AGMFebruary06

NOTES OF HFCYCLISTS AGM
Special guest: Cllr Stephen Burke.
[non-business part]

Tuesday 7 February 2006 , 7.30pm in the Info Centre

NOTES: Written by John Griffiths and checked / slightly modified by Chris Bainbridge. They represent the substance of the meeting, not the words actually used.

PRESENT: Cllr Stephen Burke, Chris Bainbridge, John Griffiths, Andy Ellard, Mark Fossick, Roger de Freitas, Louanne Tranchell, John Smits, Jane Knight, Bill Ogden, John Gilbert, Alan Rowden, Susie Gretz, Chris Tranchell, Jonathan Gurney, Kath Cochrane, Wendy Ann Matthews, Tara Thomas, Gordon Keenan, John Fosbrooke, John Gilbert.

APOLOGIES: Paul Alexander, Rob Cope, Mo Morgan

WE ARE PLEASED TO WELCOME CLLR STEPHEN BURKE [LEADER OF LBHF COUNCIL] AS A SPECIAL GUEST.

CLLR STEPHEN BURKE:

I am pleased to be here so I can have a dialogue with the local cycling campaign. I am a regular cyclist, as are many of my fellow labour councillors, as are some labour candidates for the forthcoming elections. I recognise the benefits of cycling, both for the individual and for the community.

I want this to be the greenest borough in London. Our aim is to be like Cambridge or York, or Holland, as far as cycling is concerned. In the year up to July of 2005 we saw a 28% increase in cycling. We have twice as many cyclists when compared to the London average. However we only have 5% of residents who cycle to work regularly so there is scope for big increases.

Cycle theft is a big problem. I have had 5 bikes stolen over the last year. Cycle theft is a big deterrent to cycling, and would put many people off starting to cycling, or make them give up. However it is now one of the target indicators in the crime reduction program, and a lot of effort is being put into bring these figures down. Street crime in general is down by 10%, but cycle theft has not dropped as yet. With more Safer Neighbourhood police teams on the streets we may get on top of the problem.

We are increasing cycle parking, and put in 100 stands last year. It is still difficult to find a parking place in some spots. We subsidise cycle training which is very useful. And we have introduced Home Zones with traffic calming and 20mph zones which should help cyclists.

Transport for London have given us £300k to spend next year to provide better cycle routes, at Shepherds Bush Green, Hammersmith Broadway, Putney Bridge to the Kings rd and at Wandsworth Bridge rd.

Last week in the HFM magazine we had an article on cycling. It was encouraging every one to dust off the bike and start cycling now spring is coming. We would hope to be able to promote your West London Green Festival there.

SOME QUESTIONS / COMMENTS WERE ANSWERED BY CLLR STEPHEN BURKE and / or by CHRIS BAINBRIDGE

Q: Will domestic planning guidance include secure cycle storage?

A: At the Edward Wood Estate we looking at putting in secure storage facilities, ie cycle lockers, as at the Wetlands. At shepherds Bush Green we were looking at a secure cycle storage facility there. Our planning policies in the UDP require the provision of cycle parking in all new developments, but we would like to strengthen that to make sure that the parking is safe and convenient.

Q: The WhiteCity shopping Complex seems to have been built for the car. There should be adequate cycle parking and cycle access.

A: There is parking for about 4000 cars. The complex is providing 2 new bus stations and a new train station on the West London (Olympia) line. One problem for cycle access is that the southern entrance has to have space available for the tram should it arrive. This could conflict with the space where cyclists would want to go.

Q: And is the tram coming?

A: In the end it depends on what the Mayor [Ken] says, as he can override what we say. If the money is not available then it cannot be built. And the money would seem to be a problem.

Q: It is pleasing to have a 100 new stands in the last year. But this is a small number compared to the number of residents in the borough.

A: If you tell us where you think more cycle parking is needed we shall look at it. [suggestions from the group were made, including Lyric square, Adult Education centres, libraries]. Alex Forrest is in charge of where cycle stands are put in, but Highways does have a final say in case, for example, it blocks disabled access. There is also the "Take a stand" project where TfL will pay for cycle stands for businesses. Richard Evans is co-ordinating this. Please contact him if you know of any suitable business.

Q: Are you doing anything about safer routes to schools

A: Yes. Richard Evans is co-ordinating the Schools Green Travel Plans. Our target is 19 schools (40%) by the end of March; We only have six so far but expect more to come in, and TfL is praising us for the quality of the plans, and is using them as an example. If there are any school governors out there, please tell them to encourage their schools to be involved.

Q: What is the technical status of cycling along the Riverside Malls

A: CHRIS BAINBRIDGE: There are signs saying "No Cycling". There are two approaches. Firstly we are trying to improve a link along the A4, the Great West road. On the Mall itself I would like to see us trying out signs saying "Pedestrian Priority". There is a problem near Queens wharf at the bottom of Queen Caroline st, and we are looking at dealing with the sharp corner there. However fast moving cyclists are a problem, and recently a cyclist collided with a child who had to be taken off to hospital.

Q: You have cycle lanes but often they are blocked. It is almost like there is no point in having them. On Hammersmith Bridge I find it really dangerous and threatening with the narrow parts in the roadway.

A: We have not had any reports of accidents on the bridge itself so we do not at present have any plans for the bridge itself. There have been accidents on the approaches and we are treating these areas first.

Q: Can anything be done to alter the way cycling is handled by the Council. It appears that the Highways dept and the policy groups are not always listening to each other, and that cycling issues are not treated as significantly as they could be. Our dissatisfaction with the process and the outcomes of the CRISP [Cycle route Stakeholder Implementation Plan] study at Shepherds Bush Green would imply that there was room for improvement.

A: Chris Bainbridge has very close links with the Highways department, and drops down a floor to see them several times a day. If we followed your suggestion of having a full time cycling officer, it would probably have to be at a junior level. In the SBG design work a fairly senior officer was involved. We have been reviewing what is happening there and have followed your recommendations at the NW corner of having shared use and directing cyclists to the south of the disused toilet.

Q: You have mentioned strategic routes. A Priority Strategic Route at Hammersmith Broadway goes down a narrow pedestrian subway to cross the Fulham Palace road.

CLLR STEPHEN BURKE:
We could have a special program over the next year to look at Hammersmith Broadway, to affect a real change. I know that you have provided suggestions of how surface level crossings could be installed going from the centre to the Apollo and the Ark, and so crossing the Fulham Palace road. Let us see what we can do.

ROGER de FREITAS:
Makes an impassioned plea to make the borough a safe and convenient place for pedestrians and cyclists. Make it a place for people, not motorised machines. It could be like Cambridge or York, but it will need a step change in your approach and thinking to achieve this.

WE ARE ALL GRATEFUL FOR THE PRESENCE OF CLLR STEPHEN BURKE AND CHRIS BAINBRIDGE.

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AGM BUSINESS
[reported elsewhere: see http://www.hfcyclists.org.uk/metAGM06.htm]
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OTHER HFCYCLISTS BUSINESS

WEST LONDON GREEN FESTIVAL

We are hoping for total funding of £7.5k for this from the Council and from Groundwork-WL. We have obtained permission from the parks department and the Council has become joint grantees, which may help with insurance issues. It would be good if it could be promoted in the HFM magazine.

We are having a planning meeting on the following day, 8th February. Susie Gretz says she will come, and Mark is involved, but cannot come to that meeting.

PREPARING FOR THE COUNCIL ELECTIONS

Andy went recently to a workshop at LCC headquarters on this subject. He is awaiting minutes from the meeting. Our group thought that the best way forward was not to have a hustings, but to prepare a set of questions to give to representatives of each party. The outcome would be their responses, rather than saying "hfcyclists supports this particular party". Andy is a labour candidate in these elections and declares a conflict of interest where it might arise.

RIDES

We have rides in the forthcoming H&F festival. The first is on Sunday 19th March. This is listed in the London Cyclist magazine. Alan asked why all our rides have not been listed. They are normally listed on the LCC website, but many of our rides are only planned a week or two before the event. The lead time for the magazine is something like a month before publication, and the magazine covers the following two months.

EXPENSES

John Griffiths had receipts for £22.45 and £19.84 for refreshments. A cheque was issued to him for £42.29

DATE FOR NEXT MEETING: Tuesday 7th March, 7.30pm

John Griffiths [chair / co-ordinator]
020 7371 1290 / 07789 095 748
john@truefeelings.com
OUR WEBSITE www.hfcyclists.org.uk