Council vote on helping to make cycling easier
Shropshire Council has pledged to raise the standard of cycling infrastructure across the county to encourage more people to get on their bikes.
Councillors unanimously supported calls for the authority to enshrine new Department for Transport (DfT) guidance into plans for any future active travel projects following a cross-party motion tabled at a full council meeting on Thursday.
It means schemes must meet the highest design, construction and safety standards as set out in the DfT’s Local Transport Note 1/20, published in July alongside the government’s new walking and cycling plan ‘Gear Change’.
The motion, brought by Labour’s Kate Halliday with support from Liberal Democrats Roger Evans and David Vasmer, and Green Party member Julian Dean, asked council to support the Prime Minister’s ‘Gear Change’ vision, and “ensure all cycling infrastructure built in Shropshire conforms to the standards laid out in LTN 1/20”.
Councillor Halliday warned the government was expecting councils to adhere to the guidance regardless of whether they were seeking government funding or not.
She said: “People will cycle and walk more if we have better infrastructure.
“Health will improve, wellbeing will improve, congestion will improve and we will also help with reducing emissions.”
Councillor Halliday added that recent grant bids by the council to the DfT for cycling schemes were unlikely to be successful due to their failure to meet the strict new criteria.
Councillor Dean put forward an amendment to the motion, proposing the council draw up a Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan and trial ‘low traffic neighbourhoods’.
He said: “Using the term ‘low traffic neighbourhoods’ clarifies that these measures are not just about town centres, they are about making neighbourhoods more accessible to everyone ‘from eight to 80’, as the paper puts it.
“With increased home working, neighbourhood living in our larger towns needs to be supported and encouraged.
“There may not be that many places where these schemes apply in Shropshire, but now is the time to trial them. With continued emphasis on home working and continued reduced capacity in public transport we should grab the bull by the horns and give people the incentive to make those short journeys by foot and by bike.”
Councillor Dean’s amendment was defeated with 33 votes against, 16 for and four abstentions, before the original motion was passed unanimously.
Council leader Peter Nutting said: “I support this motion, we would always support a motion that is promoting the work of the Prime Minister and I think we all agree cycling is good.”
Councillor Hannah Fraser said she would like to see a real push by the council towards making cycling a realistic option for people who currently feel they have no choice but to drive.
She said: “I would like to see many, many more journeys done by cycle and much safer spaces for cyclists. I would urge the council to show some real imagination in terms of cycling infrastructure as they put new schemes in.
“It has to be safe, it has to be easy to navigate and it has to be sufficiently away from cars and other traffic for inexpert cyclists to use it.”
Councillor Fraser also suggested old railway routes, such as Shrewsbury to Pontesbury, could be utilised to create new cycleways.
She added: “I think a really bold vision for really good infrastructure in Shropshire is well overdue.”
