Michael Dnes
@roadscholar.bsky.social
Head of transport policy at Stonehaven consulting. Ex-civil servant who used to play with roads, trains, e-scooters, parking apps and a lot of government plumbing. May have made your driving test harder, and threw some cones in your way at least once
This week the government announced that it wanted to ensure development next to train stations gets an automatic yes. There’s one area near London where that won’t be happening. And it’s home to a motorway that will soon be – by law – beautiful.
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Earlier this week, there was a big twitter debate started by @elidourado.com – are trains part of Abundance or not? And that prompts a much bigger question: why is abundance so loud about trains, and so quiet about everything else?
Very sorry to have to do this - usually I post threads in more than one place. Today, however, my partner is telling me to get in the car or find a divorce lawyer. So with apologies - here's a Substack link instead michaeldnes1.substack.com/p/what-reall...
What really ate Ebbsfleet?
And do spiders have jetpacks?
michaeldnes1.substack.com
A few weeks ago I said I thought government was going to announce that HS2 would go to Manchester. Which hasn’t happened. Or has it…?
On Thursday night, we heard that government was making big concessions on its planning bill, putting lots more controls on its nature recovery plans. I find this disappointing. And to explain why, I have to tell a story I’ve been holding off from sharing.
Has government just quietly told us that it’s building HS2? I’d better explain.
In case you liked the sound of my recent planning paper, but didn't fancy the reading, have a look at: capx.co/how-britain-...
How Britain stopped building
In 1957, the inquiry for the Trawsfynydd nuclear power station took three days
capx.co
When the first controlled pedestrian crossing was proposed in post-war London, one of the committee members asked to approve it called it fundamentally un-English.
Adam Tranter@adamtranter.bsky.social · last yr.Today, the Government launches plans to fast-track driverless vehicle trials in the UK. One of the companies involved says London presents a big challenge: “It has seven times more jaywalkers than San Francisco.” Except… it doesn't. 🧵
It seems Britain can’t build. Not houses or hospitals or roads or trains or pylons or reactors or reservoirs or runways or data centres or film studios or factories. But how on earth did we get here?
Dear London – did you just rewrite the rules of congestion charging? By accident? And find a massive clean air hack? Which you’re now about to switch off?
wrote about what will happen next, and my fear we are overcomplicating the cause www.politico.eu/article/shoc...
Shocked by the Farage surge? You haven’t been paying attention
Brits voted for Conservatives, they voted for Labour — and the change they wanted didn’t happen.
politico.eu
Yes Stephen - but the reason for that was because RIS2 already _did_ prioritise maintenance over enhancement. Capital renewals nearly x2 and few new schemes. I would note that nobody cheered this outcome.
Stephen Frost@sfrost.bsky.social · last yr.That view is supported by this Transport Select Committee report (2023). Key recommendation: “… portfolios for RIS 3, RIS 4 and beyond should prioritise investment in the maintenance, and resilience of existing assets over brand new projects” Gov responded: “The Government agrees with this...”
Meanwhile, in Denmark it was in 2021 agreed to build 270 km (=167,77 mi) more motorways (plus a lot of expansions of existing ones). This will add 20% to the existing 1,300km (= 808 mi), already about a third of UK’s network, even if Denmark’s population is less than a tenth of UK’s 🤯
Stephen Frost@sfrost.bsky.social · last yr.Was at a Highways UK conference earlier this year and consensus across multiple panels & presentations was clearly that we need to prioritise renewal of the existing road network (inc. maintenance, resilience, safety & efficiency) over adding more miles.
Before we freak out I feel that an underrated factor is that Reform now has to competently run local government, which they may find challenging.
Reform winning an absolute majority of the vote in many of these wards, so this isn't fragmentation in action, its a new party rising to dominance having not been on the ballot before.
The polls are closed. Would you like to know why Labour may be about to lose one of its safest seats? It’s a story about a bridge, that starts in Merseyside and ends … in your street.
As always, I think of writing something on London's roads, and find Chris has already done it quicker and more thoroughly.
Roads.org.uk 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️@roads.org.uk · last yr.Just published: the Silvertown Tunnel opened earlier this month, but Londoners are unhappy about everything from air pollution to tolls. Why did the city that never builds roads just build a new road? #silvertowntunnel #london www.roads.org.uk/blog/silver-...
💫 We’re launching the Centre for British Progress Our founding essay: Rediscovering British Progress is a case for growth that drives shared progress, rooted in Britain's values and industrial heritage. It all starts with a postcard from 1870 👇 britishprogress.org/articles/red...
I went undercover to Reform UK's biggest ever rally and I found angry white men raging against migrants, trans people and potholes. But I also found a lot of empty seats and a shrugging at Labour's reform policies www.opendemocracy.net/en/undercove... Me, for @opendemocracy.net
10,000 angry white men and me: my night with Reform UK
Undercover at Reform UK’s biggest ever rally, I saw white men bond over fury at migrants, trans people and politicians
opendemocracy.net
A new quirk in the history of British infrastructure has presented itself. Say hello to the ghost motorway. And like most ghosts, it has a message for us. 🧵
Game changer for electric vehicles? Europe and the US are being completely out-competed and out-innovated right now, but fortunately will be able to benefit from the increased speed of technology spread. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
BYD Jumps to Record After Unveiling Five-Minute EV Battery
BYD Co. shares jumped to a record after the Chinese automaker unveiled a line-up of electric vehicles that it says can charge almost as fast as it takes to refuel a regular car.
bloomberg.com
Today’s post: “Checking the coast was clear, I removed my trousers fifty yards short of the station car park.”
Britain's car parking is a complete disaster
Somehow we've turned key national infrastructure into the wild west.
open.substack.com
Do you fancy coming to work with me and the rest of the policy team at Stonehaven? If so, your chance is now - stonehaven.teamtailor.com/jobs/5667020... We do transport, energy and a whole lot more
Policy Analyst - Stonehaven
THE POLICY ANALYST ROLE Stonehaven tackles some of the biggest and thorniest intellectual issues in the public sphere. We are looking for a talented and driven policy analyst with an interest in cu...
stonehaven.teamtailor.com
In honour of international women’s day – was the motor car co-invented by a woman? And have we been robbing her of credit for 140 years? The story begins with a heist…
The new GOV.UK login system is the first step in a radical transformation of the British state (FREE TO READ!) takes.jamesomalley.co.uk/p/login-to-a...
The new GOV.UK login system is the first step in a radical transformation of the British state
A British "DOGE" (of sorts) is rearchitecting the government
takes.jamesomalley.co.uk
For those who've been enjoying the spider saga, the excellent Martin Stanley (the man who wrote the guidebook on how to be a good civil servant) has been down on a site visit.
Martin Stanley@ukcivilservant.bsky.social · last yr.Ebbsfleet and the Distinguished Jumping Spider revisited:- ukcivilservant.substack.com/p/who-cares-... @roadscholar.bsky.social
I see Greenpeace is opposing… (checks notes)… solar energy. www.rechargenews.com/energy-trans...
‘Green colonialism’ attack on $30bn Morocco-UK power link plan
Xlinks project envisages building 4,000km undersea cable to pump renewable energy from Sahara Desert to the UK, with TotalEnergies, GE Vernova and Octopus Energy among backers
rechargenews.com