Independent consultant Stephen Joseph warned during a panel question and answer session that, in thinking about climate change, “there is a tendency to say ‘we are waiting for the Government to unfreeze fuel duty, halve or abolish public transport fares, have a diesel scrappage scheme and divert all the money from Highways England into walking, cycling and public transport’. I think that’s wrong”.

He emphasised that councils and transport planners can take local action ranging from changing the priorities at pedestrian crossings to efforts to ensure new housing is built in the right place to a design that promotes sustainable travel.

“The point about the climate emergency is that it has moved some of those actions from ‘nice to haves’ to being absolute essentials,” he said.

The event – which also saw the presentation of a People’s Award for transport planning and the inaugural Transport for New Homes Award – was organised by the Transport Planning Society.

Society chair Stephen Bennett said: “The public mood is changing rapidly on the climate emergency.” He called for national policy action, particularly around fuel duty and road pricing, but added. “Lots of small changes from local communities can also make a big difference – that’s what the People’s Award is about.

“By engaging with local politicians and communities, transport planners can start to accelerate grassroots change. At the same time, we need to push for bolder top down national policy changes. Both are needed to achieve the progress that is essential to start addressing the climate impact of our transport system.”

Later in the evening, the People’s Award was presented to Seaford Head secondary school in East Sussex for its Active Travel Map project, which involved year eight students and walking charity Living Streets.

The initiative was to develop maps of safe, easy and sustainable routes to the school. These were then taken by students into local primary schools to help children moving up to Seaford Head plan their travel.

The first ever Transport for New Homes Award was also announced and jointly awarded to the Bath Riverside development in Somerset and the Royal Arsenal Riverside development in Woolwich, London.

For more details about the award and discussion of key issues around housing and transport, see the November / December issue of Transportation Professional which published this week.