Minutes of the HDCF meeting 1st Dec 2015

Attendees: Philip Ayerst, Ruth Fletcher (Chair), Peter Silburn (Secretary), Graham Sitton (Forest NC/Blueprint), Mark Treasure

Apologies: Jane Apostolou (HTCP), Richard Bates, Neil Clarke, Andrew Cooke, Geoff Farrell (WSCF), Jenny Nagy (Southwater PC), Chris Stark (WSCC), Francis Vernon

Approval of previous minutes

Approved unamended.

Matters arising

The “phone” signs on the gates by the level crossing in Parsonage Road have now been adjusted so they no longer intrude into the (very narrow) cycle lane.

The poor surfacing on Worthing Road near the Boar’s Head was logged on the Love West Sussex website but the issue has been closed with no apparent action being taken. Ruth to find out why the issue was closed.

Ruth

Philip queried why there were no ASLs on the new Albion Way/Bishopric crossings. Ruth explained that this junction was originally part of the LSTF scheme and money was awarded to provide ASLs here. The junction was removed from the LSTF project and the new design was funded from the Waitrose/John Lewis development [S278 agreement]. The money received by the council was based on providing ASLs at this junction, so they should have been included. The fact that they were not demonstrates a lack of interest in providing for cycling.

Ruth said that the reason the forum had made relatively little noise about this is that, although ASLs have a small benefit for existing cyclists, we were concerned that focusing on these ASLs could give the impression that ASLs were far more useful than they actually are and divert attention away from more important infrastructure improvements. There was a discussion and it was agreed that the misuse of public money (taking a grant to spend on ASLs and then not providing them) was a serious issue which should be more widely publicised.

Philip raised the issue of automatic traffic light signals not being triggered by bicycles, in particular at the Brighton Road/Parkway junction and junctions on Albion Way. It was agreed that this is a general problem on these ASLs. Prior to implementation, the forum had raised this as a potential issue and WSCC had confirmed to the forum that the detectors would be set to detect both steel and aluminium bikes. Philip/Ruth to investigate.

Cycle parking at the Pavilions and outside Park House. Philip to follow up.

Philip

LSTF east-west route

We have written to Peter Smith (WSCC) asking for documents we have been promised: namely the consolidated snagging list, the tender document and a copy of the safety audit. Peter to follow up. If these are not forthcoming a FOI request may be needed.

Peter

The snagging list had been discussed and should be in the next minutes of Forest Neighbourhood Council meeting.

Planning applications

Phillip, Ruth, Francis and Peter met to discuss how to respond effectively to planning applications. Phillip has drawn up an action plan. We are putting together a “kit of parts” to enable us to quickly and effectively respond to planning applications.

There was a general discussion about the value of responding and which applications to respond to. Kilnwood Vale is effectively part of Crawley so we will contact the Crawley forum about handling this. Francis has receives notice of an appeal at Pease Pottage. Philip will look into why he has not received it. We need to decide whether to make a response.

Ruth, Philip

A further meeting will be held in the new year.

Philip, Steering group

Task & Finish Group, councillors’ briefing

The online portal being set up by Sustrans is due to go live imminently. A maximum of 50 consultees (parish councils, CLCs etc.) will be given access and will be able to enter potential routes into the system, which will automatically rate them on factors such as proximity to population centres. We have been promised training on the system. We should be able to enter annotations to routes (e.g. that reference are own briefing documents on the Southwater route and the Missing Link to Crawley).

We have argued for a wider input from all local councils as well as the forum being able to input directly, not just through the WSCF. The timescales (supposedly completed by Christmas) are clearly unrealistic. We will keep in contact with the T&FG and the WSCF.

Steering group

The idea of briefing meetings with groups of local councillors (who will be the consultees in the T&FG process) was discussed but it was felt this was currently too large a task to undertake given the short timescale and uncertainty about how the process will operate, but we will continue our longer term aim of engaging with parish and neighbourhood councils.

North of Horsham

No updates.

Meeting with Jeremy Quin

Ruth and Peter will be meeting our local MP on 9th December.

Cycle Infrastructure Design Workshop

This is being organised in Chichester on 19th March 2016 by Sarah Sharp (City Councillor, Chicycle) and will an opportunity for campaigners, parish councillors etc. to gain practical skills to help in pushing for safe cycling infrastructure. There will be a chance to see the notorious Northgate roundabout and find out about Chemroute (the Chichester to Emswoth cycle route).

Speakers will be: Mark Strong, Managing Consultant of Transport Initiatives, Phil Jones, of Phil Jones Associates, one of the UK’s Leading Independent Transport Planning Specialists, and Dr Rachel Aldred, Senior Lecturer in Transport at the University of Westminster. There will be a sliding scale of fees (unwaged free etc.). You can see more details here.

Councillors’ infrastructure visit

This idea is to invite councillors and officers to visit somewhere with good cycling infrastructure (in contrast to the recent ride across Horsham) and came from an original suggestion by Roger Geffen. The ride would be followed by a presentation, videos etc. on best practice (inevitably featuring Dutch infrastructure).

London and Brighton are the obvious candidates for a visit, although it was felt that neither offers a coherent and convincing case for the unconverted. There are interesting individual features to explore (quiet routes, filtered permeability etc.) and even some good sections (such as the CS5 upgrade between Oval and Pimlico) but the only place in the UK to offer what we need is probably Cambridge. Likely timescale would be early next spring. Discussions to continue.

Steering group

Riverside Walk

Ruth and Peter met with Jane Apostolou, David Searle and Mike Powell from the Riverside Walk team to discuss a common approach to improvements to the path. Areas discussed included additional sources of funding (Coast2Capital, the PCC), what sections of the path were suitable for cycling and the need for wider and better all-weather surfacing that benefits all users and needs less maintenance. Graham to email details of PCC funding.

Graham

We will pursue a follow-up meeting with the aim of producing an outline proposal for funding.

Ruth, Peter

Mannings Heath cycle route

Report to be produced.

Peter

Southwater cycle route

No updates but the winter social ride on the 12th December will be an opportunity to discuss this. For background information see: Southwater to Horsham cycle routes

Christs Hospital bridleway

Jenny Nagy (Southwater PC) has contacted the Rights of Way people about timescales. The parish council is interested in the issue and will be keeping us informed of developments. We are still waiting for the order to be announced.

Dutchells Copse link path

No updates.

Winter social ride

Everyone is welcome to join us for a family-friendly, leisurely ride to Southwater and back – with plenty of cake stops!

We will meet at 10:00 am by the bandstand near the Conservatory Café in Horsham Park and ride to the café at Southwater Country Park, where we hope some of our Southwater supporters will join us for a refreshment stop. We will then return to the Conservatory Café for a post-ride discussion (and more cake).

AOB

The promised 1.5m cycle lanes in Parsonage Road next to the new development have not been implemented: instead 70cm lanes have been painted on the road. We have written to Paul Addison. Ruth and Peter to discuss a course of action.

Ruth, Peter

Concerning the reported doubling of cycling casualties in West Sussex, the WSCC ECSSC will be meeting on the 14th December and are likely to discuss this. Graham mentioned there are sources of community funding such as the PCC and Tesco which could be accessed for campaigns.

Graham reported there are white lane markings which are not cycle lanes (e.g. on Comptons Lane/St. Leonard’s Road) which are not even maintained. Also, there are cycle route signs where there is no useful provision for cyclists (e.g. on Merryfield Drive) and a cycle route sign on Parsonage Way where no cycle lane exists.

Cyclestreets uses the official STATS19 data on RTCs and is a good way to find information on local collisions involving people on bikes, although it does not included the “contributory factors” data which can be used to find out which collisions were likely to have been the motorist’s and which the cyclist’s fault.

Date of next meeting

7:30pm on Tuesday 5th January in the Bodiam Room, County Hall North, WSCC, Parkside, Chart Way, Horsham. Please enter by the side entrance. Cycle parking is available.

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