Agenda item

Cabinet Member: Environment

Forward Plan Ref: 2020/068

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

Report by Director for Planning & Place (CA).

The Bicester Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) is a detailed 15-year plan which sets out how to improve cycling and walking in Bicester. The plan includes a target to significantly increase cycling in Bicester by 2035 and the evidence of how this is to be achieved. There are supplementary plans with walking and cycling schemes provisionally costed at £40 million. The LCWIP fits in with and directly supports the Bicester Transport Strategy and Local Plan proposals and the wider agenda for the town, including continued emphasis on Healthy Place Shaping. The LCWIP will be a subsidiary document of the new Local Transport and Connectivity Plan, currently being developed. 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.

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

Cabinet had before them a report seeking approval of The Bicester Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP), a detailed 15-year plan that sets out how to improve cycling and walking in Bicester.  There was

Councillor John Sanders, Shadow Cabinet Member for Environment expressed disappointment not to see 2031 predictions for Cat D. He noted that even with best case scenarios it was expected that there would be more car traffic 2031 than today. He queried the lack of a milestone project plan to enable councillors to monitor progress. He felt that the new developments had not been built as fully low traffic neighbourhoods and may need some modifications.

Councillor Sanders also queried whether adequate resources were in place.

Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet Member for Environment thanked Councillor Sanders for the points raised noting that a timetable was not possible as it would be necessary to bid for Governments funding. She added that officers would look at the issue raised about the data on which the developments in Bicester are based and respond directly.

Councillor Constance introduced the report and moved the recommendations. Chair, Oxford Cycle Network had written urging us to recognise the value of this plan for cycling. Councillor Constance added that Robin Tucker.

Patrick Lingwood, Active Travel Hub Lead, detailed the contents of the report setting out the context to the proposals that was aimed at managing the future growth of Bicester.

Councillor Stratford, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health welcomed the concept of improved walking and cycling routes primarily for people’s health and wellbeing and supported the recommendations. However, he highlighted several areas where he felt that further work would be helpful. Paragraph 9 of the report referred to the need for robust transport solutions and he felt that for Bicester this required more than a cycling and walking plan. He queried the assumption in paragraph 10 that many, if not most of short trips within Bicester could be made on foot or by cycle. Councillor Stratford felt that there was little evidence for this, and he highlighted the needs of the elderly or disable who may need their cars in order to get around. He highlighted the funding gap and the difficulties of securing S106 monies; the problems in making an old town suitable for modern transport needs and the difficulty of predicting the needs of people who were expected as the population grew but who were not yet able to be consulted.

Councillor Corkin, Cabinet Member for Council Business & Partnerships welcomed the proposals thanking officers for a comprehensive piece of work. He welcomed the focus on his local area and saw the breadth and depth of ambition expressed as a marker for the future. He particularly welcomed the connectivity to the rural area around Bicester that looked to Bicester as their market town. This would be important not just for the residents but for the economy of Bicester. He added that as a wider sustainability point only three of the parishes in his Division had access to a scheduled bus service. Going forward creative thinking would be needed about what sort of on demand options would be available to give sustainable choices to all of his residents.

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