Coronavirus: Keep some lockdown measures to tackle climate emergency, government urged

UK ‘cannot simply return to normal’, says cross-party group of MPs

The government has been urged to consider giving councils powers to retain lockdown measures such as periodically closing streets to combat the climate emergency.

A cross-party group of MPs has written to communities secretary Robert Jenrick to warn that the UK “cannot simply return to normal” as pandemic-enforced restrictions are slowly eased.

The letter said the pandemic has “highlighted the link between congestion and pollution, and public health and the quality of our towns and cities” and called on ministers to put “tackling the climate emergency is at the heart of our recovery”.

Measures suggested include allowing local authorities to close streets to traffic at designated times and supporting changes to urban travel by incentivising councils to provide bike storage and charging points for electric cars.

It comes after research led by the University of East Anglia found daily carbon emissions fell by 17 per cent at the height of lockdown in April, with a reduction in care travel responsible for nearly half (43 per cent) of the decrease in global emissions.

But lead author Professor Corinne Le Quere said the extreme decreases were likely to be temporary as “they do not reflect structural changes in the economic, transport, or energy systems”.

Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse, who coordinated the letter, told The Independent: “We cannot return to ‘normal’ following the Covid-19 crisis.

“The measures introduced by the transport secretary, to promote the use of sustainable transport, are welcome but without cross departmental buy-in they are will fail to have a lasting impact on how we travel.

“We cannot forget that we are facing a climate emergency – this pandemic has highlighted the link between congestion and pollution, public health and the quality of our towns and cities.

“It is time to take action and reinvest in our community spaces for the next generation.”

The group also said ministers should provide new planning guidance and support for local authorities to identify and segregate safe places for children to play, as well as considering a move towards a leisure and culture focus for the high street.

The letter has been signed by more than 20 MPs, including Lib Dem acting leader Sir Ed Davey, Labour’s former shadow communities secretary Andrew Gwynne and Clive Lewis, an ex-Labour leadership hopeful.