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Agenda item

Minutes of Last Meeting and Matters Arising

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)