Rob
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navarthian.bsky.social
Rob
@navarthian.bsky.social
Health professional, cycle commuter, jogger, boulderer
Reposted by Rob
Last year I realised something that has changed my perspective on advocacy

At @walkridegm.org.uk we noticed social media wasn’t having a meaningful impact on active travel delivery, so we shifted our focus to more constructive spaces
October 16, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Reposted by Rob
Oh hello you beauty! #LIFF2025

(Btw, I only just realised that @leedsfilmfest.bsky.social is on Bluesky, and considering their Twitter account had 16k followers and their Bluesky currently has 360, neither does anyone else. So give them a follow!)
October 9, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Rachel Reeve's seat voted remain by a solid margin
The problem is Reeves, Nandy, Philipson, Cooper et al all have seats in Brexity Northern Reform constituencies. So many of the Cabinet buy into the McSweeney bollocks out of supposed self interest.
September 30, 2025 at 10:18 AM
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Really pleased to see JP go for this. Behind the scenes he's got so much done to increase growth and accelerate devolution for North England. Consistently more right and more polite than me. A bit less gobby, but we can work on that.
🚀 Introducing Future North - a Substack exploring the people, projects and ideas shaping the future of the North of England.

First post below - please subscribe to get new posts directly to your inbox!

futurenorth.substack.com/p/why-future...
Why Future North
Now 80%, soon 100%!
futurenorth.substack.com
August 7, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Reposted by Rob
Are we still debating LTNs? If so, this very thorough meta-study about LTNs in London by @centreforlondon.bsky.social says they are generally more popular than believed, and that there is strong evidence they work well. So there we are.

www.centreforlondon.org/wp-content/u...
www.centreforlondon.org
May 7, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Reposted by Rob
Every city should be closing streets to cars. Cities are for people, not cars.
Residents of Paris vote in favour of pedestrianising and greening 500 more streets

-> an average of 5 to 8 streets per neighbourhood will be transformed over the next three years
Residents of Paris vote in favour of pedestrianising and greening 500 more streets
An average of 5 to 8 streets per neighbourhood will be transformed over the next three years as the "garden city" takes shape.
theprogressplaybook.com
March 27, 2025 at 6:00 AM
Reposted by Rob
This is an extremely bad decision. The combination of e-bikes and public transport makes all of the capital accessible to many more people, reducing the need for car ownership. Banning them is the wrong reaction to a very small number of issues.
This is why, following a comprehensive review of the safety of e-bikes, TfL is banning all non-folding e-bikes on tube and rail services. I have asked TfL to continue to work with government and partners to improve e-bike safety as we build a safer London for everyone. (2/3)
March 27, 2025 at 8:35 AM
Reposted by Rob
Work starts on Monday to make Downham Road a bit more dangerous and hostile road to cycle on, directly outside at primary school. This must be one of the worst road schemes implemented by any London council for many, many years. A horrific and deadly layout is coming
March 22, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Reposted by Rob
Footfall up at Leeds Corn Exchange
www.thebusinessdesk.com/yorkshire/ne...

📷 27 Feb
March 21, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Reposted by Rob
Includes this nice picture of the building where I think any such library should be. Unsurprisingly, I think location is a key part of any decision.
March 20, 2025 at 2:32 AM
Reposted by Rob
This needs to involve lots of bollards and not just tarmacing them over for easier parking like we did in south Tyneside.
March 18, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Reposted by Rob
Excellent and in-depth article from Zoë here on the abolition of NHS England, it's especially interesting to know that there's talk of merging or partnering local ICBs with the new metro mayors.
A source close to Wes Streeting told me that major structural reform of NHS England had not always been Labour’s plan when they got into govt

But over the last few weeks it had become “increasingly clear” that abolishing NHSE would be “inevitable”

My dive behind the govt’s latest big gamble 👇
Abolishing NHS England Became 'Inevitable' – But What Happens Next?
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that NHS England will be abolished and absorbed into the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), in...
www.politicshome.com
March 14, 2025 at 11:47 AM
Reposted by Rob
It’s not mentioned here but I have read elsewhere that a photo has to be taken also. If a PCN can be issued based on a photo why not allow online reporting?
March 4, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Reposted by Rob
I honestly don't know how we managed without the Elizabeth Line, proposed for decades, opened 4 years late and yet was clearly needed. And yet the same reluctance to build or reopen rail lines persists,I don't get it. The Elizabeth Line undeniably makes the case for rail expansion across the country
March 3, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Reposted by Rob
"Cities are meant to stop traffic. That is their point. That is why they are there. That is why traders put outposts there, merchants put shops there, hoteliers erect inns there. Rationally one wants to have traffic *stop* there, not go *through*."
—Kirkpatrick Sale, Human Scale.
March 1, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Reposted by Rob
The king should show up personally to invite him for a full state visit.
President Zelensky to meet Keir Starmer in Downing St this afternoon.
March 1, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Reposted by Rob
The clouds part and a ray of sunshine comes through:
£10m towards Temple Works being turned into British Library premises
news.leeds.gov.uk/news/stateme...
#regeneration #culture #heritage #architecture
February 17, 2025 at 7:37 PM
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Wrote about how Leeds is an unwilling lab rat for a particular strand of Treasury thought
www.economist.com/britain/2025...
February 7, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Reposted by Rob
"After one year of the zone, nitrogen dioxide from traffic was lower, GP visits for respiratory illnesses were down by 25% and those for heart problems decreased by 24%."
Bradford clean air zone saves NHS over £30,000 a month in first year
After one year of the zone, which is the second largest in England, GP visits for respiratory illnesses were down by a quarter
www.theguardian.com
February 7, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Reposted by Rob
👏

“After one year of the zone, nitrogen dioxide from traffic was lower, GP visits for respiratory illnesses were down by 25% and those for heart problems decreased by 24%”
Bradford clean air zone saves NHS over £30,000 a month in first year
After one year of the zone, which is the second largest in England, GP visits for respiratory illnesses were down by a quarter
www.theguardian.com
February 7, 2025 at 6:51 AM
Reposted by Rob
@duncanrobinson.bsky.social doing a great job to solve the mystery of the relative and underperformance of Leeds’ economy

Must Leeds always lose?

IMHO it’s cos we’ve never let it win !

econ.st/4aNjhh8
Must Leeds always lose?
Too prosperous to pity. Too poor to thrive
econ.st
February 6, 2025 at 3:04 PM