Issue - meetings

This report asks Members to approve a draft strategy and action plan for submission to Cycling England, following the success of the Council’s bid for cycling city status and associated grant funding.

RESOLVED:(i) That the submission to Cycling England of the strategy and action plan contained within the report be approved;

(ii)               That, in order to get the initiative off to a good start, officers be instructed to prioritise improvements for 2008/09 that can be achieved quickly (eg: cycle margin upgrades, cycle path illumination studs, increased numbers of cycle stands);

                        (iii) That officers be requested to monitor and report back on the effectiveness of existing green travel plans in the city.

REASON:                  To ensure the project is formally agreed and to enable the grant funding to be accessed, thus allowing progress to continue on the project.

Members received a report which asked them to approve a draft strategy and action plan for submission to Cycling England, following the success of the Council’s bid for cycling city status and associated grant funding.

Officers clarified that the first sentence of paragraph 17 of the report should read, “The Council is looking to be an exemplar for cycling in England, rather than continental cities providing examples of best practice”.

The Executive Member for City Strategy explained that, at this stage in the project, the Council would be giving car users a “blank sheet of paper” opportunity to explain what would encourage them to switch to cycling, and announced that this consultation page was now available on the Council’s website and would be followed up later with a more structured, door to door questionnaire.

Members highlighted that the initiatives included in the project had to be deliverable within the resources and timescales available, and also noted the need to continually monitor and assess the effectiveness of existing green travel plans in the city.

Members thanked officers for their work on the strategy and action plan.

RESOLVED:(i) That the submission to Cycling England of the strategy and action plan contained within the report be approved;¹

(ii)               That, in order to get the initiative off to a good start, officers be instructed to prioritise improvements for 2008/09 that can be achieved quickly (eg: cycle margin upgrades, cycle path illumination studs, increased numbers of cycle stands);²

                        (iii) That officers be requested to monitor and report back on the effectiveness of existing green travel plans in the city.³

REASON:                  To ensure the project is formally agreed and to enable the grant funding to be accessed, thus allowing progress to continue on the project.