metFeb08

NOTES OF HFCYCLISTS MEETING
Tuesday 5 February 2008, 7.15pm for 7.30pm

At 122c Edith rd, West Kensington, W14 9AP [home of John Griffiths, corner of Edith road and North End rd.]

PRESENT: John Griffiths, Sophie Gisbert, Susie Gretz, Gwen Cook, Chintan Makwana, Amanda Carter, Phil Lamont, David Balding, Julie Askins.

APOLOGIES: John Gilbert, Mark Fossick, Bill Ogden, Paul Alexander, Belinda Shattock, Gerry Berridge.

DATE / PLACE OF NEXT MEETING

Tuesday 4 March 715pm for 7.30pm
At 122c Edith rd, West Kensington, W14 9AP [put in diary now]

GWEN COOK'S PROPOSAL

On the previous day Gwen had sent the email group an outline of a proposal. It involved organising a cycling class for returning older cyclists, as a part of the Agewell program. This would run during the warmer months of this year.

Gwen explained that eight bikes would be bought and stored at Linford Christie Stadium, at Wormwood Scrubs. Up to eight people would come for two hours and cycle under guidance around Wormwood Scrubs or on accessible off carriageway tracks. For 2 hours a week Gwen would be paid as the organiser and back up person on the rides, and there would be two cycle trainers, one leading and one following the riders. Gwen expected the trainers to be paid through other funding, perhaps LBHF's travel awareness funding from TfL. Gwen used to work in Chris Bainbridge's team at the LBHF.

The maximum value of the grant is £5k. The grant comes from the Community Cycling Fund London, administered by the London Cycling Campaign from TfL funding.

We discussed aspects of the bid, but did not really scrutinise the merits of it. At the moment it is only in outline anyway. Gwen pointed out that it was meant to be a pilot, and that Agewell did not have funds for it. If it is meant as a pilot it should be set up to explore how it would be sustainable in the long term.

Julie praised the value of providing something positive in the north of the borough. People mentioned the kudos that might come from being associated with the bid.

There is a problem that the bid has to be in by the 22nd February, with the result known by 1 April. David pointed out that we cannot really act without the Treasurer being involved.

Unfortunately our Treasurer was not here and had not been contactable today. John gave Gwen the treasurer's contact details, but he may be abroad. We felt we needed more time to discuss it, and when Mark and Paul had given their apologies they had suggested leaving the subject till the next meeting. At worse there is another round of funding 3 months later with the result known by 15 June. But Gwen considered that too late.

Gwen pointed out that the bid would cause minimum inconvenience to hfcyclists, as much of the funding and purchasing would not be through our account, but could be handled directly by the LCC.

John sees the position as fronting a bid, rather than it being an hfcyclists' bid. He had a certain reluctance to endorse a bid that could be seen to be being made to remunerate the person making the bid. All other work and contributions the group make is voluntary. John had contacted Gordon Keenan today of Pedal Power London, who agreed to talk to Gwen about his not for profit company acting as the group presenting the proposal. Gwen was not enthusiastic about this as hfcyclists is a Community group and so eligible for 100% of the £5k grant, whereas a not for profit company was only eligible for 70% or a £3.5k maximum grant.

John will talk to Sarah Slater at LCC who is dealing with the bids, and Gwen will talk to Gordon.

WESTFIELD

Westfield was in the local papers last week concerning its power over the transport infrastructure and its disregard for the disabled. John has written a letter to the Chronicle and Gazette, pointing out that cyclists and pedestrians get a poor deal, and that the positioning and size of the Toucan crossing from the Central Line station to the West 12 centre is a recipe for disaster.

Westfield and LBHF Highways see the plans as already fixed, and are reluctant to make any changes unless forced to do so.

However there are conditions to the planning agreement that have not yet been met.

One is that there has to be a CYCLING STRATEGY showing how cycle parking will be distributed for the centre and how cycle routes will be provided linking into the cycle network.

Another is a PLANNING CONDITION that there has to be cycle routes provided through the planning area of the Southern Interchange [ ie North - South into it, and East - West along the Uxbridge rd]

The group wanted to have a large number of people, both cyclists and pedestrians, expressing their feelings about how the rights of cyclists are being disregarded in this planning so far. It affects pedestrians because if cyclists are forced into pedestrian space it should be done in a safe way.

WESTFIELD - APPEALLING TO LBHF COUNCILLORS

Cllr Nick Botterill is in the Cabinet Member for the Environment and Cllr Eugenie White chairs the Cleaner and Greener Scrutiny Committee. Cllr Nick Botterill has said in a letter dated 14 December 2007 that

"Not withstanding the above, this administration is committed to trying to ensure that we get the best possible solutions for cyclists within the given parameters of traffic and bus flows and Cabinet Members will consider the final proposals for the southern interchange before deciding whether they can be agreed or need to be referred back to the Planning Applications Committee. We will take a similar approach with the Westfield Cycling Strategy when the final version is produced. Officers have been made aware of the Administration's wishes in these respects and I can confirm that many members, but in particular myself and Councillor White, will be paying particular attention to the proposed outcomes."

http://www.hfcyclists.org.uk/NB141207.pdf

One thing each of us can all do is to contact our local Councillor, and ask them to relate to Cllr Nick Botterill and Cllr Eugenie White that a strong Westfield Cycling Strategy should be insisted upon, one that encourages people to cycle and promotes their safety, without compromising the safety of pedestrians.

You should also ask your local Councillors to insist that the following Planning Condition is met.

Condition 2 of the planning agreement dated 10 July 2007 in the case 2007/02266/FUL of the planning application for the Southern interchange. The wording includes

2) The development hereby permitted shall not commence until details of cycling routes through the Southern Interchange and cycle parking to be provided in connection with the development have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Council, and such details as are approved shall be implemented prior to the commencement of this use.

[Application for the Southern Interchange, 2007/02266/FUL, lbhf Planning Applications Committee, 18 September 2007, on page 89 of the agenda, http://www.lbhf.gov.uk/Images/Final%20Agenda%2018.09.07_tcm21-85759.pdf]

Westfield have been taking the approach that a cycle route through the Southern Interchange only means a north - south / south - north one. However the area of the planning application includes the Uxbridge road, and this east - west / west - east cycle route, which is a main route for cyclists into Central London, is obviously covered by the condition.

Phil suggested that although an email was easier to send off, a letter might be more effective. One can also visit your local Councillor at one of their surgeries. Councillors contact details at

http://tinyurl.com/392fsz

WESTFIELD - A PETITION

John has written to Ken Livingstone in the past. The reply has pointed out that planning permission for such a development would never have been given these days. However all power to influence matters lies with LBHF.

Amanda wanted to start a petition. She will look into to whom at the Council it should be directed.

Phil will look into setting up an on-line petition, and also expects many of his colleagues at the BBC would be into signing a petition. Susie happy to go out in the cold and get people to sign up.

John will decide what should be put on it. We should get this out in a few days we hope.

WESTFIELD DOCUMENTS

Notes of Meetings, Responses to the Westfield Cycling Strategy group, letters to TfL, etc can be found at
http://www.hfcyclists.org.uk/SBGopen.htm

WESTFIELD - OTHER HOPES

Perhaps the Network Management Manager at TfL who is looking into things will manage to interfere with Borough roads. Pedestrians and cyclists count as traffic. The borough has its own half time Network Management Duty officer. John will try and contact.

Groups like HAFAD [H&F Action on Disability] might force LBHF to obey the DDA [Disability Discrimination Act].

WESTFIELD - TRAFFIC REDUCTION.

Sophie said that the key to solving the problem of cyclists being squeezed out of the picture was traffic reduction. Charging a toll on top of parking charges for Westfield would be one way.

Apropos of this

from Jenny Jones - Answers from the Mayor this month

Traffic reduction / Question No: 27 / 2008 /Jenny Jones

Given that estimated traffic flows have fallen slightly in 19 out of 32 London boroughs since 2000, do you think a future Transport Strategy should make traffic reduction a key policy priority? Would a 10% reduction in London traffic by 2012 do more to reduce air pollution and climate change emissions from transport than any other single policy measure?
Response from the Mayor
Yes. The cornerstone of my transport strategy as regards the environment is to continue modal shift away from car travel to public transport, cycling and walking. This is set out in my Climate Change Action Plan. However, many people will continue to need to drive for a variety of reasons, which is why we also need to encourage a shift to cleaner vehicles - such as through the proposed c02 charge for cars in the congestion zone and the Low Emission Zone for lorries -- reduce congestion, which increases emissions, and encourage better driving.
If every London driver simply chose the least polluting model of the car of their choice it would reduce emissions from cars by 30% overnight.

GREENFEST

Planning for this is going well. We are well ahead at this stage compared to previous years. We hope Richard Rogers and his group will be involved.

AGM - PLANNING FOR

It will be on 6 May 2008 at the info Centre. We suggested Jenny Jones as a visitor. John will contact her. It might be interesting to see if Duncan Bower of Westfield would like to come too.

RIDES, EVENTS, ETC?

HAVE YOUR SAY ON PLANS TO EXPAND HEATHROW AIRPORT -
PUBLIC MEETING: ON 12 FEBRUARY, 7PM @ HAMMERSMITH TOWN HALL
To be chaired by Councillor Nick Botterill, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment, along with Councillor Eugenie White, Chairman of the Cleaner, Greener Scrutiny Committee

The Council have produced a briefing note which demystifies runways and terminals etc. It can be found here.
http://www.hfcyclists.org.uk/heathrow.doc
********

CAZ
I am developing a website for women who want to cycle and look good doing
it! My blog http://londoncyclechic.blogspot.com/ is a precursor to the site
which will launch at the Capital woman event in March.

Check out my current post on Wheels and Heels; A cycling fashion show, as
part of London fashion week, taking place on Thurs 14th Feb at the Columbia
Road Flower Market in East London.

Caz Nicklin
07908 631 050

***********
Join a group ride to the capitalwoman event run by the GLA on Saturday 8th March.

The London Cycling Campaign is co-ordinating more rides to the event this year. Experienced cyclists are needed to help lead or support these rides - if you can help contact charlie@lcc.org.uk 020 7234 9310 x213
To register for the capitalwoman event see
http://www.london.gov.uk/capitalwoman/
Make sure to click the box for joining a group ride.

EXPENSES
Refreshments February - John had expenses of £22.03

DATE / PLACE OF NEXT MEETING

Tuesday 4 March 715pm for 7.30pm
At 122c Edith rd, West Kensington, W14 9AP [home of John Griffiths, corner of Edith road and North End rd. There is cycle parking outside in the street. For more info contact john as below.]

John Griffiths [chair / co-ordinator]
020 7371 1290 / 07789 095 748
john@truefeelings.com
OUR WEBSITE www.hfcyclists.org.uk