such as the Brexit vote) or London Assembly/London Mayoral Elections you can only vote at one address. More details on student voting here: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/students In England, you can vote from the age of 18. In more enlightened countries such as Scotland or Wales, you can vote in some elections from 16+. Applying for a postal vote You can apply to vote by post. You will need to send a completed paper form to your local Electoral Registration Office. The link to print off a postal vote application is here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-for-a-postal-vote You do not need to provide photo ID to vote by post. Applying for a proxy vote If you can’t vote in person you can in certain circumstances get someone else to vote for you. These circumstances include if you are in the armed forces if you are living overseas or have a disability. I have included the link for if you have a disability: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-to-vote-by-proxy-due-to-a-disability What are the upcoming changes to how you vote? From 4th May 2023, you will need to provide photographic ID when you attend a polling station in England to cast your vote in local elections and parliamentary by-elections in England and Wales. From October 2023 this will extend to voting in General Elections in England, Scotland and Wales. The list of acceptable ID you need to show at the polling station is below. International travel Passport issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, a British Overseas Territory, an EEA state or a Commonwealth country Driving and Parking Driving licence issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or an EEA state (this includes a provisional driving licence) A Blue Badge Local travel Older Person’s Bus Pass Disabled Person’s Bus Pass Oyster 60+ Card Freedom Pass Scottish National Entitlement Card 60 and Over Welsh Concessionary Travel Card Disabled Person’s Welsh Concessionary Travel Card Senior SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland Registered Blind SmartPass or Blind Person’s SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland War Disablement SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland 60+ SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland Half Fare SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland Proof of age Identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card) You can apply for a PASS card here (cost £15): https://www.postoffice.co.uk/identity/pass-card Other government-issued documents Biometric immigration document Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card) National identity card issued by an EEA state Electoral Identity Card issued in Northern Ireland Voter Authority Certificate Anonymous Elector’s Document You will only need to show one form of photo ID. It needs to be the original version and not a photocopy. What if my photo ID is out of date? You can still use your photo ID if it’s out of date, as long as it looks like you. The name on your ID should be the same name you used to register to vote. What if I don’t have an accepted form of ID? You can apply free of charge for a Voter Authority Certificate by clicking on the link below. You will need a recent digital photo of yourself and your National Insurance number. https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate More details about the voter authority certificate can be found here: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/voter-id/applying-a-voter-authority-certificate How can I check if I’m registered to vote? Contact your local Electoral Registration Office. You can find out where yours is by entering your postcode at this link: https://www.gov.uk/contact-electoral-registration-office The above information has been sourced from the Electoral Commission as well as the government’s gov.uk website. My personal view is that the voter ID requirement is a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist so the motives behind the change are highly suspect. You can read about the Local Government Association’s concerns about the timetable of the implementation of Voter ID here: https://www.local.gov.uk/about/news/lga-statement-parliamentary-vote-plans-introduce-voter-id You can read the House of Commons Library research paper on how Voter ID came to be introduced in the UK, along with case studies of ID schemes in Northern Ireland and Canada here: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9187/ Julian Vaughan 20th January 2023 #UKpolitics #elections #voterID #registertovote #democracy #Politics