Eric Pickles: My hero

The communities secretary has done it again. After starting his job in such a fantastic style, he's gone and endorsed another idea that I love.

He wants to get rid of street clutter; all those signs, railings, bollards and whatnot. Brilliant, I've been saying this for a few years. I want traffic lights to go, too, in most places.

Experiments in the Netherlands have shown that with little street clutter, drivers and pedestrians can concentrate on the people around them on foot and in their cars. They give their fellow road users respect and speeds fall as everyone is more alert. You don't even need pelican crossings, pedestrians can cross wherever.

If drivers don't have traffic lights to contend with they drive at a more constant speed without having to rush from one red light to the next. Also cutting down on carbon emissions.

It's genius and to be welcomed.

Squiffy.