Car-free city centres needed to tackle climate crisis, says Welsh citizens’ jury

A panel of 19 members of the public from the South Wales Valleys also called for more walking and cycling infrastructure and an end to unnecessary new roads

Members of the public in Wales called for public transport infrastructure over new roads (AFP via Getty Images)

City centres should be car free and streets planned for nature as well as people, members of the public from the South Wales Valleys have urged.

A panel of 19 taking part in the first citizens’ climate jury to be held in Wales also called for more provisions for public transport, walking and cycling, and an end to new roads unless they are truly necessary.

The group, which was representative of the South Wales Valleys area in terms of age, ethnicity, gender and attitude to the climate crisis, took part in the second of four citizens’ climate juries which are being held across the UK this year.

The citizens spent 20 hours listening to expert speakers before coming up with 30 recommendations for how the climate and nature crises can be tackled “in a way that is fair for everyone”.

In a joint statement, the jury said: “We believe that a fair response to the climate and nature emergencies in the South Wales Valleys must be inclusive and not leave areas behind.

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“This is now the time for action. We are used to policy and plans taking a long time to come to fruition. For us to have hope we need to see faster action on these emergencies. We need to build momentum. Find the quick ideas that show we’re on track to delivering the big change.”

The South Wales Valleys is a former mining stronghold where employment levels are significantly below the national average. The Bevan Foundation, a Welsh think tank, estimates that there is a shortfall of 140,000 jobs in the core valleys region when compared to the rest of Wales.

In their recommendations, jurors from the South Wales Valleys called for more green investment to create “future-proof jobs” for local people.

“The tide of industry may have left Wales…but the capacity and the ability of the people here hasn’t changed. That’s an unfound superpower that just needs unlocking,” one juror said.

The group also called for a revitalisation of local high streets and businesses to reduce the need to travel far in polluting cars for work and leisure.

“More people should be able to get what they need locally,” the jury said.

“[We] need fewer car trips overall, so a move to electric vehicles must only happen in combination with public transport improvements and a reduction in journeys.”

The panel was organised by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), a think tank based in London. The first climate jury was held in Tees Valley and County Durham, and the next two panels will be held in Thurrock and Aberdeenshire.

Merthyr Tydfil and other towns in the South Wales Valleys should be revitalised, jurors say (AFP via Getty Images)

The findings of all four juries will be relayed to the think tank’s environmental justice commission, a cross-party effort to come up with “fair and just policies” for reaching net-zero emissions in the UK by 2050.

The project follows on from the UK’s “climate assembly”, a first-of-its-kind project that asked the public its opinion on how the country should reach its legal net-zero target.

Luke Murphy, head of the IPPR’s environmental justice commission, said that both the South Wales Valleys and Tees Valley juries show that the public back bold ideas for bringing about emissions cuts in the UK.

He told The Independent: “You wouldn’t necessarily have expected a car-free towns recommendation in an area that is very reliant on car use to get around, but the jurors supported bold action provided there was investment in alternatives such as public transport.

“In both the South Wales Valleys and Tees Valley, we found that people are supportive of bold action when they can clearly see the benefits and where they can see that it can increase fairness for low-income households.”

Carwyn Jones, member of the citizens’ jury advisory board and former first minister of Wales, said: “The jurors have set out a bold and positive vision for the South Wales Valleys. Their ambition for the area must now be channelled into real action to tackle the climate and nature emergencies in a way that is fair for everyone.

“Key to the recommendations is the idea that people must be able to work locally and access what they need in the area.

“The South Wales Valleys has all the potential to be a thriving hub of green industry, commerce and natural beauty, but policymakers need to take action now to ensure the area has the investment and infrastructure it needs to make this transition a successful and fair one.”