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Minutes:
Apologies – Mike Davies, Roxanne
de Beau and Anthony French
ACTION: Cllr Tim
Moore to confirm his continued membership of the Group.
1. Welcome and
introductions.
Cllr
Blencowe (KB) described the function of the Group as advisory, intended to
inform Committees such as Environment Scrutiny Committee. Regarding bringing
any potential agenda items before the Group, Cllrs are recommended to approach
CR in the first instance who will discuss the item with KB. The City and County
updates on the agenda are standard items.
ACTION: CR to circulate
the Steering Group Terms of Reference with the minutes.
2. Notes of the last
meeting 25th February 2016 and matters arising.
Notes
agreed.
·
Tins
Path signage (CR). The ‘Greenways’ project which includes Tins Path could
become a City Deal project and therefore be eligible for significant funding.
The path has been earmarked for improvement for some time and is a well-used
cycle and pedestrian route.
3. Palmer’s Walk.
JR
had circulated the background report in advance. Palmer's Walk links Mill Rd with
Bradmore Street. The existing path is 1.2m wide and a
proposal to widen the path went out to local consultation in August last year.
Views received were split but ultimately the decision was taken to proceed. A
local residents' group subsequently raised concerns about the decision which
resulted in an ICI investigation. This concluded that the consultation should
have been more extensive with alternative options provided. Officers now need
to explore if there is still an appetite to consider widening the path. If so,they will need to repeat the
consultation process and conduct it more thoroughly this time.
KB
remarked that this proposal had originally been raised several years ago at an East
Area Committee by a representative of the Petersfield Mansions Residents
Association at the time. The path is currently regarded by some users as not being wide enough to
accommodate the different uses and moreover the stretch of grass alongside the path
becomes muddy and treacherous in poorer weather. Funding had latterly been
found and agreed and a consultation on the proposed widening conducted.
Issues
regarding the consultation process were subsequently raised by the current
membership of the Petersfield Mansions Residents'Association
and referred to the ICI.Points highlighted in the ICI
report have been accepted.
There
is still a pledge of part-funding from ARU.The
general view from ward councillors is that the proposal should still be
considered.
JR
stressed that should the group decide to proceed with reconsideration of the
proposal that it should be within the context of other routes in the area.CR
added that although the path is not a signed cycle route,there is no by-law to ban cycling along this popular
desire line.
The
group agreed that if the project was to be taken forward that local views
needed to be reflected and that all points highlighted by the ICI needed to be
addressed.
LW
addressed the group. She said most people questioned during the survey opposed
the widening of the path. There is a concern that if it was widened cyclists
would travel at higher speeds along it causing conflict with pedestrians,particularly small
children. The surface damage referred to is only during the winter months and
caused mostly by cyclists. When discussed with Simon Payne,he advised that officers would be taking into
account the wider area and alternative routes as part of any further
consideration of the Palmer's Walk proposal.
ACTION:JR and Anthony
French to co-ordinate a site visit of the Palmer's Walk area so that the group
can see the issues first hand before providing a steer on the way forward.Ward councillors and interested local residents
would be invited to attend.
4. Promotion Grant
Funding (CR)
ACTION: CR to
circulate the Group’s criteria for approving funding applications. A total of
£12,000 is available per year).
·
Camsight tandem project in collaboration with
Outspoken. An amended application was submitted with the project awarded £3,500.
·
Reach
Ride publicity. Application approved.
·
Station
bike hanger. Abellio Greater Anglia are not supportive so this is not currently being pursued.
KB confirmed he continues to attend the contractors’ meetings with cycle
parking remaining high on the agenda. Some improvement has been seen following
the opening of the cycle park but some problems are ongoing with suspicions by Abellio that the cycle park is being used by residents of
the CB1 area and not wholly by rail customers. The ownership issues within the
station area remain complicated.
·
Cambridge
Cycle Campaign. A £1,000 contribution to the ‘Global Cycle Hack’ has been
approved and taken from this year’s budget.
There
are currently no new grant applications. CR intends to issue a press release to
advertise the grant scheme.
AS
suggested there could be greater engagement with CB1 residents if Abellio’s suspicions are correct. KB confirmed cycle
parking is being provided within the individual blocks and tenants should be
advised to use this responsibly. The ground level of the new cycle park is
always full according to AS although it should be reserved for accessible
parking and trailers etc.
5. County/City Cycle
Schemes (CR)
·
Phase
1 of the Chisholm Trail and the new Abbey Chesterton bridge proposal will be
submitted next week and will go before JDCC for approval.
·
Huntingdon
Road traffic improvements Phase 2 consultation. This is now on until 27th
June.
·
Trumpington Rd phase 1 delayed
due to the need to relocate a gas main. The hope is to start at the end of
September.
·
Trumpington Rd phase 2 and Queen
Edith’s Way/Fendon Road roundabout schemes to be
consulted on later this month.
·
Some
surfacing work was undertaken at the weekend and things are moving forward
well.
·
City
Deal Cross City Cycling schemes found favour at the
City Deal Assembly with a proposal to double the budget to £8m to ensure
delivery of all the schemes.
·
2-way
cycling. 16 new streets are now on the list to potentially be made 2-way.
Coronation Street is not included. This is part of the County’s Cycle Ambition
Scheme.
6. City Schemes
update (CR)
·
There
is still the ambition to facilitate more cycle racks in the city centre. The
aim is to meet the 1,000 cycle spaces target although finding suitable
locations is proving difficult. City
Council officers are still looking at off-street solutions such as the area in
front Queen Ann Car Park and the expansion of the Grand Arcade cycle park.
·
Storey’s
Way (new cycle zebra crossing). MS stated that signage for the new layout
needed to be as clear as possible as much of the traffic in the area, particularly coaches are not local and therefore may
not be aware.
ACTION: CR to pass on
concerns re. Storey’s Way new crossing (signage) to County
colleagues.
·
City
Deal. Both Milton and Histon Roads are on the agenda
although the recommendations by County officers are not clear according to MS.
Improvements to Mitcham’s Corner will not be progressed as part of Phase 1 with
issues highlighted in the City Council’s Draft SPD for the area. According to
MS, County officers are not placing sufficient emphasis on cycling and
pedestrian movements for Mitcham’s Corner.
Any Other Business.
·
Cycling
on pavements continues to be an issue in West Chesterton according to MS. As
the signage is poor, this is a source of much frustration among the local
police. KB stressed the need for the Group to focus on smaller issues where
they would have the ability to help deliver practical solutions.
·
Civic
buildings audit. A quote has been received from ‘Park Your Bike’ who could look
at cycle provision at the 90+ sites including halls and community centres.
Funding could be available through City Deal. KB confirmed East Area Committee
wished to proceed with this project.
ACTION: Members to
provide an update on civic buildings audit at the next East Area Committee.
Date of next meeting
– September (TBC) – (start time 17:00)