4	Lancaster & Morecambe Economic Development Zone (EDZ) - Work has now started on the Ovangle Road / White Lund scheme – between Salt Ayre and Mellishaw.  Some shrub clearance will be taking place soon along the bypass.

4	Work is now complete on Phase 2 of Ryelands Park (except for some white lining and lighting issues).  Permission has been approved for phase 3 (parallel to Khyber Pass) however funding has yet been found.

4	Work on the Royal Albert Park route (between Piccadilly Gardens & Ashton Road) will begin in the summer

4	Work has now started on upgrading the path running alongside the Girls Grammar Playing field, to complete the Marsh Safer Cycling & Walking Route.  This should be complete by May.

4

Middleton Wood – Lancaster City Council (LCC) holds a piece of (fairly contaminated) land adjacent to Heysham Business Park.  As part of a European project a new access road onto the Business Park will be constructed to improve access to the site. Middleton Wood (the former Shell site) has been turned into a nature park complete with permissive footpaths and bridleways plus a BMX track, fencing and seating.  As part of the housing development at Mossgate, funds may be available for a new cycle path linking this site with Heysham.

4

Walking Strategy – Collation of responses is ongoing.  All comments will be noted and added into the document where appropriate.  The Strategy will be going to Committee for approval later this month and will then be adopted as Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG).  JK noted that it is difficult to include aims for footpaths in the rural due to both their abundance and that the City Council has little control over these.

4

Extension of Lune Millennium Path – Questions were raised about what has happened to proposals for the existing path to be extended to Hornby & Wray.  A feasibility study was undertaken regarding the use of the rail track from Caton up to Hornby (however this met with some local objection).  Investigations then took place into constructing a route between Hornby and Wray. The cost of this route – due to ownership /permissive rights – is likely to be prohibitive.  The original route is still the preferred route and negotiations are ongoing.

®	Update from County Council at the next meeting

4

Re-opening of the Crook ‘o’ Lune bridge is scheduled for the summer.  However British Gas need to lay pipes, as part of their relocation from Luneside, and this is likely to be along the cyclepath (likely to be between Greyhound Bridge and the Hire Shop).  More information will be available at the next meeting.

Blocked & sunken gullies and manholes.

Puddles can be dangerous as they can hide other hazards.

Lack of sweeping on off road tracks can also be a problem.

There are useful features but they don’t link up to the town centre or provide access from the east / west.

A bus lane round the whole of the one way system would be appropriate but failing this a thorough and consistent look at cycle lanes is required.

The A6, the main artery into the City from the south has one third of its capacity dedicated to free parking resulting in routine congestion for public transport and dangerous squeezing for cycles.  A bus lane would be a tremendous improvement for public transport and cycling.

The A6 is the best road out of the City to the South. Sending cyclists a long way round over the steep hill of Bowerham is counter-productive for increasing cycling as it requires a level of climbing ability that most casual cyclists don’t aspire to. A cycle lane up the A6 is best as it is gently graded and easily rideable by even inexperienced cyclists.

At the old Waterworks site a turning lane and central reservation have been installed that result in serious danger to cyclists as vehicles try to squeeze between island and bicycle.

Even more recently the new junction for the university extension has cycle which look good superficially but are actually poorly designed.

A lot of time and money has been spent in the last year on a programme of gully cleaning.

Some of the points raised by MH have already been dealt with, others are the responsibility of the County Council.

There is the possibility of an improvement to East-west cycle routes across the City Centre with the likely change to 2 way cycling on the pedestrianised part of Church Street as part the City Centre Pedestrian Zone TRO review.

RS noted that some improvements to cycling in the city centre will take place under the EDZ project (route 2).

®	Issue to be raised with County Council

®	Further information from claire.evans@env.lancscc.gov.uk

®	Budgie Bikes to supply info on Treasure Hunt

®	Further information from rscott@lancaster.gov.uk

®	To be discussed at the next meeting.

®	Further information on this guidance from alistair@carplus.org.uk

4	Role of the Engineering Services’ Projects Team

4	Cycling in the city centre

4	Bridleway Society

®	Possibility of incorporating a litter pick into Bike Week? (RS)

®	Further information from alasdair.simpson@env.lancscc.gov.uk