The Reader: Security and safety at Parliament Square must be a priority

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Car free: could Parliament square go carless?
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6 September 2018
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Parliament Square is one of the most famous cityscapes on Earth. It is critical that we maintain safety and security at this busy, iconic location while ensuring that it remains accessible to everyone visiting the area and participating in our democracy.

Following the tragic Westminster Bridge terrorist attack in 2017, more measures were put in place to increase protection. Since then, a working group, led by the Mayor’s office, Westminster City Council and Parliament, was set up to look at permanent measures to make it a safer, better space for all those who use the area. Unfortunately, recent events have demonstrated why we need to consider what other changes may be necessary.

We are jointly committed to assessing options to improve the area, including the possibility of closing parts of the Square to general traffic. That is why we are investing in a detailed feasibility study, which is being resourced jointly by the Mayor’s Office, Parliament, Westminster City Council, and also the Minister for Security at the Home Office.

The Metropolitan Police and Government security advisers will also support the feasibility study with expert and technical insight.

We look forward to sharing these plans with Londoners as soon as we can.
Mayor Sadiq Khan, Cllr Nickie Aiken (Leader of Westminster council), Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP (Deputy Speaker of the Commons)

EDITOR'S REPLY

Dear Sadiq, Nickie and Lindsay

For years nothing was done to remove eyesores from Parliament Square because those in charge of its pavements would not agree with those responsible for the grass. So it’s heartening to see the Labour Mayor and Conservative council leader in harmony.

Parliament Square is one of my favourite spaces. I walk through it every day and have spent many hours covering demonstrations, standing in crowds waiting for Big Ben to declare the New Year and, recently, watching the RAF 100 flypast. But the continuous din of lorries precludes lingering for long to absorb the history or even the chimes of St Margaret’s.

It’s absolutely crazy to let traffic bedlam spoil a unique landmark and send tourists scurrying away after a selfie with the ever-patient police officers on duty. The Square should be a place to wander, gaze and contemplate.

It’s annoying when security worries force change. But sometimes they may spur improvements that are years overdue.

I wish you success.

Joe Murphy, Political Editor

Don’t be derailed by Crossrail delay

The disappointment and frustration of passengers over the delay to Crossrail’s opening is understandable — but for a project of this size and complexity, set to benefit London and the wider UK for the best part of a century, that is a relatively short amount of time. Worse than that is the decades-long delay that Londoners have suffered as the idea of Crossrail was being bandied around and until work got started — we must get better at planning our infrastructure for the long-term. The National Infrastructure Commission was established three years ago for this very purpose.

We must keep our eye on the bigger prize, look beyond the next 12 months to the next three decades, and start planning projects now, such as Northern Powerhouse Rail and Crossrail 2, that we’ll need in years to come. However regrettable, the delay to Crossrail, which has overall been a very successful project, must not be allowed to jeopardise that.
Sir John Armitt​
Chairman, National Infrastructure Commission

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