There’s been a lot of talk about 15-minute neighbourhoods (or 20-minute neighbourhoods, 20-minute cities etc) lately in my local paper, and indeed nationally – it was recently debated in Parliament. The local council said they were looking at these schemes. This prompted some FB posts in opposition to such schemes, and some local councillors took to the letters page of the local rag to argue against them. This has led to the relevant cabinet member of the Council administration to deny that the council is looking at 15-minute neighbourhoods. (1)
This piqued my interest. I had heard a bit about 15-minute neighbourhoods (for brevity I will refer to them as 15MNs) and understood them to be a way of bringing essential amenities together so that people can access them within a 15-minute walk or cycle. I did not see what people could oppose about that.
I read the FB posts and these talked about a loss of freedom. The letters from councillors said the same and referred to the scheme in Oxford and how it was forcing people to stay in their neighbourhoods. I tweeted, asking why people thought a 15MN would restrict freedom. The main response was about freedom of movement. “Because of the road blocks!” was one reply to my tweet. It became clear that people had a genuine concern that 15MN create ghettos where people are restricted from leaving, and it seemed this came from how these schemes were being reported on. It was also noteworthy that many equated freedom of movement to freedom to drive.
I decided to do some research of my own, rather than rely on the media.
I looked at:
- What is freedom of movement?
- What is a 15-minute neighbourhood?
- Do 15-minute neighbourhoods create roadblocks?
- What is the Oxford scheme?
Freedom of Movement
On our fair isle, this concept can be traced back to Magna Carta of 1215, which gave the Barons a freedom of movement in and out of the kingdom. This idea has developed over time. Note, Magna Carta has no legal standing today, but some of the concepts have been re-imagined in later statutes. (2)
Today, we can look at the UN’s Declaration of Human Rights. This refers to the “right of freedom of movement … within [the country]”. This simply means that a citizen can move freely within their country. One doesn’t need permission to travel from Norwich to Newquay or Penzance to Perth etc. It is recognised that restrictions may be in place, for example in English Law we have the civil tort of trespass, which is ultimately a restriction on freedom of movement – it prevents one from entering someone else’s property. If convicted of a crime one’s freedom of movement can be restricted via a curfew or prison. So, in a general sense we can go where we wish as long as there isn’t a legal reason for preventing it.
15-minute Neighbourhood
The Town and Country Planning Association defines a 15MN as “complete, compact and connected neighbourhood where people can meet their everyday needs within a short walk or cycle”. This means that I should be able to go to shops, coffeehouses, pub, GP etc all conveniently close to my house. Indeed, many neighbourhoods had or still do have local amenities like this. It can also go so far that one’s workplace is close by. (3)
However, none of this says you MUST stay in your neighbourhood and that if you do you’ll be fined. So where has this idea come from? It may be a perception of the use of filters in conjunction with 15MN and these are often referred to as road blocks.
Do 15-minute Neighbourhoods Create Road Blocks?
One of the comments on Twitter, and I felt was quite fair, was that if one has everything available than they won’t have to leave, so why the road block? This was part of an exchange where the person stated the road blocks of 15MNs constrict freedom. Alas, people don’t mean a road block. They are referring to filters.
A road block is a way of stopping all road users which may include checking papers, for example at international boundary and passports. A filter is a way of restricting which vehicle goes along a road – they divert certain traffic but not prevent it completely. It has been used for many years and there is evidence that Roman towns were built with areas chariots could not go. You may not realise but there are probably filters in your area already.
A pedestrianised high street is ultimately a filtered high street. A common use for filters is to prevent rat running through a neighbourhood – by closing a road at one end to motor vehicles you can prevent through traffic trying to cut corners. There are some in the Southend area – Colchester Street, Coleman Street for example.
A one way road could be a filter since it prevents traffic coming from one direction, stopping traffic from leaving the main road to use side streets as a rat run, for example.
This is nothing new. Local authorities have been deciding or dictating where people could drive as soon as cars were being driven. There are lots of places one cannot drive or turns one cannot make in a motor vehicle. Do all theses represent a restriction on freedom of movement?
A 15MN may benefit from having some filters, since the reduction of traffic within the neighbourhood means the roads are quieter and more open to other forms of transport be it on foot, on bike, on mobility scooter etc. However, they are not necessarily required for a 15MN.
The Oxford Scheme
Oxford authorities have introduced six filters in certain parts of the city, which are between certain traditional neighbourhoods. This has been reported as people being prevented from leaving those areas or face a fine. This has led to a statement providing clarity.
These filters are there to prevent someone driving through that road. The idea is to divert that person to a different route. There are in operation at certain times of day and exemptions exist for blue badge holders and certain professions and emergency services. Residents can obtain a permit allowing 100 trips through the filter each year. The filters are not physical barriers – the road is open but monitored by cameras. So one can drive through at any time but if they do when the filter is in operation they will be fined.
The scheme does not prevent you from travelling from one part of the city to another. It does not require permission to travel. It is to encourage you to not drive in certain areas at certain times of the day.
In many regards this is no different to what has been done time and time again as mentioned above.
Conclusion
I shall leave it to the reader to decide if a 15MN restricts freedom based on the definitions above.
What I will say is that no definition of freedom of movement refers to a specific mode of transport. It seems clear that objections are about a freedom to drive (indeed a local councillor has said just that!). Driving is not a right, it is a privilege that is earnt via a test and retained by keeping to the rules. There is no right to drive anywhere you choose – you have to drive on the road, you are prohibited from driving on the pavement etc etc.
These concerns are perhaps more about a freedom of choice of transport. Car centric planning of the last few decades has removed that choice for many since they feel driving is the only option.
Perhaps a filter here and there, in combination with a 15MN is simply redressing that balance and giving people a real choice over transport.
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(1) I note, however, they actually are looking at 15-min neighbourhoods but have distance themselves from that title due to the perceived negative connotations.
(2) Which is why anyone quoting an article of the 1215 Magna Carta to defend some sort of action can be ignored. Of the 1215 Magna Carta only three articles remain law and that is only because they were re-stated in a later charter in 1297. The 1215 Magna Carta was quickly repealed by King John.
(3) A quick look at my local area shows that I can get to a barber, butcher, baker, kids’ schools, vet, GP, newsagent, smaller supermarkets, three pubs, post office, cinema, several restaurants, curry house, Chinese, chip shop, town hall, county, crown and magistrates’ courts and two railway stations all within 15/20 mins. My workplace is 1 minute away – the end of my garden…
Boots on a Bike 