Tory peer Sharron Davies rallied at the prospect of living in a ’15 minute city’ and was schooled into next year and back

Chances are you’ll be familiar with the work of swimmer turned TV presenter turned much else besides (Conservative peer!) Sharron Davies.

You will probably also know a bit about the concept of the ’15 minute city’, an urban planning model in which everything you need – not everything, obviously – but shops, schools, bit of culture, that kind of stuff – are all within a 15 minute walk or so of where you live.

Anyway, Davies isn’t a fan. How much is she not a fan? This much.

Make it known you don’t want 15 minute cities. Or deal with the consequences of more car fines & an very smaller on camera life.

— Sharron Davies HoL MBE (@sharrond62) January 26, 2026

The implicition seems to be – not entirely clear TBF – is that a 15-minute city equates to some sort of restriction on your freedom and big win for big brother.

Fortunately it took a lot less than 15 minutes to find all these people helpfully trying to put Davies write. Some of them more forthrightly than others, it has to be said.

1.

This is mad.
I like the idea of amenities being within walking distance, and that I can still travel to the big shops and galleries and venues if I like.
Why is having amenities near people a bad thing? https://t.co/oTQfGZljHd

— Scott Wortley (@Scott_Wortley) January 27, 2026

2.

Let me be clear: 15 minute cities is simply a town planning model for liveability, so that people can walk, rather than use a car, to things like schools, shops, doctors etc. It has absolutely nothing at all to do with restricting people’s movements to within a 15 minute radius

— KayRay (@ktibus) January 27, 2026

3.

Why on earth do people not want to be near stuff? It’s so weird to me, I grew up in a tiny village and it was crap sorry https://t.co/D3lvlFet7m

— char manning 🌟 (@xylottie) January 27, 2026

4.

I’m quite happy with 15 minute cities, but then I’m not a clickbait-hungry reactionary moron like you.

— Miffy (@miffythegamer) January 27, 2026

5.

I love the anti 15 minute city stuff, it’s pure facebook boomer slop.

They pay thousands a year to visit 15 minute cities on holiday, the best parts of the UK are 15 minute cities.

Instead they want retail parks, with the same 6 superstores and to pop in a McDonalds drive… https://t.co/OfATdnp2hK

— JimmyTheGiant (@jimthegiant) January 27, 2026

6.

This is what they both yearn for and fear at the same time. https://t.co/6j9P4VjXWg pic.twitter.com/tBuckJFgcv

— Hughes-on-the-Wold (@NotThatHughes) January 27, 2026

7.

What are you on about???? I DO want to be able to walk to things like a Drs, a supermarket, a park and a library …..that’s all 15 min cities are. Guess that doesn’t suit your hard right narrative hey

— Clare 💙 (@stone3Clare) January 27, 2026

8.

As a kid Sharron Davies faced a 15-20-mile commute just to train in a swimming pool.
Imagine how much easier her life (& that of her parents – or chauffeur) would have been if she could have walked/cycled to the pool in 15 minutes instead.
Car brain can strike early. https://t.co/5MFIUPGw10 pic.twitter.com/tEEpc8jvXD

— EricEatsPickles 🚲 (@EricEatsPickles) January 27, 2026