Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Andy Bebington (Vice-Chair), Hal Bransby and Sue Ritchie.

To receive notice of any business not on the agenda which in the opinion of the Chair, by reason of special circumstances, be considered as a matter of urgency.

There were no items of urgent business.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 26 June 2018 as an accurate record.

The minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 26 June 18 were agreed as an accurate record.

In accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct and the statutory provisions of the Localism Act, Members and co-opted Members of the Council are reminded that it is a requirement to register disclosable pecuniary interests (DPIs) and gifts and hospitality to the value of which exceeds £50 or multiple gifts and/or instances of hospitality with a cumulative value of £50 or more when received from a single donor within a rolling twelve month period. In addition, Members and co-opted Members are reminded that unless their disclosable pecuniary interest is registered on the register of interests or is the subject of a pending notification to the Monitoring Officer, they are required to disclose those disclosable pecuniary interests at the meeting. This should be done by completing the Disclosure of Interest form and handing it to the Democratic Services representative at the start of the meeting. The Chair will then invite Members to make their disclosure orally at the commencement of Agenda item 3. Completed disclosure forms will be provided to the Monitoring Officer for inclusion on the Register of Members’ Interests.

There were none.

To share a brief update on the following items:

a)    Bicycle Policy Audit

-       Brief update regarding questionnaire & future workshop

b)   Cycling Strategy

-       Update on delivery

c)    Dockless Bikes Update

-       Update on the feasibility study being produced for the Council and feedback from London-wide Working Group

d)   Liveable Neighbourhood plans

-       Update on status of the bid proposal to TfL

e)    LIP Funding – Outcomes from Workshop

-       Update on LIP3 development including feedback from stakeholder workshop

f)     Terms of Reference

-       To include the Pedestrian consideration and representation

a)     Bicycle Policy Audit

The Transport Strategy Manager shared with Members of the Forum that the consultants were still undertaking background work to the Bicycle Policy Audit. There was a draft questionnaire that was under review and would be ready in the next few weeks. The questionnaire was intended to be a scoring exercise for stakeholders to assess how Croydon Council is performing with regards to cycle policy.

The forum was in consensus that the Cycling Policy Audit would be referred again in the future.

b)     Cycling Strategy

The Programme Manager updated the forum on what was currently being delivered on the Cycling Strategy.

Item 11 - a full presentation for those on that tour will be delivered as part of the tour. The heart of it is the cycle network focused on the town centre.

The main highlight from last month was the Ampere Way traffic orders and notices. There was no objections received and the technical designs were being produced.

The Fairfield Halls frontage - In advance of the traffic order and notices, early demolition and reconstruction work had commenced and would continue into the autumn. This is a key route up from the park lane cycle crossing to East Croydon station.

Bike Hangars - The Programme of introducing cycle storage on Council housing estates was still ongoing and had recently been extended to the public highway / streets around Croydon but there was resistance to the first tranche of proposed Bike Hangars going in on street.

The areas of concern has been notified to the Cabinet Member and the   relevant Ward Councillors in the north of the Borough.

c)     Dockless Bikes Update

Officers updated the forum on the feasibility study that looked at the high level strategy level and transport was ongoing. The study was being developed, however because there was much flux in the market we have asked to delay finalising it until further information is received from TfL and London Councils on the progress of a London wide byelaw.

Officers continued to state that TFL developed their second edition of code of practice - http://content.tfl.gov.uk/dockless-bike-share-code-of-practice.pdf.

They continued informing the forum that currently boroughs had no powers to enforce the bikes on the streets, except if it is blocking footway entirely and then would be considered as an obstruction. TfL and Boroughs have been investigating routes for managing the schemes properly and enforcing against rogue operators. TFL and London Councils in partnership with Borough officers are looking to progress a pan London byelaw. The byelaws would take at least a year which was a long term process.

The forum learned that the service would be in a better position in a few months to understand the direction of travel across London and provide recommendations for delivery in Croydon.

The Borough will need to identify funding for the delivery of a dockless bike share scheme.

Action: Dockless bikes to be revisited.

d)     Liveable Neighbourhoods Plan

The officer updated the forum on the status of the bid  ...  view the full minutes text for item 36/18

Michael Barrett from Transport for London (TfL) delivered a presentation which looked at the Cyclist of Roadworks and highlighted the following:

·         Roadworks needed to manage a lot of things, including cycling, people, buses, budget, and motorists.

·         The presentation showed the five point assessment check which was in the management’s guidance red book.

·         There was engineers who looked into the roadworks, but did not have any cycling experience.

·         Road works patrol had been quite successful. Looking ahead it was a scheme in how TfL can patrol in the future.

·         TfL was looking for more doors to be opened to encourage safety for other road users and those with learning disability, autism and walking impairments bespoke vehicles.

·         The idea of a lane rental charge to be applied.

·         Protection of the road workers. It was not always about the motorists and cyclists. There was a method to slow motorists down using the rumble strips.

·         Cycle mats which were comfortable to cycle on.

·         Cycle plate which was a mitigation measure to slow vehicles down.

·         Indirect benefits of efficient HGV management and the protection for both cyclist and driver.

·         Marshall training had taken place.

·         Looking at different ways for crushed sites and saving money.

Members of the forum were impressed with the creativity, and suggested that this could be applied to Croydon roads not operated by TfL.

Members of the forum NOTED this report.

The discussion of new cycling offences and how it impacts legislation; and

To discuss need for the definition at law of such an offence with the emphasis being proportional to the number of incidents of DSI caused by cyclists against DSIs caused by motorists

This item was deferred.

To outline the Council’s current position.

Officers presented the item and addressed that the 20mph limits had been introduced on most A-routes in Central London. This was also to be applied on roads within Croydon. There was no reduction speed on the A22, A23 and A222 routes. It was also said there was scope for the Local Authority to grow an enforcement action.

The forum discussed that 20mph was the limit in some parts of the borough, and questioned how the Council was enforcing it. Officers highlighted a recent tweet from the police road safety group, which indicated that there was 82 drivers that exceeded the road limits in the Purley area.

It was highlighted by Members of the forum that the A and B route roads are the focus for road casualties, and thus when the 20mph was initiated, it seemed to not be fully implemented.

The forum discussed that there could be more 20mph on major roads throughout the borough. Driving was a high issue across the whole of London. In talks of dangerous driving and safety, the forum highlighted that it was the responsibility of the Road Safety Team and the police to enforce and take prosecutions for dangerous drivers. This followed the discussion raised that speeding was an illegal activity and should not be downgraded. Speeding kills and the responsible authority should do more to stop such behaviour.

It was noted that Traffic police had been pulled away to respond to other activities not only in Croydon but around London. The Mayor of London was also responsible for the police, and it was unfortunate that the number of police had been reduced. The forum suggested the idea of educating people around the consequences of hit and run to reduce death from dangerous driving.

Members of the forum NOTED this report.

To discuss how this area could be made safer and easier for people who want to cycle.

Officers presented the item of Purley Cross and the dangers for cyclists. Officers shared that cyclist would have to look behind their shoulder before they could cycle off on the northbound and southbound of the A23 and A22.

Officers shared TfL had plans for Purley Cross to make the area more cycle friendly and easier for pedestrians to make it less dangerous; for example the A22 southbound towards Croydon, the journey for cyclists was horrendous, however if cyclists turn the other side towards the Purley Station their journey would be a lot safer, hilly but safer.

There was an idea for the pedestrian underpass to be part of a journey for cyclist and pedestrians. The forum discussed that the underpass could be used for cyclists to use southbound only as the northbound direction would be more difficult from the crossover of the bus lanes and the subways being on the other side.

Officers shared that there had been a lot of discussions on this where there had been positive recent changes from TfL (officer responsible for London Road network).

Action: Ian to provide feedback from TfL.

Members of the forum NOTED this report.

To update on planning application; and,

Ensuring safe and easy cycling is built into the plans for the new link road between these areas

Officers circulated the plans and a map of Waddon Marsh Way and Hersterman Way to the forum and said that the developers of the Stewarts Plastics site would like to make a new road through the complex to have easier access into the Valley Retail Park.

The planning application for this work had not been determined yet. The initial proposals did include footways four metres either side with the intention to provide a footway and a segregated cycle lane at footway level.

The Lombard roundabout was also discussed by Members of the forum highlighting that there was a safety risk for cyclists on the roundabout and along Mitcham Road (where there was a cycle fatality).

Waddon Marsh Way was also not far from the new cycle tracks being implanted on Ampere Way and there is scope to provide a continuous route further south onto the A23. The forum was informed historically there was not much discussion for cyclists on the A23 but there is scope to look at the opportunities afforded by new developments in the area.

Members of the forum NOTED this report.

To discuss the planning of the tour and the follow up tour of Croydon Town Centre.

The forum discussed the Mini Holland Tour trip was to be held on the afternoon of Friday 28^th September 2018. This was a half day trip. The plan for this trip was about the dockless bikes, to see how Waltham Forest could be brought to Croydon and also looking at options from the Olympic Park.

A majority of the forum present was planning to attend the organised tour alongside others not present at the meeting. A member of the forum volunteered to arrange a meeting place and area for bike collection for those not bringing their own bikes.

The Croydon Cycle Tour was not yet scheduled. Also a consensus preferred for the tour to be held on a weekday in October 2018 following the trip to Waltham Forest. This would show what issues there was with the traffic and the way in which cycling would be safe and legible for cyclists.

Route around Croydon will be derived from the Strategic transport team in the presentation.

Action: Croydon cycle Tour presentation and an agreed day to be scheduled in mid-October. Request for a weekday or weekend.

Dicussion of recent activities and and changes.

There was no updates for the Cycling groups.

Officers highlighted that the half term course had added extra cycling instructors due to demand. The split between adults and children was about twenty-five percent for adults trained. There was no awareness of instructor groups as it was hard to bring people to the training and also challenging for them to be enrolled.

Action: Presentation for cycle trainers looking at funding, training and how it would be supported.

The forum highlighted the second running year of the cyclist view survey. The survey was scheduled to close in December 2018. Twenty-one people had responded so far. The survey was to help refresh the types of bikes used.

The forum noted that there was two barriers put in Love Lane, which had moped restriction measures. Officers were keen to work with the borough to stop legitimate cyclists from going through safe routes and inconsiderate cyclists from causing hazards.

The forum discussed the Cyclist Challenge which was organised by the MET and took place at the velodrome. The challenge looked at the construction industry and the experience of wheels for wellbeing. The day was a great mix of team and relationship exercise with other agencies including the ambulance, TfL and other cyclists.

The forum noted that the TfL report had been released in relation to Five Ways following two rounds of consultation. This needed to be discussed further at Cycle forum, as there was some good things addressed, although more detail was required. TfL would be invited to attend the next meeting.

In 2017, the Accident statistics had shown there was a large jump from five to fifteen percent, this was due to the way the MET was collecting information. The accident statistics were London wide and not just a Croydon issue. It was said that TfL and the MET would look further into the report.

Tuesday 27 November 2018 at 6pm.

The following motion is to be moved and seconded where it is proposed to exclude the press and public from the remainder of a meeting:

“That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information falling within those paragraphs indicated in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended.”

This was not required.