Appeasement

Reversals plural I said, last blog, because there's also this. 

Not enough that the town centre has been reamed out in the interests of through traffic, now car users are poised to externalise the full cost of their consumption of public space. No longer need they make even a token contribution in the form of a parking permit costing a fraction of the cost of provision. 

£713K is the figure given for the cost to the County Council of this perverse incentivising in Morpeth alone. County wide it's millions. I'm guessing that's worked out on the basis of annual cost of provision rather than the market value of all those acres of town centre land were they freed up for purposes other than storing idle machinery. (see earlier blog) 

Call me old-fashioned and out of touch, but in times of swingeing austerity doesn't it better become a Local Authority to maximise revenue from the monetisable assets it holds? 

For perspective, £713K a year would sustain circa ten small branch libraries. How might Senrug's laudable objectives be furthered by an annual £713K? £713K invested intelligently in Morpeth's transport infrastructure year on year would effect an explosion in active and sustainable transport modal share. But none of this is of concern to Ken Brown, who we should thank for his candour in not giving a damn, if nothing else.

Still, it's an ill wind, and my disquiet may be mollified by venal personal gain. The daily commute back and forth into Morpeth must qualify me for a chunk of this personal transport subsidy. It's unthinkable – given the avowed policy commitments of Northumberland County Council and Morpeth Town Council to grow active and sustainable transport alternatives to the private car – that car user snouts will be the only ones allowed at this trough. How those of us who make our journeys other than by car will receive our hand out in lieu of free parking hasn't been announced. Having to present at the Town Hall with cycle clips or bus ticket would be a bit of a chore. In all likelihood a sub-group of the Town Council's Planning and Transport Committee is right now cross referencing DVLA database and Electoral Rolls to target car free households to which cheques will be posted for all driver age inhabitants. I promise to spend my share in Morpeth or, if you don't trust me, will cheerfully accept vouchers redeemable only in Morpeth shops.

One lesson to be taken from the recent coup in Morpeth is that you can't appease the car, any more than you can appease cancer. You can't negotiate terms with a malignant melanoma, offer it tenure there under your shirt, tapped into your blood supply and assured of free nutrients and oxygen, on condition it keeps the noise down and doesn't shorten your life. You'll wake up next morning to find it's been busy spinning like a Catherine wheel, sparking secondaries into your vital organs, into your blood and lymph and brain and bone, into your very marrow. Cut car users some slack, waive the requirement that they be preceded by a man walking with a red flag on condition they play nice, say, and you'll wake up to find one parking on your face, shouting at you to "lower your bloody cheekbones, can't you see I'm in a car here?" and demanding you subsidise him for the privilege.