Agenda item

Cabinet Member: Environment

Forward Plan Ref: 2020/023

Contact: Patrick Lingwood, Active & Healthy Travel Officer, Tel: 07741 607835

Report by Infrastructure Strategy & Policy Manager (CA9).

The Oxford Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) is a detailed 10-year plan which sets out how to improve cycling and walking in Oxford. The plan includes a target to increase cycling in Oxford by 50% by 2031 and the evidence of how this is to be achieved. There are 28 supplementary plans with walking and cycling schemes provisionally costed at £300 million. The LCWIP fits in with and directly supports the Connecting Oxford proposals. The LCWIP will be a subsidiary document of the new Local Transport and Connectivity Plan, currently being developed. The document was submitted to the DfT in December and we now have DfT feedback comments. As well as cycling and walking schemes, the LCWIP includes policies which will impact on Council transport policy and procedures and future scheme design and prioritisation.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to approve the Oxford Local Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP), including the Oxford cycle network plan.

Cabinet had before it a detailed 10-year plan to improve cycling and walking in Oxford.

Councillor Bob Johnston had requested to speak on this item but was unable to attend on medical advice.  He sent a text which the Chairman agreed to include in the minutes:

“I fully support the recommendations on this item.  In respect of Kennington and Radley I hope that in the fullness of time there will be a network of safe and secure network of cycle tracks from the centre of Abingdon to the centre of Oxford, and which will go through the Division.  This will build on the excellent work done on the SUSTRANS track which currently runs from Sandford Lane to Folly Bridge.  What is unclear to me currently is how to devise a route from the top of Church Street in Radley to the Abingdon ring road.  My heartfelt plea for any of the above, and indeed the rest of the County networks, to be properly maintained.  Cyclists will not use poorly maintained track, and who can blame them.  Similarly please ensure that they are kept free of nettles and brambles during the growing season.  The latter are particularly route limiting in summer.”

Robin Tucker, Chair of Cycling UK Oxfordshire, welcomed the proposal.  He stated that the case for cycling had never been clearer, listing the benefits for health, air quality, traffic congestion and climate change.  Research had shown that improvements to the public realm such as this can lead to an increase for local businesses of 30%.  He hoped that the capacity and skills were there to deliver and that similar improvements can be made for other towns in the County.

Simon Hart, former chair of Cyclox, spoke on behalf of the current chair who could not attend.  He urged the adoption of all 27 policies in the report.  He thanked the Chairman and the Cabinet Member for Environment for their support and Patrick Lingwood for being so thorough.  He believed that the proposals provided particular benefits for socially deprived areas.  He also hoped that similar plans could be applied across the County.

Councillor Yvonne Constance thanked the cycling campaigners for their research and work that fed into the proposals.  The plan is embedded in the Connecting Oxford proposals and will inform planners and developers as well.

She had received a written question from Councillor John Sanders, who was unable to attend the meeting, with regard to security issues for cycling and cyclists such as standardised stamping, lighting and tracking devices.  She stated that these were matters for the district and city councils to address and people should lobby them on security issues.

Patrick Lingwood, Active and Healthy Travel Officer, summarised the plan.  The headline targets are challenging.  For example, they want to increase the numbers cycling into the city from 20,000 to 30,000.  The key aspects were the cycle network, the fact that it was part of the wider Connecting Oxford plan and linked to the Low Traffic Neighbourhoods.  The plan demonstrated that the Council was ready to go, once the funding is made available.

During discussion Cabinet unanimously supported the proposals making the following points:

·         The Government’s Transport spokesperson had emphasised that, in considering funding awards, the ability to implement plans would be important.  This plan ensured that the Council was well placed in this regard.

·         Members looked forward to plans being produced for other towns and expressed concern that some of the older narrow streets might provide challenges.

·         Cycling and walking infrastructure should be regarded as just as important as water and electricity services.

·         Officers were commended for the excellent work on the plan.

Rachel Wileman, Assistant Director Strategic Infrastructure and Planning, confirmed that plans were advancing for other areas – Bicester and Didcot later this year.  She agreed to check if these will be included in the bid for funding.

RESOLVED: to approve the Oxford Local Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP), including the Oxford cycle network plan.