[Cyclist]

Another Minister has his arse handed to him by the courts

Campaigners have won a court battle to prevent the "scandalous" construction of a road tunnel near Stonehenge.

The £1.7bn Highways England project aimed to reduce A303 congestion but campaigners said it would detrimentally affect the world heritage site.

The government approved plans in 2020 for a two-mile (3.2km) tunnel to be created near the Wiltshire monument.

Mr Justice Holgate's ruling means the order granted by transport secretary Grant Shapps has been quashed...

...In his ruling the judge found Mr Shapps' decision was "unlawful" on two grounds.

He found there was a "material error of law" in the government's decision-making process as there was no evidence of the impact on each individual asset at the site.

And he said Mr Shapps had failed to consider alternative schemes, in accordance with the World Heritage Convention and common law.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "We are disappointed in the judgment and are considering it carefully before deciding how to proceed."...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-w ... 024139.amp

I find it quite amazing that the "Party of Law and Ordertm" somehow manage to keep trying to do things that are unlawful.

[davidjay]

Another Minister has his arse handed to him by the courts

Campaigners have won a court battle to prevent the "scandalous" construction of a road tunnel near Stonehenge.

The £1.7bn Highways England project aimed to reduce A303 congestion but campaigners said it would detrimentally affect the world heritage site.

The government approved plans in 2020 for a two-mile (3.2km) tunnel to be created near the Wiltshire monument.

Mr Justice Holgate's ruling means the order granted by transport secretary Grant Shapps has been quashed...

...In his ruling the judge found Mr Shapps' decision was "unlawful" on two grounds.

He found there was a "material error of law" in the government's decision-making process as there was no evidence of the impact on each individual asset at the site.

And he said Mr Shapps had failed to consider alternative schemes, in accordance with the World Heritage Convention and common law.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "We are disappointed in the judgment and are considering it carefully before deciding how to proceed."...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-w ... 024139.amp

I find it quite amazing that the "Party of Law and Ordertm" somehow manage to keep trying to do things that are unlawful.

It's almost as if they consider themselves above the law.

[Andy McDandy]

Hey, what's 8000 years of history compared to shaving 5 minutes off your drive to Swindon?

[Cyclist]

Things are looking bleak in the aviation industry

98% OF PILOTS HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN GRANT SHAPPS’ SUPPORT FOR TRAVEL SECTOR

Fifty per cent of pilots surveyed said they will struggle to cover bills if furlough support ends


...The poll of over 1,700 pilots reveals that half have struggled to meet housing costs as a consequence of the pandemic, while 98 per cent reported feeling worried about their job security...


...Our current transport secretary has presided over the worst two summer seasons in aviation’s global history and we have lost confidence in his support for aviation,” said acting general secretary of BALPA, Martin Chalk.

"We’ve seen him waste time on ineffectual task forces, implement confusing traffic light systems and undermine public confidence whilst doing little to help those at the sharp end of the Covid crisis...

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/ne ... 4.html?amp

[kreuzberger]

Can they drive trucks?

[Boiler]

Can they drive trucks?

Well, they're just about to make the roads even more dangerous... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58487347

[Cyclist]

Is this the formal notice that further phases of HS2 are about to be abandoned?

HS2 has gathered “unstoppable momentum”, a year on from the formal start of work on phase one, Grant Shapps has said.

https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/hs2/ ... 3-09-2021/

[Tubby Isaacs]

I'd have thought not. So much has been made of the North of England rhetorically, that they can't get away with stopping it at Crewe. They'll need to build the second phase of the western side at least, not just to Manchester, but the track that bypasses Manchester and joins the West Coast Mainline. Without that, it is less competitive with air travel between London and Scotland.

[Cyclist]

These are Tories we're talking about, Tubby. Not just Tories, but especially thick, ignorant, callous,self-serving born-to-rule Tories who couldn't give a tinker's cuss for the plebs. Especially the Northern plebs.

Have the last two years passed you by? And the nine before that?

[Boiler]

Don't forget though that they might want to keep "The North" sweet for the next election (at least) as they delivered them their victory. As has often been said on here, this is a Government in permanent campaign mode.

[kreuzberger]

These are Tories we're talking about, Tubby. Not just Tories, but especially thick, ignorant, callous,self-serving born-to-rule Tories who couldn't give a tinker's cuss for the plebs. Especially the Northern plebs.

Have the last two years passed you by? And the nine before that?

I, as seasoned Mailwatchers will know, don't give a monkey's about railways unless we are talking dining cars - wine lists therein - and the availability of USB charging points in sleepers. But, isn't this writing off all those stops to Red Wall Central and a tangible (or at least, saleable) element of this levelling-up malarkey?

[Andy McDandy]

Some of you may remember the Smith and Jones sketch about the delays in digging the channel tunnel. I half expect the government to come out with "We're waiting for the skip".

[Tubby Isaacs]

These are Tories we're talking about, Tubby. Not just Tories, but especially thick, ignorant, callous,self-serving born-to-rule Tories who couldn't give a tinker's cuss for the plebs. Especially the Northern plebs.

Have the last two years passed you by? And the nine before that?

I've seen the Therese Coffey in action today.

But as Kreuz says, this would be different to dumping on Universal Credit recipients, with lies that lots of people will believe. It's a very obvious failure to control costs on their part if it doesn't go beyond Crewe. I suppose they might talk some guff about reopening some Beeching lines or something, but I don't think they can get away with that.

[Cyclist]

All those red wall Tory voters have incomes. Some through wages, some through UC. Some of those who are working will be relying on in-work benefits (ie Universal Credit) to keep them afloat. All workers will be paying increased income tax an NI contributions. Workers in receipt of in-work benefits face a reduction in their state aid. Those not working will have their income (UC) cut.

Do you think these are vote-winners?

The Tories. Don't. Care.

[Boiler]

I suppose they might talk some guff about reopening some Beeching lines or something, but I don't think they can get away with that.

Beeching (and post-Beeching) lines closed for a reason.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Yes, they did. In any case, the mainlines are congested enough without more branch line trains emerging on to them. If you get all the really fast trains on to HS2, then you can look at reopening some of these maybe.

[Boiler]

As long as it's along the WCML - the ECML still has problems.

[Tubby Isaacs]

I assume the MML and Cross Country lines have problems too, but they and the ECML get relieved by HS2. Without that capacity, the "restored Beeching" lines are going to be short shuttles. Sure, that's better than nothing and will be where some passengers want to go. But jumping out after 15 minutes then having to wait for another train that'll have to dodge between tracks that should be on separate track, that's not really using rail to its potential. You need those trains to run straight on to the mainline and on to major termini.

[Cyclist]

Senior member of a government which has spent the last eleven years starving councils of cash shouts at council for not splashing the cash.

The transport secretary has criticised a council for refusing to grant £5,000 to the reopening of a railway station.

A campaign group hoping to reopen Beeston Castle and Tarporley station saw a bid for the funds turned down by Cheshire West and Chester Council.

Grant Shapps told the House of Commons the refusal showed the council was paying "lip service" to its climate emergency commitment.

The council said the government should "fully fund the project"...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-m ... 573485.amp

Ignore the actual subject of the story, just think how stupid and ignorant a person must be to think councils with a shortage of funds must have money to throw around.

And the council is right. If this government wants to be taken seriously on green issues then they should put their money where their mouth is.

[Cyclist]

Somebody's been telling porkies.

A selection from a longer article in which leading lights of the railway engineering world tell Grunt Shapps just what a lying little turd he is.

DfT slammed for ‘insulting’ claim that IRP pushed through long-delayed Midland Main Line electrification


The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced that work will begin this week on electrifying the Midland Main Line (MML) railway between Kettering and Market Harborough, but the department has come under fire for claiming that it is the first work to begin as part of the £96bn IRP.

Transport secretary Grant Shapps is quoted as saying: “Last month, I promised we would get on with delivering the Integrated Rail Plan by Christmas and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

However, several commentators have pointed out that electrifying the MML has been on the agenda for almost a decade.

It was originally included in Network Rail’s plans for Control Period 5 (2014-2019), which was announced in 2012. Since then, the scheme has been paused and re-started several times, meaning that only some sections of the line have been electrified.

Understandably, many politicians, rail commentators and engineers alike have voiced their criticims of the DfT and transport secretary’s false assertions.

On Twitter, rail commentator John Wynne said: “This kind of disingenuous marketing by @grantshapps is *exactly* why he isn’t trusted. Co-opting existing projects is NOT on.”

He added: “This is outrageous misrepresentation and he knows it. No one else could try this on.”

Railway engineer and lecturer Gareth Dennis tweeted: “Their IRP delays delivery of rail improvements by at least a decade and MML electrification is already half a decade late. When will he stop lying?”

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