Cardiff Cycling Campaign
Annual Meeting & AGM November 2013
Attendance:
Ken Barker
Iona Gordon
Richard Evans
Ian Llewellyn
Caroline Dalimore
Julian Langston
Lewis Mottram
Jo Sachs-Eldridge
Gwenda Owen
Mari Williams
Peter Badcock
Tony Moon
Jane Lorimer
Pol van Steelant
Hugh Mackay
Max Wallis
Julia Compton
Caro Wild
Richard Nelmes
David Malins
Apologies:
Griff Taylor
Sybil Williams
Introduced by Richard Nelmes, Chairperson.
Presentations:
a) Jo Sachs-Eldridge, Cardiff Council, Q & A session
Questions had been submitted to Cardiff Council and responses – to be checked – were given by Jo Sachs-Eldridge, Cycling Officer.
i) W-E-W routes across the city centre
Prospective routes will be subject to further investigation and, in the case of Queen Street, risk assessment; a route might follow Boulevard de Nantes.
ii) Cycling route protection in front of Cardiff General railway station / Central Square
This will be part of the design brief for the redevelopment of Central Square, and will be subject to risk assessment, with developments to be reported to the Cycle Liaison Working Group.
iii) Blackweir bridge, future ownership and maintenance
Cardiff Parks will take responsibility for ownership, protected right of way, and condition survey on hand over by Cardiff University.
iv) Cycling budget
Jo presented a spreadsheet in which funds from the following were identified:
o Cardiff Council - £625,000 in 2013, £450,000 in 2014.
o Welsh Assembly Government - £1,185,000 in 2013.
o SEWTA - £650,000 in 2014, then £900,000.
o Festival - £6,000
She promised Routes 6 + 9 details for the Campaign’s website.
v) Pont-y-Werin & Cardiff and Vale links
Pont-y-Werin links are respectively the responsibilities of Cardiff & Vale of Glamorgan Councils; preliminary designs will be consulted. It was pointed out that discontinuity of links and signage on the Cardiff Bay side were not being tackled, though acknowledged there are ongoing changes in land ownership and development.
vi) ‘Enfys’ strategic route network and “action plan”
Jo introduced a chart, “Enfys Cycling Action Plan” (that had been circulated in the Cycle Liaison Working Group) highlighting developments related to Routes 1 Cathays Terrace; 6 Riverside + Canton; 8 spur Clarence Road / James Street; 9 Colum Road / Corbett Road junction; Taff Trail underpass ramp; sustainability project for Roath. Also, the 20mph pilot, 2 years from Feb/Mar 2014; Cynefin Plan waymarking project.
Future work on Routes 9 Colum Road / North Road; 50/62 Kitchener Road / Leckwith Road; 5 Taff Trail to Ely Trail; Route 6 street audit. She referred also to the Councillor bike ride; adult cycling training; cycle travel monitoring.
Finally, Jo is leaving Cardiff Council to work for Local Transport Projects, to be replaced as Cycling Officer by Nick Peers.
b) Mari Williams – “Building momentum for a cycling city”
Mari described her experiences of cycling with companion in America, Europe, Asia: ‘two teachers, two bikes, one world’ blogspot.
Developing cycling offers challenges but opportunities; the need to address barriers to people cycling: ‘fear’ and perceptions with measures to slow traffic and lessen traffic volumes; a need for clear and simple campaign messages, a vision to express the benefits of cycling and walking.
There was discussion about the target spend per person in cycling infrastructure > £10 per head, on momentum, on coalition for change; lobbying councillors, a cycling conference with Assembly Members; the Parliamentary ‘All-Party Cycling Group; potential Labour Party manifesto commitment for 2015; informing council officers of cyclists’ experiences on-road and on the leisure trails.
Annual General Meeting
1) Attendance and apologies
(11 members / supporters attending).
2) Minutes of the Campaign Annual General Meeting held on 12th November 2012
Written minutes were circulated, and approved.
3) Annual Report 2013
A written report was circulated and presented. The following were noted:
- successful commuter challenge during Bike Week 2013
- development of Twitter & Facebook pages & growth of website content
- taking leading part in Cycling Liaison Working Group
- engagement with cycle route developments, including difficult issues of Cardiff Bridge (programme scheduled for this year).
4) Annual Accounts 2012 – 2012
A report was presented. Bank balances total around £3,000 so we’re still comfortable; however, income (membership down £300, to £696, because we have not asked for renewals), and expenditure down, to £575, (with one newsletter published and a new pop-up banner), producing a small surplus in the year. The Report was accepted.
5) Membership fees
A membership report was given: there has been a decline in Campaign membership again. A commitment has been made to improving the records and developing email communications, which the membership secretary will lead on. It was agreed to maintain the current membership subscription rates.
6) Appointment of independent financial examiner
Gill Tulley was reappointed as the independent financial examiner.
7) Election of Campaign officers
The following were proposed and accepted nomination and were duly elected:
Chair: Richard Nelmes
Secretary: Ken Barker
Treasurer: Richard Evans
Newsletter Editor: Ken Barker
Website: Lewis Mottram
Membership & Recruitment: David Malins
8) Discussion on Cycling Manifesto / Vision for Cycling City
The proposal to develop a clear statement of the Campaign’s broad demands and vision for cycling in Cardiff was introduced; in Bristol, they have described theirs’ as a manifesto and it’s a campaign tool for uniting support for cycling across the city. WE agreed that this set out strong messages but that they shouldn’t be finalised or adopted without having dialogues on own vision, at a conference event in the Spring 2014; we’ll need to work on a programme and invites to attend, also contributions.
9) Other business –
a) Cycling Liaison Working Group: it was agreed to ask the next Campaign meeting to prepare proposals for our representatives; to work with CTC reps; to support Iona Gordon as chair of the Working Group.
The CLWG needs to concentrate on an overseeing strategic role and not to get too detailed; review of the cycle route network & development of the Active Travel arrangements.
b) Campaign Against the Levels Motorway: it was agreed to submit an opposing response to the Welsh Government’s consultation by 16th December 2013 in the Campaign’s name (RE).
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