The South Lakes Group
Your local group of the RSF the off-road cycle touring club
 For cyclists who love off road leisure cycling in South Lakes and Yorkshire Dales

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Lancaster District Cycling & Walking Forum

Tuesday February 14th 2006 – 5pm

Morecambe Town Hall

Present:
Gordon Maclay (GM) Lancaster City Council (Engineering Services)
Gary Bowker (GB) Lancaster City Council (Engineering Services)
Richard Hammond (RH) Lancaster City Council (Leisure Services)
Maggie Tennant (MT) A+CS (LCC) maggie.tennant@ssd.lancscc.gov.uk
Jane Swindlehurst (JSw) Lancashire County Council (School Travel Plans)
Patricia Clarke (PC) Dynamo
Ralph M Henderson (RMH) Silverdale Parish Council
Simeon Orme (SO) Rough Stuff Fellowship
Stephen Townson (ST) CTC
Mike Hutchinson (MH) CTC
Andrea Forrest (AF) Cycle-Aid info@cycle-aid.co.uk
Paul Darlington (PD) Cycle-Aid info@cycle-aid.co.uk
Mike Shearing  (MS) Ramblers Association mike.shearing@lineone.net
Leslie Cochrane (LC) Resident (Walker/Runner) 34 Primrose Court Morecambe LA4 5NS


Apologies:
Matt Hodges (MHo) CTC
Brian Jones (BJ) Ramblers Association
Rachel Scott (RS) Lancaster City Council (Economic Development)
Jason Kennedy  Lancaster City Council (Planning Services)
Jonathan Sear (JS) Lancaster University
Alasdair Simpson (AS) Lancashire County Council (Cycling Officer)


GENERAL UPDATE ON CYCLING / WALKING SCHEMES

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Glasson Route, the contractor is making good (correcting the speed hump design and the loose surfacing).
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The canal works are progressing; phase 1 from the Lune Aqueduct to Moor Lane Bridge has been underway for 2 weeks.  Phase 2 will extend this to Hammerton Hall Lane Bridge and to the Waterwitch.  The final surfacing, a staffordshire pink surface dressing, will be laid in the summer.
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Ryelands Park Phase 3a parallel to the West Coast main line is nearly complete with blacktop surfacing on 16th February.
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Morecambe High School Cycle Track, the fencers are on site now and the path construction is programmed for April.
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Lancaster to Morecambe Cycle Track link improvements are to be carried out over the coming three months with attention to unsurfaced links, drop kerbs and signing.
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There is currently a planning application to widen the ginnel adjacent 307 Lancaster Road to allow cycling; combined with two proposed new traffic islands to cross Lancaster Road and Broadway, this would provide a new link from the Lancaster Morecambe Cycle Track to Bare.
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Consultation is currently taking place on a proposal to construct a new linking path from the Lancaster Morecambe Cycle Track to Winthorpe Ave and Glentworth Road.


1 UPDATE ON CYCLING DEMONSTRATION

Cycling England have 5 ideas for quick wins in the development of Lancaster as a cycling demonstration town.

1.
Promenade [a new byelaw permitting cycling on the Promenade will be consulted upon this year]
2.
Morecambe - Lancaster links. [see above]
3.
City Centre Routes [Note; Pheonix Street, Stonewell and Church Street routes are all being developed as part of the EDZ programme]
4.
University – A priority to get students cycling.  Develop the Haverbreaks field route as an interim route and develop the BW/Hospital/Ripley School Route and Princess Avenue Link
5.
Provide links to the Bike-It Schools.  It is not known yet which schools will be selected, so planning can not start on how to support them.

RH gave an update on Leisure Services work in promoting cycling.  Firstly they are intending to appoint a Cycling Development Officer, part funded by CDT.  Also they are backing a British Cycling Federation Bid to upgrade the Salt Ayre Race Track and extend its uses to include education, adult bikes and more training for a wider cross section of the community.

2 BIKE WEEK

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Dates 17TH –25TH June 2006
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An event at Salt Ayre Leisure Centre and Race Track is planned for 24th/25th June.
This is the same date as the York Rally, however the nature of Bike Week is to have 1000’s of events over a nine day period, therefore clashes were to be expected.
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PC would like the Council to be more involved in Bike Week.  MH would like more ‘led rides’.
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Any groups or individuals who would like to have their Bike Week events publicised should email mailto:celebratingcycling@lancaster.gov.uk with Bike Week in the title.
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PC would like more Bike Week publicity in local newspapers.

3 ROLE OF THE PROJECT GROUP  

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With the end of the Highways Partnership, the role of this group and of the Lancaster District Sustainable Transport Forum are both subject of review.  
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RMH, JSw, MH and PC supported GM’s suggestion that this group would be willing to consider a proposal to merge it with the LDSTF.   


4 ANY OTHER BUSINESS

Alasdair Simpson has suggested to British Waterways that they could apply for landfill funding to SITA for the canal between Aldcliffe Road and Ashton Road. One of SITA's requirements is public consultation. PC proposed that the Cycling & Walking Forum supported the application and the group agreed to back the proposal.

Project Officer, TravelSmart
Sustrans are advertising for a project manager to co-ordinate the local delivery of a large-scale Individualised Travel Marketing (ITM) programme in Preston and Lancaster and to support a programme of travel behaviour research across the same areas.
jobs@sustrans.org.uk  Reference: NCN325 Closing date for application forms Thursday 23 February.

JSw said that County would be promoting a cycling event in Preston for “In Town Without My Car Day Week” on 16th September 2006.  MH was concerned the similar event about last year clashing with the Fleet Moss Audax ride.


5 NEXT MEETING