Tyne Wear Local Access Forum – Notes of Meeting

21 May 2013

Present:

Dave Turnbull - Chair
Victor Cadaxa – Vice Chair
Ron Noble
Tony Skinner
Liz Bray

In Attendance:

Heather Evans - CTC
Trefor Williams – Prospective Member
Lisa Tracey – South Tyneside Council
Graeme Clark – ROW Officer, North Tyneside Council
Simon Carey – ROW Officer, Newcastle City Council
Tim Ducker – ROW Officer, Sunderland City Council
Neil Frier – Gateshead Council
John Bourn – Tyne and Wear LTP Team
Yvonne Forster* - Newcastle City Council

* author of note

1. Welcome and Apologies
Apologies received from Councillor Speding, Kathy Atkinson, Rob Hindhaugh
DT welcomed Trefor Williams to the meeting.
2. Declarations of Interest
None.
3. Minutes
Agreed
4. Matters Arising and not on agenda
None
5. Chairs Report – circulated with agenda
Capita - GC agreed working relationship with Capita was working well. North Tyneside Council has had a change of Mayoralty.
Budget – Difficult to compare different areas across Tyne and Wear, but overall budgets don’t look too bad. LT advised last years LTP allocation for South Tynesidewas £15k. Next years will be decided shortly by Cabinet. No money for match funding. ROW Officer now sits in large team with bigger budget.
Storm damage – There was a lot of localised flooding across the Tyne and Wear area, with Gateshead worst affected. DT has been asked to take report to next Regional LAF.
VC said we should be asking the Regional Meeting to contact regional MPs to see if they can offer any support.
Health Links –TS explained he had extracted parts of the NICE Guidance relating to Directors of Public Health, which lists what they should be doing, and this formed basis of letter which the LAF sent to them. Clarification needed of what authority NICE have. VC thought they can only issue recommendations. Director of Public Health at Sunderland has requested a meeting with DT. It is not thought there is any coordination between the five Tyne & Wear Public Health Directors. GC received letter from Cycling Campaign. Will copy to the LAF.
Parliament has produced a cross party paper on cycling, to increase cycling up to 20% of all journeys. Cycling to be item on agenda at next meeting.
6.Publicity and Membership Campaign – (circulated)
DT outlined the targeted campaign and the lessons learned. Would welcome other ideas for further targeted campaigns. The PAM Working Group will have a post implementation review on 4 June to work out what to do next. A new remit will be brought to the next LAF meeting.
TD referred to the last bullet point of lessons learnt, and pointed out it is the local authorities who set out the appointment process, not Natural England. DT said he is consulting with NE and other local authorities on how to officially appoint members so that we do it properly.
GC suggested contacting the new Mayor and Cabinet at North Tyneside Council to raise the LAF’s profile with them.
7. National Conference (circulated)
DT felt theConference was very informative but slightly frustrating in that it was felt NE were not listening to the LAF’s.
VC said it had been useful to meet other colleagues who were not Chairs or Vice Chairs to talk about regionwide issues.
NE did say in letter they are working on Memoranda of Understanding.
DT to follow up top 3 priorities requested in Conference report.
8. Officer Reports (circulated)
JB gave update on LSTF and LTP.
LSTF – progressing. Lots of activities taking place in schools. Stepping up activities at employment areas.Core Team were visited by DfT who were very pleased with progress.
LTP – reprinted 22,000 copies of cycle map. Sky Ride will be held in Newcastle/Gateshead on 27 July as well as other guided rides in Gateshead and Newcastle. DT said it would be interesting to look at growth of cycling prompted by these events. NF said this is very hard to monitor.
A 33 page summary document of LTP is now available on line, which mentions the LAF and ROW.
VC asked about plans to allow bikes on the Metro and provision of lock ups for cyclists. JB said Newcastle have bid for £5million from the Cycle City Ambition Fund, and are looking at allowing bikes on the Metro system, but this is some way off. As part of the LSTF Go Smarter to Work programme, secure lockers and parking shelters are being provided at Metro stations throughout Tyne and Wear.
PROW Officer Reports
Gateshead (NF) –report circulated for info. Maintenance budget cut by 50% to £21k. £286k available from other funds. The group discussed the benefits of CAMS which has recently been installed. NF said it was a good management tool, especially with staff cutbacks.
Newcastle (SC) – report circulated for info. Legal Order for Footpath 4 Brunswick and Footpath 6 Dinnington has now been sent to the Secretary for State. It is expected there will be a public enquiry, probably in December. The decision on dedication of land for use as public bridleway at Havannah Nature reserve will be made in house by the appropriate Director
North Tyneside (GC) – report circulated for info. Work resurfacing the Shiremoor Bluebell Path started today. GC stressed importance of retaining cycleways and PROW in new developmets and bringing this to the attention of the developers. DT offered to get story in local press requesting information on definitive routes. KA may also have information on specific routes.
HE mentioned path on Hedley Lane – posts installed, lights not working. GC to investigate.
GC to email relevant planning consultations to TS as planning portal doesn’t seem to be working.
South Tyneside (LT) – report circulated for info. Updating leaflets and website for Green Space Team. Strimming contract awarded to Glendale
Sunderland (TD) – report circulated for info. TD highlighted development of Coalfield Cycle Route along A182 corridor avoiding traffic.
9. Planning Working Group
VC summarised work of Planning Group since last meeting. (report tabled) It is hoped more members would join the LAF to spread the workload, especially in Gateshead. It would be helpful if ROW Officers could advise the LAF on relevant issues in their area. Pursuing Woodland Trust as this could affect other open spaces. Missing Links – VC, DT and KA will meet to discuss and pursue. VC thanked ROW Officers for replying to letters and thanked DT and KA for their work.
VC thanked TD for hosting site visit to HettonLyonsCountryPark and Stephenson Trail. It was noted only South Tyneside has their Local Plan in place.
10. Publicity and Membership Working Group
Covered earlier and minutes circulated with agenda for info.
11. Data Mapping
Note circulated with agenda for info. DT felt information on people using open spaces could be very useful especially when linked to the health agenda. It is intended to look at this in more detail.
12. AOB
Results of LAF survey circulated for info and to be discussed at he next meeting
HE advised group that there is no longer free access to Gibside for cyclists and walkers to use their facilities, as has generally been the case at National Trust properties in the past. NF to investigate as this isn’t the information supplied by National Trust.
13. Date of next meeting
Tuesday 24 September 2013 / Gateshead Civic Centre