Aphra Brandreth MP: speeches

Speeches

• 26 Jun 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  My constituent Paul cycles more than 1,000 km a month all across the country, but he tells me that Cheshire’s roads are among the worst. Poor roads are dangerous for all road users, so does the Minister agree that national guidance for pothole repair policy must properly reflect the needs of cyclists alongside motorists? We must urgently improve road conditions for everyone.

• 9 Jun 2025 · Planning and Infrastructure Bill · Hansard source

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  I love trees, which is why I rise to support new clause 63 tabled in my name. I am sure that all of us in this House recognise the value of trees—not just their ecological importance, but the character and beauty that they bring to our communities and high streets. I hope that I can demonstrate why amending the rules to allow for sensible guidance on planting trees can help to liberate local authorities from their default, over-cautious position, and kick-start a tree-planting revolution. New clause 63 seeks to remove some of the ambiguity and misconceptions surrounding the regulation of tree planting along highways. The Highways Act 1980 includes provision for local authorities to maintain free-flowing roads, but those provisions can and have been misinterpreted to block tree planting. In particular, the licensing rules established in section 142 of the Act should be relaxed to make it easier for local residents to plant trees. Too often, even well-meaning councils impose unrealistic demands. In Windsor and Maidenhead, for example, individuals planting trees must pay between £500 and £1,000 in administrative fees and secure £10 million in public liability insurance—hardly encouraging. Hampshire county council’s strict interpretation of section 142(5) has led to a one-metre buffer around utilities, blocking many ideal planting sites, despite minimal risk to those services. Let me briefly touch on the environmental case. A Woodland Trust report, “The benefits to people of trees outside woods”, found that roadside trees are highly effective at capturing pollutants—especially important, given that traffic is a major source of air pollution in the UK. A study by Lancaster University even showed that planting silver birch on a terraced street reduced harmful particulate matter inside nearby homes by more than 50%. Trees also play a critical role in supporting biodiversity; common roadside species such as lime and flowering cherry trees are not only beautiful, but vital for pollinators, helping to maintain healthy ecosystems. Cheshire is a proud dairy and beef farming county. We have some of the most carbon-efficient cows in the world, and we should be proud of that record, but if we can further improve our environmental impact, that can only be a good thing. In rural areas, having tree-lined roads can help to reduce ammonium levels and impacts on habitats and the surrounding environment. Again, placement of trees matters; having more trees near semi-natural habitats that need protection has a greater impact than having more trees in established woodland. Of course safety must remain a priority, and not every road is suitable for tree planting, but where space and conditions allow, trees can improve road safety. Studies have shown that tree-lined streets feel narrower, naturally encouraging drivers to reduce their speed. There are many more benefits that I could speak to, such as improved soil quality, but time is short, so I will finish by touching on the aesthetic benefit of trees near highways. They really do make a difference. They stand the test of time, they add character to the area, they take on cultural significance, and they improve our mental health, our perceptions and our appreciation of the areas in which we live. By amending this Bill through new clause 63, I hope we can empower local authorities to plant the right trees in the right areas where there is local support, and I am confident that we will notice the benefits of doing so.

• 22 Apr 2025 · Road Safety and Active Travel to School · Hansard source

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  The hon. Member is giving an interesting speech and making important points, but distances in some rural areas mean that walking, and often cycling, are not feasible. Does he agree that any review needs a particular focus on rural roads and should perhaps support reducing speeds outside schools? In constituencies such as mine, there is not yet a policy of having 20 mph. Perhaps he can give some examples of rural roads in the Netherlands.

• 25 Mar 2025 · Access to NHS Dental Services · Hansard source

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  The north-west has some of the worst levels of children’s oral health in England, with Cheshire and Merseyside falling below the national average. In rural villages in my constituency like Bunbury, where bus services have been cut, and Kelsall, where a dentist is keen to open an NHS practice but faces barriers due to city centre prioritisation, residents are struggling to access NHS dental care. Given the challenges of rural access, what steps is the Minister taking to ensure that NHS dental provision is available in those rural communities?

• 19 Mar 2025 · National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill · Hansard source

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  I completely agree with that excellent intervention. The frustration that hospices have is that in order to recruit staff, they need to pay wages comparable to what NHS staff receive, and this change is making that virtually impossible to do. Hospices requires a highly specialised workforce to provide the levels of care and dignity that they offer to patients. Without the proposed exemptions, I am unsure as to the sustainability of the hospices that serve my constituents. The second issue I would like to mention briefly is the impact on transport for children with special educational needs. As we know, the complex needs and challenges of SEN children varies from case to case; some will need specialist transport to and from school, for appointments, or just for everyday tasks. Many of these young people are vulnerable children, to whom process and routine matter. They might have a driver with whom they have built a bond and who understands their needs; they might be a highly anxious child, or perhaps a non-verbal child who has a driver who can use British Sign Language. For my constituents in Chester South and Eddisbury, specialist transport is of the utmost importance. Our communities are isolated and rural, and parents and children rely on this vital service. There are no transport alternatives in many areas. People cannot get a bus—not even one without a specialist driver—leaving many of my villages cut off with no public transport options at all.

• 27 Feb 2025 · St David’s Day and Welsh Affairs · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to contribute to this debate marking St David’s Day, and to celebrate the rich culture, history and contribution of Wales to our shared Union. My constituency of Chester South and Eddisbury shares part of its western border with north Wales, and the ties between us run deep. Many of my constituents cross the border daily for work, school and appointments, and to visit family and friends. In fact, Wales is particularly close to my heart because my mother was born in Swansea. Our past relationship with Wales, however, has not always been as cordial and amicable. Henry, Prince of Wales, who would go on to become Henry V, was named Earl of Chester in September 1403. He used his powers over the city of Chester to order that all Welsh people and Welsh sympathisers should be expelled from the city following the battle of Shrewsbury, caused by a Welsh uprising. During the battle, Henry sustained a nasty injury as a result of an arrow. That led to him becoming slightly paranoid about the prospect of further Welsh uprisings and pushed him to pass a law that said that a Welshman was not permitted to enter Chester before sunrise or stay after sunset. If he did, he would be subject to the penalty of decapitation. I am relieved to say that law is no longer in place, as it would certainly put a dampener on our tourism industry, not to mention my family gatherings. It also led to the urban myth that it is legal to shoot a Welshman with a longbow after midnight in Chester on a Sunday, so long as he is within the city walls. I have recently taken up archery, but let me assure the House that it is not with the intention of testing the legality of this law. Despite such moments of strained relations, we have always been linked by geography, trade and shared experiences. Chester’s strategic location made it a key military stronghold for the Romans, the Mercians, the Normans and, most notably, Edward I during his conquest of Wales. Thankfully, our cross-border exchanges these days involve much less castle storming and much more co-operation. In the first and second world wars, the Cheshire regiment fought alongside Welsh contingents in some of the most challenging campaigns, including Gallipoli. That legacy of co-operation and mutual support is something we should celebrate. Cheshire and north Wales share a deep connection across multiple areas. I will briefly refer to two of them: our shared economy and our shared infrastructure. Our local economies in Cheshire and north Wales are very much co-dependent. Our rural economy is supported on both sides of the border by growers and producers. In a recent Westminster Hall debate on agricultural property relief, I intervened on the hon. Member for Caerfyrddin (Ann Davies) to highlight the importance of farming to our economies. I was struck when she said in response that her farm supplies milk to a major food producer in my constituency—I did not know that. That coincidence illustrates perfectly how we work to support each other, particularly in the rural economy. Our local economies are deeply interconnected—many workers from my constituency commute to industrial sites, such as Airbus in Broughton and Deeside, and many people commute from Wales to work in my constituency. Of course, visitors from Wales help to drive Chester’s tourism and hospitality sector. It goes both ways: many of my constituents enjoy weekend trips to the north Welsh coast, whether for a stroll along Llandudno’s promenade or a well-earned break on Anglesey. It is important that we continue to share a close economic relationship going forward, because both Cheshire and Wales are net contributors to our respective economies, and together we lead the way in innovation and entrepreneurship in so many ways. A strong economy must be supported by strong infrastructure, which brings me to my second point. We have great potential for growth in north-west England and north Wales, but often our infrastructure does not meet demand. I have spoken in this House about the need to electrify the trainline between Crewe—our major rail hub—and Chester. However, if we are serious about growth and stimulating our economy, the north Wales main line should be electrified all the way to Holyhead to unlock its full potential. Road infrastructure is equally vital. Many of the roads that run through my constituency of Chester South and Eddisbury, such as the A51 or the north Wales expressway, are critical for freight and connectivity, particularly those linking the port of Holyhead to Liverpool and Manchester. Yet some roads, including the A51, are not suited to the volume and type of traffic that they now carry. When heavy goods vehicles pass through villages such as Clotton and Duddon, where homes and Duddon St Peter’s Church of England primary school sit right on the road, it is clear that improvements must be made. I hope that the Government will, in partnership with their Welsh counterparts, continue to build on the positive momentum put in place by the previous Government on delivering the transport upgrades that both sides of the border need. As St David’s Day approaches, the future of Wales as part of the United Kingdom is bright and exciting.

• 29 Jan 2025 · Road Safety: Schools · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That this House has considered road safety around schools. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Jardine, and to have secured this debate on such an important topic. On 12 November last year, a young boy left school at the end of the day, stepped into the road directly outside his school and never returned home. That terrible accident took place at a school in my constituency. Investigations remain ongoing and, therefore, I will not go into specific details of what happened, but at the heart of this is an 11-year-old boy, a student at the nearby school and a much-loved son. He was crossing Wrexham Road, a busy arterial road into Chester, where the speed limit is 40 mph. Tragically, he did not make it home that night; I cannot imagine what his parents have gone through. It is every family’s worst nightmare. I am incredibly grateful to his parents for meeting me, and for their work in their son’s memory to do all they can to ensure that no other family has to face such a tragedy. That accident has shaken the community to its core. The family, friends, school and wider community, many of whom have voiced concerns about speeding and road safety before, are determined to make a change. But it is clear that this is not just about this tragic incident, for which the investigation remains ongoing, nor is just about that school and that road. It is about every child’s journey to and from school, and the value we place on their safety and security. I have spoken to many constituents who want to see a meaningful change. I want to mention the Make Wrexham Road Safe campaign and the team from the 20’s Plenty for Us campaign, who have met me and been so helpful in raising support and interest. Like them, I want to see long-lasting, effective changes to make roads outside schools safer. I am also grateful to the hon. Member for Chester North and Neston (Samantha Dixon), my neighbouring MP, who also met me about this subject. In Chester West and Chester, there are 19 schools located on 30 mph roads. There are four that have speed limits of 40 mph. Shockingly, one is located on a road with a 60 mph speed limit. As I understand it, current legislation allows a degree of subjectivity to speed limits and how local authorities seek to implement them. According to Department for Transport guidance, updated on 17 March 2024, a speed limit of 20 mph may be put in place for “major streets where there are—or are likely to be—significant numbers of journeys on foot, and/or where pedal cycle movements are an important consideration, and this outweighs the disadvantage of longer journey times for motorised traffic”, and “residential streets in cities, towns and villages, particularly where the streets are being used by people on foot and on bicycles, there is community support and the characteristics of the street are suitable”. Needless to say, for every school, there are significant journeys made on foot and on bicycle. Where this tragic incident occurred, on one side of the 40 mph road is a school for children aged seven to 18, and on the other side, a new residential estate that will have approximately 1,500 new homes, many of which have already been built. There are also proposals to build an additional new school to support the development. Further down the road is a nursery, all within half a mile of each other. As our housing needs have grown, developments have sprung up everywhere, yet the surrounding roads often do not reflect their new residential setting. It is clear that there are a significant number of journeys on foot and on bicycle. The guidance asks that this “outweighs the disadvantage of longer journey times for motorised traffic”. In this instance, there are 15,000 people who have signed a petition and who clearly believe it does outweigh the disadvantage. The school, the residents’ association for the neighbouring housing development and I have been inundated by correspondence from parents and residents asking me to do what I can to campaign for a speed limit reduction outside schools. Therefore, with regard to the balance of advantage and disadvantage, I do not think that anyone would mind slowing to 20 mph around a school if it means that children are safer. Let me be clear: I am not calling for a Wales-style blanket 20 mph limit, but for Wrexham Road and the many roads outside schools across the country, a reduction to 20 mph seems perfectly rational and appropriate. I therefore suggest that a reasonable compromise could be that local authorities are directed to have a default 20 mph limit outside schools, and that any deviation from that—any increase to the limit—would need to be for a justifiable reason, subject to the context of each case. The onus would be on justifying greater speeds, not on justifying why 20 mph is appropriate. That would better protect against and mitigate needless tragedies, and manage speed outside schools for the good of our children. As a mum of teenage children, I know the reality is that children do not always assess risk or concentrate as we might want. Primary school-age children, in particular, can make mistakes and miscalculations when crossing roads. Sadly, they are sometimes distracted by phones or friends, or they may simply be daydreaming. Of course, teaching them about road safety is also vital. We all remember being taught to stop, look and listen. I know that the local schools, including where the accident took place, and our fantastic local police have already been doing so much to teach and encourage children to stay safe on our roads. However, we are talking about young children, who can be easily distracted and may make mistakes. Reducing speed can make a huge difference to the severity of an accident involving a vehicle. There is a 2.5% chance of a fatality if a pedestrian is hit by a car travelling at 20 mph. That increases drastically to a 90% chance of a fatality if the car is travelling at 40 mph. Given such a stark contrast in outcomes, surely a 20 mph limit outside schools is suitable and sensible. Added to that mix is the fact that many schools are now located in areas that are far busier, with many more cars and lorries using the road system than it was originally designed for. Wrexham Road is a clear example of that. As mentioned earlier, a significant development has taken place, and there are more people and road users living in the area than before. That road would once have gone through gentle Cheshire fields and farmland, but is now in a major urban area. Wrexham Road leads to a business park, the main A road that joins Chester to Wrexham, and the M53, which runs to Merseyside. We have become more reliant on cars, and the transport system has therefore changed to meet the demands of drivers. Outside schools, however, the primary focus ought to be not on how swiftly how we can get past, but on the children, who are at greater risk. I am fortunate to have many amazing schools in my constituency. Although not all of them border a large housing development or an arterial road, Chester South and Eddisbury has a very large rural community, which brings different challenges that we must mitigate to prevent accidents outside schools. Country lanes and roads are by nature more dangerous than roads in urban areas. Often, they are narrower, have blind bends and their condition is worse. Delamere Church of England primary school and Eaton primary school have a 20 mph road directly outside the entrance, but a busy 60 mph road adjacent that pupils have to walk along or across. Three schools in my constituency, Bickerton Holy Trinity Church of England primary school, Bridgemere Church of England primary school and Calveley primary academy, have 60 mph roads directly outside their grounds, with a 20 mph limit only when lights show. I do not consider that sufficient mitigation. We rightly encourage children to travel to and from school by bike or on foot—it is good for them and for the environment—but many parents do so with trepidation, because they are concerned that the conditions outside school are too dangerous. I am a mum, so I share the concerns of so many parents across Chester South and Eddisbury, and indeed the country, that their children are at greater than necessary risk when walking to school. That ought not to be the case. It is worth noting that in many cases, we in the United Kingdom are the exception when it comes to traffic management outside schools. In the US and many European countries, strict laws regarding speed, including school zones, mean that speed can be reduced significantly. We can learn and implement lessons that will help us to reduce incidents outside schools and reassure parents, teachers and pupils that it is safe for them to go to and from school. In concluding, I reiterate a point to which I alluded earlier: when considering speed restrictions and mitigations around school, the overriding focus should be the safety of the children. Slowing down to 20 mph outside a school is such a small change to make to prevent the life-changing consequences that we in Chester South and Eddisbury sadly know all too well. We can and must do more to ensure that every child returns home after school. They are at the start of their lives, with so much potential, and their safety is paramount. We can do good by revising policy and rethinking speed limits for them and their families.

• 20 Jan 2025 · Crewe Railway Station · Hansard source

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  I am grateful to the hon. Member for securing this Adjournment debate, and he is speaking well on this important topic. We are constituency neighbours, and while Crewe station is in his constituency, it provides vital transport links and an important boost to the local economy for many people living in my constituency. Does he agree that Crewe station is in urgent need of upgrades and that, in the light of the cancellation of phase 2 of HS2—assuming that is happening—we have an opportunity to improve existing infrastructure, such as electrifying the track between Crewe and Chester? That would do so much to benefit my constituents and pave the way for the reopening of Beeston and Tarporley station.

• 20 Jan 2025 · Crewe Railway Station · Hansard source

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