To consider the Motion on Notice received from Councillor Jamieson:
Babergh Council endorses the Government's goal to ensure there is a permanent shift in the numbers of people choosing to cycle and walk.
Using this goal as a guide, the Council will ensure there is officer resource to produce a Cycling Strategy, in conjunction with Suffolk County Council as the Transport Authority, that will be reviewed at a predetermined timescale e.g. 3 yearly.
This strategy will include a prioritised, costed list of routes across the districts that include existing and proposed cycle routes and different types of cycle route provision. The officer will be an automatic cycling consultee on planning applications and will seek funding through section 106 money.
At the next review of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), the funding of cycle infrastructure will be included as an eligible project.
To support S106 and CIL bids, Council will work with partners on Supplementary Planning Guidance to seek developer contributions to link settlements to nearby towns and Key Service Centres with safe and sustainable active travel options.
The Strategy will also look to –
o Identify existing gaps in the cycle network.
o Identify opportunities to work with partner organisations including parish councils, businesses, residents and local community groups.
o Identify specific issues that require improvement to enhance the wider cycle network.
o Improve facilities for cyclists to encourage greater cycling for leisure as well as commuting.
o Ensure funds for walking and cycling routes and cycling infrastructure are agreed in the drawing up of new S106 agreements.
o Provide high quality, secure and sheltered cycle parking facilities for our Leisure and Fitness Centres and ensure recreation grounds, car parks, shopping centres and open spaces have adequate cycle parking, including some e-cycle charging points.
Proposer – Cllr Leigh Jamieson (Green Party)
Seconder – Cllr Derek Davis (Independent)
Minutes:
230.1 The Chair invited Councillor Jamieson to present and move his Motion.
230.2 Councillor Jamieson said that due to the Covid-19 crisis there had been a significant increase in the number of people that had either taken up cycling or returned to it. In May this year the Secretary of State for transport, had said “When the country gets back to work, we need them to carry on cycling, and to be joined by millions more”. To enable this, the government was expecting Local Authorities to facilitate this. “The government therefore expected local authorities to make significant changes to their road layouts to give more space to cyclists and pedestrians.”
Further to this, the Government released a paper earlier this year - ‘Decarbonising Transport’. In this paper the Government had set an aim to double cycling activity per person per year and had set an ambition to make cycling and walking the natural choice for short journeys.
With £1.2billion already invested in active travel and another £1.2billion of funding planned, the Council needed to take the active travel responsibilities seriously. At the moment Babergh still had no cycling strategy.
In fact, on the last Active Travel Survey published in 2019 the proportion of people cycling in Babergh once a week was only 9.7% which was the worst in Suffolk. He felt that a cycling strategy would help the Council meet these ambitions.
230.3 Councillor Jamieson then read out the Motion:
Babergh Council endorses the Government's goal to ensure there is a permanent shift in the numbers of people choosing to cycle and walk.
Using this goal as a guide, the Council will ensure there is officer resource to produce a Cycling Strategy, in conjunction with Suffolk County Council as the Transport Authority, that will be reviewed at a predetermined timescale e.g. 3 yearly.
This strategy will include a prioritised, costed list of routes across the districts that include existing and proposed cycle routes and different types of cycle route provision. The officer will be an automatic cycling consultee on planning applications and will seek funding through section 106 money.
At the next review of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), the funding of cycle infrastructure will be included as an eligible project.
To support S106 and CIL bids, Council will work with partners on Supplementary Planning Guidance to seek developer contributions to link settlements to nearby towns and Key Service Centres with safe and sustainable active travel options.
The Strategy will also look to –
· Identify existing gaps in the cycle network.
· Identify opportunities to work with partner organisations including parish councils, businesses, residents and local community groups.
· Identify specific issues that require improvement to enhance the wider cycle network.
· Improve facilities for cyclists to encourage greater cycling for leisure as well as commuting.
· Ensure funds for walking and cycling routes and cycling infrastructure are agreed in the drawing up of new S106 agreements.
· Provide high quality, secure and sheltered cycle parking facilities for our Leisure and Fitness Centres and ensure recreation grounds, car parks, shopping centres and open spaces have adequate cycle parking, including some e-cycle charging points.
230.4 Councillor Jamieson PROPOSED the Motion, which was SECONDED by Councillor Davis, who reserved his right to speak.
230.5 Councillor Malvisi PROPOSED an amendment to the Motion, and referred to the tabled paper:
Revised Motion for Full Council on 21 July 2020
Babergh
District
Council
endorses the Government's goal to ensure there is a permanent
shift in the numbers of people choosing to cycle and
walk. as opposed
to using a car.
Using this goal as a guide, the Council will ensure there is sufficient resource to:
· Develop and review a Babergh and Mid Suffolk Councils Sustainable Travel Action Plan, in partnership with Suffolk County Council as the Transport Authority.
· Include a prioritised, costed list of routes across the districts that include existing and proposed cycle routes and different types of cycle route provision.
· Review and update the Babergh Mid Suffolk Councils Sustainable Travel Action Plan every 3 years.
· Be an automatic sustainable travel consultee on planning applications.
· Seek funding through section 106 money and external funding sources.
At the next review of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), consider the funding of agreed cycle infrastructure as eligible projects under the CIL Position Statement for both Councils alongside a comprehensive assessment and production of a funding and delivery strategy which considers all other funding opportunities that exist. The CIL Expenditure Framework review must be subject to the current viability assessment, confirming that this inclusion of cycling within CIL expenditure would make the existing or any new CIL charges viable and in turn therefore make the cycling infrastructure deliverable.
To support S106 and CIL bids, Councils will work with partners on supplementary guidance on planning to seek developer contributions to link settlements to nearby towns and Key Service Centres with safe and sustainable active travel options.
The Action Plan will also look to –
· Identify opportunities to progress Sustainable travel across the Districts
· Identify existing gaps in the walking and cycling network
· Identify opportunities to work with partner organisations to develop sustainable travel options
· Consult and work with parish councils, businesses, residents and local community groups to determine and map routes, and prioritise walking and cycling infrastructure
· Identify specific issues that require improvement to enhance the wider sustainable travel network
· Seek to Improve facilities for walkers and cyclists to encourage greater cycling for leisure as well as commuting.
· Develop a Funding strategy to sit alongside the Sustainable Travel Action Plan detailing how each priority action could be funded and ensure a pipeline of core projects is developed and costed including where appropriate from new S106 agreements.
· Provide high quality, secure and sheltered cycle parking facilities for our Leisure and Fitness Centres and ensure recreation grounds, car parks, shopping centres and open spaces have adequate cycle parking, including some e-cycle charging points.
· Review opportunities to secure safe cycling routes in urban areas where building new infrastructure is not feasible, for example by creating ‘quiet neighbourhoods’ by stopping through traffic and the pedestrianisation of town centres.
· Work in partnership with SCC regarding improved public transport across the Districts and consider new forms of sustainable travel such as e bikes and e scooters if appropriate locations.
230.6 Councillor McLaren SECONDED the Motion and said that she was very pleased to support the above amendment and that the benefits from a travel action plan to be reviewed on a three-yearly basis would be welcomed across the district.
230.7 The Chair asked if Councillor Jamieson, the proposer, accepted the amendment, to which Councillor Jamieson stated that he accepted the amendment.
230.8 Councillor Malvisi informed Council that the substantiated Motion was an action plan and asked Members to vote for it so it could be put into effect.
230.9 The Chair asked if Councillor Davis accepted the amendment and Councillor Davis stated he accepted the amendment and that he was pleased with the added wording, which had strengthened the original Motion. He thanked Members for the cross-party co-operation, which had resulted the substantiated Motion.
230.10 The Chair asked Councillor Malvisi if she would like to speak for the substantiated Motion.
230.11 Councillor Malvisi stated that this was an action plan and not a strategy, which would develop projects including costings to secure funding from a range of sources and thereby be deliverable. A wider travel action plan would enable the Council to develop sustainable travel across the District. The Council was committed to get people active in communities and to lead the way for sustainable travel across Suffolk.
230.12 Member debated the issues of the substantiated Motion including:
· That the action plan addressed the issues of funding.
· That the Action Plan would not just focus on the urban areas but the whole district and would also help rural areas, which was popular with tourists.
· That cycling and cycling paths had been identified as one of the options to achieve a sustainable Suffolk by connection areas via cycling lanes and that the Motion would be a step towards achieving the vision.
· That the Motion was a result of cross-party cooperation and a result of Members working together.
· That the Action plan would encourage old and young to be active.
· That plan did not take into account that some residents were elderly and required a car for reaching local amenities, such as shops and medical facilities.
· That the population was aging and that 11% was over 65 years old and that 17% had medical problems.
230.13 Members supported the substantiated Motion and agreed that it was important for the District to receive funding available from Central Government for sustainable and environmental projects.
230.14 Councillor Jamieson responded that he was pleased that Members supported the substantiated Motion.
230.15 The substantiated Motion was put to Members for voting and the vote was CARRIED.
It was RESOLVED:-
That Babergh District Council endorses the Government's goal to ensure there is a permanent shift in the numbers of people choosing to cycle and walk.
Using this goal as a guide, the Council will ensure there is sufficient resource to:
· Develop and review a Babergh and Mid Suffolk Councils Sustainable Travel Action Plan, in partnership with Suffolk County Council as the Transport Authority.
· Include a prioritised, costed list of routes across the districts that include existing and proposed cycle routes and different types of cycle route provision.
· Review and update the Babergh Mid Suffolk Councils Sustainable Travel Action Plan every 3 years.
· Be an automatic sustainable travel consultee on planning applications.
· Seek funding through section 106 money and external funding sources.
At the next review of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), consider the funding of agreed cycle infrastructure as eligible projects under the CIL Position Statement for both Councils alongside a comprehensive assessment and production of a funding and delivery strategy which considers all other funding opportunities that exist. The CIL Expenditure Framework review must be subject to the current viability assessment, confirming that this inclusion of cycling within CIL expenditure would make the existing or any new CIL charges viable and in turn therefore make the cycling infrastructure deliverable.
To support S106 and CIL bids, Councils will work with partners on supplementary guidance on planning to seek developer contributions to link settlements to nearby towns and Key Service Centres with safe and sustainable active travel options.
The Action Plan will also look to –
· Identify opportunities to progress Sustainable travel across the Districts
· Identify existing gaps in the walking and cycling network
· Identify opportunities to work with partner organisations to develop sustainable travel options
· Consult and work with parish councils, businesses, residents and local community groups to determine and map routes, and prioritise walking and cycling infrastructure
· Identify specific issues that require improvement to enhance the wider sustainable travel network
· Seek to Improve facilities for walkers and cyclists to encourage greater cycling for leisure as well as commuting.
· Develop a Funding strategy to sit alongside the Sustainable Travel Action Plan detailing how each priority action could be funded and ensure a pipeline of core projects is developed and costed including where appropriate from new S106 agreements.
· Provide high quality, secure and sheltered cycle parking facilities for our Leisure and Fitness Centres and ensure recreation grounds, car parks, shopping centres and open spaces have adequate cycle parking, including some e-cycle charging points.
· Review opportunities to secure safe cycling routes in urban areas where building new infrastructure is not feasible, for example by creating ‘quiet neighbourhoods’ by stopping through traffic and the pedestrianisation of town centres.
Work in partnership with SCC regarding improved public transport across the Districts and consider new forms of sustainable travel such as e bikes and e scooters if appropriate locations.