Mr. Brian Keegan:

I certainly have the most experience of delivering schemes, facing opposition to them and developing tactics to overcome difficulties. At one stage in London we stopped using the word "cycling" altogether because it had become so toxic. As soon as we included the word in a consultation process, there were a group of people who automatically replied "No", including, for example, all taxi drivers. We then scrambled to get cycle campaigners to say "Yes" in order to have balance. I have learned a great deal in the past 20 years, having faced several judicial reviews. At one stage I did not think I was doing my job properly unless I ended up in court. One of the things to bear in mind is that it will be a problem.

Part of my talk was going to be about change and how reluctant people were to change. In Manchester sometimes we have to fight that battle. We will, for example, have a core corridor, one main route, into town. It will be for the greater good and I will both battle and defend. One has to ask what level of consultation is really needed. One also knows that it needs to happen as part of the overall aims of society. One has to show some strength and make it happen.

There are other elements to the Manchester programme such as the crossings, for example. Nobody minds them as everybody can see the benefits in being able to cross a difficult road. There might be a residual impact on the network, but it can be a winner.

We have looked at so-called "filtered neighbourhoods" where cars have been stopped from driving through residential cells. If one is taking that approach, it has to be led by the community. It has to come from their mouths. They have to ask for it, rather than saying to them we would quite like to filter the area, because otherwise one will not get very far.

In having core corridors it is a question of being strong and bold and sticking with it. I ask politicians in London to say they will do it and ask how we can have the least worse solution for everybody. If the approach is to ask, "Should we do this?", there will be overwhelming opposition. While people will say they quite like the idea and that they understand this and that, it is a question of saying we will do it and asking how can we ensure it will not adversely affect a person's business and enable him or her to keep doing the things he or she is doing as part of his or her workplace activity. Sometimes one has to be strong, while at other times one has to be as collaborative as possible.