Agenda item

RESOLVED:

(1)  That the Committee note the report

(2)  That Members are encouraged to respond to the North Herts District LCWIP consultation draft and encourage residents and local organisations to do so.

Edward Leigh gave introduced the LCWIP consultation for Members which included:

·        This plan is out for consultation at the moment.

·        It is for walking and cycling, looking at wider pavements, safer junctions, protected cycle lanes where we can find space, other traffic measures, etc

·        The modal filters are what make streets more safer and attracrive for people walking or cycling. This can include bollards on a road to stop through traffic, a one way system, reducing lanes, etc. These are often more controversial things as it may change the way people drive.

·        This is the first iteration and it focuses on towns in North Herts, Knebworth and the route from Hitchin to Stevenage.

·        We have identified routes in rural areas that are high priority but there are limited resources to audit them. So, we are starting work in the towns, to make those safe to walk and cycle around, before extending routes outward to the villages.

·        We will review the plan in 2 years with Herts County Council and provided we have funding we will do a second iteration.

·        The consultation is online and runs until Monday 7^th November. This involves maps of all towns

·        We encourage residents, local businesses and groups to go online and make comments, suggestions or criticisms.

·        We want to get a plan that is the best it can possibly be with the things that people want

·        The slides that have been sent to the Councillors introduce the website. There is a map of Hitchin and as you scroll down it shows you in more detail the proposed changes. The “have your say” button is where you can add your comments.

·        All comments are reviewed and then published anonymously so everyone can see them

·        Hitchin has a good level of engagement already.

·        There is also a more general survey that can be completed

·        Active Travel England have funding and we can also use funding from developers

The following Members asked questions:

·        Clare Billing

In response to questions, Edward Leigh advised:

·        The transport plan is starting a sustainable spine to link Hitchin, Letchworth and Baldock. If we could create safer cycling routes this would create a large difference in road traffic. There is a major focus on how we can join towns together. There are alternative routes but many aren’t easy to do

·        Not sure if the Hitchin hoop is completely continuous. In Letchworth there was a goal to create a continuous loop and there is an aspiration to do this in Royston too. The LCWIP is more focused on utility routes, e.g. communiting. If there are elements of this that we can help we should be including those. To create a lesure route this would maybe be more of a community initiative

Councillor Nigel Mason agreed it was difficult to cycle from one side of Hitchin to the other.

Councillor Ian Albert suggested that it was up to the committee on how they wanted to respond to this. The Councillors could send in the responses and we can send a collective response as a Hitchin Area Committee.

Councillor Richard Thake commented on two of the traffic calming areas. Some of the things in the plan are aspirational and others are being done. He also mentioned his work with some Parish Councils.

Councillor Ian Albert also thanked Edward for the town talk.

It was:

RESOLVED:

(1)   That the Committee note the report

(2)   That Members are encouraged to respond to the North Herts District LCWIP consultation draft and encourage residents and local organisations to do so.