Next week is Wales Climate Week 2025 and a Citizens' Forum on the Future of Travel in Blaenau Gwent has come up with 10 recommendations after considering the question How can Blaenau Gwent come together to make local travel fairer, greener and better for everyone?
Blaenau Gwent Council worked with public participation charity, Involve, to hold a Citizens' Forum which brought together 19 residents selected a random to be representative of Blaenau Gwent, for a series of workshops to hear evidence, discuss the issues and come up with ten recommendations about the future of travel in and around the borough.
Forum members have presented their recommendations, and the Council is now working with a range of partners to consider and incorporate these recommendations in the future planning for services. A report, together with an action plan, will be presented to the Economic Development and Environmental Management Scrutiny Committee in December, before going in front of all councillors for discussion in the New Year.
The Forum was funded by Innovate UK, the UK Government’s innovation agency.
The 10 recommendations are:
- Reduce car use for commutes
- Always have wheelchair ramps available on trains
- Improve public engagement in transport planning
- Explore taking buses back into public ownership
- Improve taxi services
- Increase Fflecsi bus publicity, capacity and funding
- Promote and expand community transport schemes
- Increase transport options in the evening
- Provide better options for school journeys
- Encourage people to walk, cycle or wheel
Councillor Tommy Smith, Blaenau Gwent Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Environment Services, says:
“Our Corporate Plan priorities include responding to the nature and climate crisis, enabling connected, independent communities and working together to reduce carbon emissions. In addition to this, as a Marmot Council, we want to create and develop sustainable places and communities. We will need to do this by working with a range of partners, voluntary organisations and our communities.
“I’d like to thank all the members of the Citizens Forum for giving their time to come and engage on this subject. It is extremely important to us that we engage with and listen to local people on the things that really matter to them and bringing together people from all walks of life gives us a really good insight into how real people think travel can improve and understand any barriers to sustainable and fair travel. It’s clear that the future of travel needs to be shaped by residents so that any progress supports the needs of the community and has wider benefits.”
A summary report into the Forum and their findings can be found here.
Blaenau Gwent Council is currently consulting on its Active Travel Network and several local workshops are taking place next week.
- Tredegar Library - 4th November, 11am – 2pm
- Blaina Library - 6th November, 11am – 1pm
- Ebenezer Church, Abertillery - 13th November, 11:30am - 2:30pm
- Learning Action Centre, Ebbw Vale - 18th November, - 11am – 2pm
- Tabor Centre, Brynmawr - 20th November, 11am – 2pm
*The Council worked with the Sortition Foundation to select residents by lottery, in a way that is representative of the wider Blaenau Gwent population.
For more on Wales Climate Week click here.
