Right to Ride Report

Heather Rainbow – one of our our R2R representatives has produced a report based on a presentation she made to the climate change panel for Basingstoke and Deane Council.

Cycling is a smart choice.

Every trip taken by bike rather than by car is good for you and good for the environment. Learn more about the CTC's stance on global change and what we, as cyclists, can do to reduce our impact on the planet here: www.cyclingforchange.com

Cycle Training – Please Help

Right to Ride campaigners and Hampshire Cycling have been working hard to try and persuade Hampshire County Council to do more to promote cycle training.

Cycle training has been proven to increase the numbers of people cycling as well as improving people’s safety on the road. In vain we have repeatedly asked for cycle training to be advertised and actively promoted but the department responsible for this is responsible for safety not for promoting modal shift, also erroneously they believe that increasing cycling numbers increases cycle casualties whereas research shows that the greater the number of cyclists the safer it is on the road. As you can see it is an uphill job.

Cycle trainers are not employees of Hampshire Council but freelance, however they are trained by the county to teach cycling proficiency (not the newer National Cycle Standard). There is a shortage of cycle trainers although you would never know it from the Hants website. Two Basingstoke county councillors have worked hard with schools to persuade parents to allow their children to undertake cycle training. One councillor, Jo Kelly, has even trained to be a cycle instructor but she alone cannot meet the demand for cycle training by Cliddesden primary school. She has asked me to advertise this to all cyclists in the hope that some one may volunteer to be a cycle trainer.

HELP is desperately needed. More info from Heather Rainbow and from the CTC web site.

Cycle Parking in the Malls

Thank you everyone who wrote to protest about the lack of cycle parking provision in the proposed new refurbishment of the Malls.  Thanks to all your efforts the planning application was not passed behind closed doors but had a very public airing at the Planning Control committee.  This was reported in the local Gazette where cycling had a high profile.  It was certainly not passed on the nod as the headline indicated.

Although the planning application was passed it was amended that Councillor Biermann chairman of the Basingstoke Bicycle Users Group is to meet with officers and survey the Malls to identify where cycle stands should be erected.  We also had a lot of support from other councillors, so a campaign that was well worth it.

Heather Rainbow  

Cycle Campaigns

Summary of the CTC response to the recent consultation on the Basingstoke Town Access Plan

Basingstoke Town Centre Access Plan

Cycling policy for the town centre –
Connectivity,  Permeability  and Promotion of Cycling

In November there was a consultation at the Basingstoke borough offices in order to create a Town Access Plan (TAP).  As cyclists know Basingstoke town centre is pretty impenetrable for cyclists, even the national cycle route NCN 23 does not go there but visits the parks instead and you cannot even lock your bike up outside the bike shop at the top of town.

As a representative for cycling interests I have submitted a comprehensive report requesting improved connectivity, permeability and promotion of cycling.  This identifies the lack of cycle routes and missing sections of cycle routes to the town centre, the various routes/methods presently used to get into or across the town and the lack of promotion (secure cycle parking in the right place, information, signage, mapping, maintenance, cycle training, inadequate guidelines to developers and engineers on standards for infrastructure).

I have written to Councillor Elaine Still as she is Basingstoke Cabinet Member for the Environment and Climate Change and a councillor on the Hampshire  Environment and Transportation Select Committee.  I have asked Elaine to support the CTC submission for a cycle town access plan and in particular to change the prohibition of vehicles from the top of town to a prohibition of motorised vehicles which would allow cyclists to legally use London Street, Winchester Street, Wote Street and Church Street without fear of fines. 

What can you do?

You can read the full CTC proposals(see links below) and send in your support for these proposals to the borough council.  Numbers matter.

Cyclists can contact Councillor Elaine Still if they wish to lobby her for more and better cycle access to the town centre, this would reinforce the CTC submission.  The other important Basingstoke councillor is Cllr Rob Golding who is cabinet member for Planning and Infrastructure.  It is a good idea to copy or cc emails to the officer responsable for the TAP, James Gagg, he is the head of Hampshire Planning and Transportation North team.

Heather Rainbow
CTC elected Right to Ride Representative

The full CTC proposals in Acrobat
and Word

West Ham Leisure Park
to Basingstoke Town Centre
Cycle route consultation

19 January Brookvale Village Hall, Basingstoke :

A green route for walkers/cyclists from West Ham Leisure Park in the west to Basingstoke town centre- linking major retail, leisure and employment centres with the town centre facilities and the station- passing through a chain of open spaces which offer along the way opportunities for sport, play, quiet recreation and enjoyment of nature conservation areas.
 
The route could in the future be extended eastwards, to take in the river east of the town centre and on to Sherfield-on-Loddon, and westwards.

The history of the river and the Brookvale area will influence the design and there are opportunities for 'gateway features', way markers and art works along the way. Tree planting will be important  as well as creative management of the river channel and the adjoining open spaces, including flood alleviation measures, to improve and extend existing areas of nature conservation value.

Much of the route already exists in some form but improvements to the infrastructure are needed- paths, lighting, crossings, seating  and signage and creating new links where needed. We will be aiming to connect the route with the following (even if in places it has to be with notional links to be implemented in the future) West Ham leisure and retail complex, Grafton Way industrial estate, Milestones Museum, allotments & housing n. of Churchill Way, supermarket/ DIY stores at Thorneycroft roundabout , Basingstoke College of Technology site, the station, the Anvil and the town centre. This all ties in with a project to complete missing cycleway links across the town which transport planning are undertaking.

Drop-in consultation event is to be held onJanuary 19th in Brookvale Village Hall on Lower Brook St- it will run all day and into the evening
More information from Heather