Dr Andrew Boswell is a hero in #Norwich. He’s a man of science and principle with a willingness to engage constructively in local politics.
He took the government to the High Court because impact assessments arranged for road widening in #Norfolk were crap. #Starmer labelled him an ‘environmental zealot’ just to put others off speaking truth to power.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/jan/24/activist-andrew-boswell-hits-back-at-keir-starmer-for-demonising-him-as-environmental-zealot
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‘This week, #Starmer said he was determined to overhaul the judicial review process to prevent “nimbys and zealots” such as Boswell “gumming up the legal system”.
In a comment piece for the Daily Mail, Starmer accused Boswell and his ilk of trying to “hold the country to ransom” through legal claims that amount to “self-righteous virtue signalling”
Erm…again I ask, what is the difference between Starmer and Trump this week?
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In case you think I’m over egging Dr Andrew Boswell’s local hero status…
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Explanation of why government’s methodology for impact assessments relating to carbon are crap…
‘In the planning system, road user carbon emissions are computed from a traffic model including the scheme, foreseeable land-based developments, other roads schemes, and national assumptions on economic growth. However, only a fraction of this carbon, based on the difference between model outputs with and without the road, is taken forward to assessment’
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‘As only a small fraction of the total transport footprint, this quantity does not account for cumulative effects of other developments, and significantly under-represents the real impacts. This way of calculating road use carbon is a misleading method where every scheme “passes” the carbon test even if emissions may be substantial.’
https://integratedtransport.org.uk/project/andrew-boswell
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@JugglingWithEggs
None whatsoever.
Starmer will fall into lock-step with Trump I'm sure.
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@JugglingWithEggs
both grifters & both prefer the U$A!
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@JugglingWithEggs
"In a comment piece for the Daily Mail" tells you all you need to know. This labour has been about humouring the right ever since the Brexit vote.
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@JugglingWithEggs one bit I don't understand in the reports is the claim that legal challenge increased the cost by millions. Does that mean the #A47 impact assessments were so crap it took millions of pounds of work to make them robust enough to survive court? Which would mean that even if Boswell's arguments were without merit, he was justified in asking.
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@mjr
My impression is ‘no’.
This Sky article includes further quotes from the Starmer Daily Mail piece and an interview they carried out with Boswell:
https://news.sky.com/story/amp/starmer-accused-of-pathetic-bullying-by-environmental-campaigner-after-nimby-article-13295104
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@mjr
‘In the article, Sir Keir writes: "A former Green Party councillor spent years trying to block vital safety upgrades to the A47. The case reached the Supreme Court last year, which dismissed it for having 'no logical basis'.
I find it rather disingenuous to describe what I’ve witnessed them doing on the A47 as ‘safety upgrades’…it’s really about appeasing certain car drivers who want it all duel carriageway. It’s about increasing the volume and speed of traffic on that road.
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@JugglingWithEggs that's true. It may well make it safer by building a substandard-motorway that splits aggressive drivers from active travel and local traffic, but that's very much a third-class concern, as you can see from the longer twisty/acrobatic routes provided for the most vulnerable users, contrary to #ActiveTravelEngland advice. This was said to be about economic benefit all through the last 14 years governments, despite the poor Cost-Benefit Ratio
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@JugglingWithEggs so how did it cost millions? If the plans were done properly already, they shouldn't have needed any work, so Boswell should only have cost them some thousands to hire lawyers to defend it in court, surely?
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@mjr
I still think they are referring to the sum it cost them to defend themselves against Boswell in court. They also had made initial preparations along the edge of the road some 12 months ago…did stalling the project lead to costs increasing with inflation during that period?
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@JugglingWithEggs If their lawyers cost them millions, then their case was weak and/or they negotiated fees badly. I suspect they're blaming Boswell for inflation, which I don't think he can influence, unless they think he's a Time Lord who should have challenged them earlier or something?
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@JugglingWithEggs @mjr
& Keith is a well known bully!
That's why Tory Tony chose him!
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@PabloMartini @JugglingWithEggs why is misnaming any more funny than deadnaming someone? Attack his actions if you like but misname? 👎
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@JugglingWithEggs
the A47 will get as diabolical as the A14!
[NOTE: Keith's government stopped all the upgrading of the A47 in its panic at no I mean NO plan when elected!]
Is the protester not a doctor seeing the pollution problems in mainly children & infirm?
Which as this road has 2 or 3 really bad crashes a day is an additional absolute disaster or murder?
Congestion seems to control speed? but up's pollution so it's a no win?
If the rail took on some or (& in my life time it did!) all of the transport leaving the short drops for the roads to the door, it would solve lots of problems!
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@PabloMartini
The crashes that I see on it generally happen in the duelled fast bit.
I believe Dr Andrew Boswell has a PhD in environmental science.
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@JugglingWithEggs
err nope!
Look up "Acle straight crash" a 7/9 mile part of the A47 single carriageway is becoming a 50 mph from 60 mph soon, & one simple bend is a main cause!
Been caught twice, long detour to do a gig!
Environmental? Mmmm!
Qualifications eh?
health come into that?
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@PabloMartini
I absolutely agree the Acle straight is a notorious black spot for accidents…but we equally get accidents in and around all the junctions into Norwich off the A47. That bit is all duelled. The area that I have witnessed that they have hacked to bits is in between Norwich and Dereham.
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@JugglingWithEggs
I do travel from east London to Yarmouth several times a year (work! I still do it!) and
anyone that goes round the Thickthorn from A11- A47 roundabout needs eyes in places you can't fit them! But one wonders how it was designed?
I'll take suggestions in all the pubs the designers were in that day?
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@PabloMartini
My colleague avoids Thickthorn like the plague…she will drive miles in congested traffic just to avoid it! It is pretty bad most days. I don’t see any hope of them improving it.
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@JugglingWithEggs
Thickthorn no hope especially not now thanks to Keith!
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@PabloMartini
While Dr Boswell has spent many years as an environmental consultant, advising on science based and strategic litigation: climate policy and governance, his doctorate is a DPhil in Molecular BioPhysics from Oxford.
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text/gemini
