news & politics:discussion

[lost]

Didn't see the point in HS2 as I think for 90% of people a commute from Leeds or Manchester to London would generally be a special occasion for a meeting or something and an extra 20 - 30 mins then doesn't matter too much.

I think they'd be much better off working on that Manchester / Leeds / Sheffield triangle that hold the critical mass of people up north. 1 tunnel under the Pennines meaning a local running service is late all the Trans Pennine services queue up behind it, also if you take a look at the Woodhead pass as the major road between two large population centres it look ridiculous compared to what other countries would have.

Edited May 19, 2023 by lost

[steviewevie]

2 minutes ago, lost said:

Didn't see the point in HS2 as I think for 90% of people a commute from Leeds or Manchester to London would generally be a special occasion for a meeting or something and an extra 20 - 30 mins then doesn't matter too much.

I think they'd be much better off working on that Manchester / Leeds / Sheffield triangle that hold the critical mass of people up north. 1 tunnel under the Pennines meaning a local running service is late all the Trans Pennine services queue up behind it, also if you take a look at the Woodhead pass as the major road between two large population centres it look ridiculous compared to what other countries would have.

yeah, I think original plans had it linking up those northern cities...or at least involved Leeds...but yes services between those cities are terrible. I guess would be costly because all the tunnels required through the pennines...but when you look at how much HS2 is costing now...

Also, isn't idea of HS2 for freight also.

They have spent so much already on HS2..and a lot of building work has started...and now looks like it will be half built...bit of a cock up really.

[mattiloy]

If Starmer had said, look theres a problem with both the volume of land available left over to nature and people’s access to it. A problem that has had a spotlight on it because of climate change and the pandemic.

At the same time we have a housing crisis. The Labour party will reform green belt legislation and build new towns, improving connections from satellite towns to cities, freeing up land in some places, but also ensuring that more land is turned over to nature in the process, and that that land is managed in a way that amplifies biodiversity and that people have greater access to it.

Something like a 15 minute city concept but for access to wilderness. Access to a wilderness corridor within a 15 minute walk from every home in urban centres.

In the centre of London its ofc harder to achieve but what an ambitious and appealing policy that would be.

[mattiloy]

In other words, recognising there is a problem and committing to making reforms to fix it is just government. The difference between good and bad government is the quality of those reforms. Its a damning indictment of the last 50 years of government in the uk that your expectations are so low that any reform will do. Desperation breeds short sightedness.

[steviewevie]

South Manchester green belt right now.

 

Edited May 19, 2023 by steviewevie

[Neil]

11 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

South Manchester green belt right now.

 

no big housing crisis in manc obvs, if that was bristol it'd be chock full of vans with people living in them.

[steviewevie]

3 minutes ago, Neil said:

no big housing crisis in manc obvs, if that was bristol it'd be chock full of vans with people living in them.

To be honest not sure it is officially classed as green belt, it's like a nature park...few people do camp in it sometimes but get kicked out after a while.

Big thing in Manchester is loads of sky scrapers full of apartments being built in the city centre.

[squirrelarmy]

2 hours ago, lost said:

Didn't see the point in HS2 as I think for 90% of people a commute from Leeds or Manchester to London would generally be a special occasion for a meeting or something and an extra 20 - 30 mins then doesn't matter too much.

The idea was mainline London centric trains would be using the HS2 lines so the existing infrastructure can be used to boost local services. 
 

Absolutely pointless only going as far as Birmingham. Missing out huge swathes of the population. 

[zahidf]

:-0

[steviewevie]

 

[Rufus Gwertigan]

5 hours ago, mattiloy said:

If Starmer had said, look theres a problem with both the volume of land available left over to nature and people’s access to it. A problem that has had a spotlight on it because of climate change 

Something like a 15 minute city concept but for access to wilderness. Access to a wilderness corridor within a 15 minute walk from every home in urban centres.

In the centre of London its ofc harder to achieve but what an ambitious and appealing policy that would be.

Paris seem to be achieving this. They are ripping up areas like school yards and greening them over. Also they are making these areas available to the community during holidays.

[Guest]

 

 

[steviewevie]

 

[steviewevie]

Zelensky has arrived at G7 summit...he certainly gets around...shoring up support, and it looks like he's going to get jets...

[steviewevie]

[steviewevie]

NANNY STATE

 

[steviewevie]

[Guest]

 

[steviewevie]

(don't mention the war)

[steviewevie]

lock her up

 

[Guest]

47 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

lock her up

 

Someone needs to put the brakes on her Ministerial career…

[steviewevie]

Sinn Féin now largest party in both local government and Stormont. That is definitely something.

[steviewevie]

3 minutes ago, Ozanne said:

Someone needs to put the brakes on her Ministerial career…

won't happen..she's done worse and look at her. She'll be PM one day and we'll all wonder how the fuck it happened.

[lost]

9 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

Sinn Féin now largest party in both local government and Stormont. That is definitely something.

I can remember my history teacher 30 years ago saying that would happen.

 

[steviewevie]

1 minute ago, lost said:

I can remember my history teacher 30 years ago saying that would happen.

 

great replacement theory?