Agenda and minutes

To appoint a Chair and Vice-Chair for the Cycle Forum for the 2018/19 Municipal Year.

Councillor Muhammad Ali nominated Councillor Clive Fraser.

Andy Bebington seconded the motion.

The Cycle Forum RESOLVED to appoint Councillor Clive Fraser as the Chair of the Cycle Forum for the 2018/19 municipal year.

Councillor Clive Fraser nominated Andy Bebington.

Austen Cooper seconded this motion.

The Cycle Forum RESOLVED to appoint Andy Bebington as the Vice-Chair of

the Cycle Forum for the 2018/19 municipal year

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.

Apologies were received from Ian Plowright, Sue Ritchie, Isabelle Clement,

Hal Bransby and Michael Barratt (TfL) for absence and Councillor Stuart King

for lateness.

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.

Adrian Douglas informed the panel that his employer worked with the Council.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 20 March 2018 as an accurate record.

The minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 20 March 2018 were agreed as an accurate record.

Update from Tom Sweeney (Programme Manager for Walking and Cycling)

Tom Sweeney (Programme Manager for Walking and Cycling) updated the forum using a plan of Cherry Orchard road and the surrounding area. Referring to the plan, the forum was informed that:

·         A floating bus stop was implemented in this area.

·         The surfacing adjacent to the tram rails had been improved. This had previously been difficult to achieve due to the embedment material around the running rails which can melt during resurfacing.

·         Concrete shoulders had been formed adjacent to the tram rails. This

should have made crossing the tram easier for cyclists by providing a more durable level surface near the rails. It would also be easier to replace the surrounding tarmac should any maintenance be required, as tarmac would not be laid near the embedment material.

·         There were plans to put further cycle lane markings on the carriageway and also look at continuing the advisory lane on the carriage way further up Cherry Orchard Road.

·         The first phase of work had commenced and further improvements along the cycle route would be delivered over time. Further phases would connect to the London Cycle Network routes via Colson Road and Altyre Road.

The presenting officer stated that the scheme was in response to a fatality that occurred on this junction four and a half years ago. The Council had worked with Transport for London (TfL) on this scheme to overcome the significant technical challenges around the tram system and find the appropriate time to close the tram for construction.

The Chair had asked how cyclists could reach the town centre from the eastern of Addiscombe Road. The presenting officer replied that they would use the bus lane going west on Addiscombe Road. Once they reached the signal they can access the new cycling facility via the advance stop line at the junction.

A question was also asked in regards to how cyclists could reach Addiscombe

Road from East Croydon Station without having to dismount. The presenting

officer replied that under the current arrangement cyclists could use the general traffic lanes from Billinton Hill before accessing the short section of cycle lane adjacent to No.1 Croydon at the junction with Addiscombe Grove. In the longer term it may be possible to create a segregated cycle route from Billinton Hill to Cherry Orchard Road with the help adjoin landowners. Any other thoughts from the Forum about how cyclists wish to improve this area were welcomed.

A member of the forum expressed concern with cyclists’ bike wheels being trapped in the tram rail lines and how this could be avoided. The presenting officer replied that TfL provided guidance on this and recommended cyclist cross the tram system at a 90-65 degrees angle and don’t cycle parallel to the rails. In the long-term Croydon were looking create cycle routes away from the tram corridor (only crossing the tram system at close to 90 degrees) to resolve this issue.

Members of the forum acknowledged that segregating cyclists from traffic was

difficult in this area due to space  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23/18

Update from Tom Sweeney (Programme Manager for Walking and Cycling)

The Programme Manager for Walking and Cycling updated the forum using a map of the town centre.

Referring to the map, the roads effected by Phase Schemes were identified and keyed as:

·         Phase 1 (Green) – existing routes that met the London Cycle Network or Quietway standards

·         Phase 2 (Red) – key missing links in and around the town centre which were a priority for change

·         Phase 3 (Purple) – Area based cycle improvements in the wider area

·         Phase 4 (Blue) – long-term project routes (typically associated with larger developments and infrastructure changes in the town centre).

The forum heard more detail about the following improvements:

·         The Ampere Way route which would connect to the cycle route along the tram system (down to Wandle Park)

·         Wandle Park crossing – a new designated cycling facility north of the Wandle Park tramstop

·         Routes around West Croydon which in the long-term would link to a widened Poplar Walk which will provide space for a segregated cycle contraflow

·         The Bedford Park contraflow - design had been agreed and March 2019 is being considered as a start date for construction

·         Lower Addiscombe Road between Leslie Park Road and Grant Road -cycle connections in and out of the East Croydon area

·         Fairfield frontage and College Road – linking from the west and south to East Croydon station

·         New crossings around the Old Town roundabout

·         The Drummond Road cycle contraflow

A member of the forum was asked if more could be said about routes coming from the South of Croydon. The presenting officer stated that:

·         Longer term work relating to buses and general traffic on Brighton Road corridor was being progressed

·         Routes were being examined in Waddon and these would extend further south over time

·         All the existing London National Cycling Network were being reviewed and re-signed

A question was asked whether there were any plans in Purley. The presenting

officer replied that the need to continue the walking and cycling corridor through Purley had been identified.

Any significant changes to the Purley Gyratory would have to be coordinated with current developments in the town centre as this was a key route for construction traffic of the growth zone. It was stated that an interim proposal may therefore be needed and would need consent from TfL in order to implement this. It was noted that cycling and walking improvements in Purley may need to be raised in a future meeting. The Principal Impact Assessment Engineer informed the panel that there was an enforcement issue involved with vehicles with blue badges parking on junctions. The parking restriction regulations needed to be revised to resolve the issue of car park space being left occupied.

The Principal Impact Assessment Engineer also stated that a long-term project was planned for a corridor on Lower Addiscombe Road which would first need to be considered by the network management team.

A question was asked about current TfL Funding. The presenting officer stated that TfL Quietway funding had been reduced for the current  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24/18

Standing item on the agenda.

Ben Kennedy (Strategic Transport Manager) informed the forum that the

principles and objectives of the Cycling Strategy were being incorporated into the Local Implementation Plan 3 (LIP).

The forum wanted this item to remain on the agenda.

Members of the forum NOTED this update.

Verbal report from Tom Sweeney (Programme Manager for Walking and Cycling) and Ben Kennedy (Strategic Transport Manager)

The Strategic Transport Manager informed the forum of the following:

BYPAD (‘BicYcle Policy AuDit’) is a European Standard audit process of cycling policy and delivery. Initially funded by the EU, with support from the European Cyclists’ Federation, it was launched in 2003 following a small pilot and finished in 2014.

The forum heard that BYPAD considered cycling policy as a dynamic process

with a range of factors influencing each other (see figure below). The BYPAD

process consisted of a systematic assessment of these factors, covering nine

topics which in combination ensured a balanced cycling policy. The final stage of the process is the preparation of an Action Plan based on the BYPAD quality score.

The presenting officer stated a revised process had been developed from

BYPAD, it is called CYPAD to reflect its origin. This now stood for ‘CYcling Policy And Delivery’ audit to indicate that it covered both policy and delivery of cycling. The overall aim of the CYPAD audit would be to assess where the council currently stands in all aspects of its cycling policy and delivery. The forum heard that it therefore provides a benchmark from which the council can move forward and measure progress. An effective audit will also provide an action plan for progress in each area pertinent to future delivery.

The CYPAD audit would look at the following key areas, based on a revised

version of the BYPAD topics:

1. Understanding local cycling needs

2. Council commitment and leadership, including resources

3. Transport strategy and policy, with focus on cycling

4. Professional training and development

5. Planning for cycling

6. Infrastructure design and delivery process

7. Engagement & partnership working

8. Promoting and encouraging cycling

9. Targets and evaluation

10. Future proofing

·         Members and Stakeholders involved with CYPAD would also be informed of these changes and upcoming developments in summer 2018.

The presenting officer expressed that resource allocation, delivery, safety and

promotion partnership were important factors for CYPAD amongst others.

In relation to the Cycling Strategy it was stated that CYPAD functioned in a holistic way to examine cycling throughout the Council.

Members of the forum NOTED this report.

Report from Alexander Pocklington (Principal Impact Assessment Engineer)

Alexander Pocklington (Principal Impact Assessment Engineer) informed the

forum on the following:

·         Regarding Construction Logistics in the town centre, measures were being taken for an vehicle recognition scheme

·         There would be no construction related traffic between 7.30pm-9.30pm and 4pm-7pm but concrete delivery vehicles will be exempt from this providing the site liaises with the Council regarding specific arrangments.

·         Vehicle holding areas would be provided outside the centre to prevent vehicles circulating or parking on the street, a vehicle consolidation centre is being considered for delivery trucks to unload and load building materials.

·         Engines of delivery vehicles would be switched off when idle between 6.30am-8.00am and could be turned on once work commenced at 8.00am.

·       Holding areas were planned to be on Moreland Road, the A232 between Shirley and East Croydon, Roman Way Flyover and the A23 Purely Way.

·         Mandate for delivery routes and route signage for construction vehicles was being finalised.

·         The redevelopment of Nestle Tower is the next major project to go live and the time of the meeting.

·         A consolidation area was also based on Beddington Lane for long-term plans.

The presenting officer stated that to reduce traffic congestion, TfL agreed to let certain limited numbers of delivery vehicles enter specific bus and taxi lanes. In these lanes there would be a maximum of 8 deliveries per work day, with 2 being before 8.00am. There would also be some requirement to deliver on Saturday depending on building site schedules.

A question was asked as to whether there was weight restrictions for vehicles and it was said that there were no constructional concerns, on the routes selected, certain routes have been excluded due to the structural limits of certain bridges and roads in the borough.

The Chair had asked whether construction sites would be monitored and how

regulations would be enforced. It was stated that one option was site managers could install CCTV by entrances and exits to the site. They would also be required to keep 14 days of footage which the Council can request to see at any time.

The other option proposed was site managers could pay Croydon Council to

install CCTV with vehicle/object recognition to cover entrance and exit. The

cameras would be able to automatically track and focus on objects and would

alert the Council if there was a person or object on site when it should not have been. If any agreements were breached, the Council could give site managers a warning or suspend work on the site for a period of time until their actions were rectified via an escalating enforcement process.

The presenting officer was asked what when construction would start for some of the sites that had been discussed. It was said that:

·         Construction for three sites were due to start in 4-8 weeks

·         Cambridge House construction was due to start in Summer 2018

·         Westfield and Landsdowne Road could not be specified

Mitigation phases for these sites were arranged to be in place by the end of this financial  ...  view the full minutes text for item 27/18

Update from Ben Kennedy (Strategic Transport Manager)

The Strategic Transport Manager informed the forum of the following:

·         Suppliers for bike hire were being considered and benchmarked.

·         Some Local Authorities went with single buyers and wanted to tender for their own bike scheme but a London wide license was believed to be the best approach.

·         The report for Dockless Bike hire would be finished by the end of summer 2018 so that recommendations could be taken to Cabinet.

The officer was asked how dockless bike hire would link into district centres and people could cycle the town centre from areas such as South Norwood and Purley. They replied that the types of bikes to be used for docks were being examined to ensure they could be used on a variety of different roads and cope on hills. The feasibility study was supported by the forum.

Members of the forum NOTED this update.

Verbal report from Ben Kennedy (Strategic Transport Manager)

The Strategic Transport Manager provided a presentation for the forum:

·         Boroughs were required to complete the LIP as quickly as possible after the MTS is published under the GLA Act 1999

·         The LIP3 document was the third document for the borough and would be a 5+ year transport plan

·         Croydon received approximately £3.5 million from TfL each year to fund the LIP with the opportunity to bid for additional grant funding from specific funding pots.

·         The MTS and LIP3 focused on furthering healthier streets and traffic reduction amongst other themes.

·         The long-term aim was to ensure 80 per cent of trips were made by sustainable modes of transport and achieve zero killed or serious injured casualties (KSI’s) by 2041.

·         The LIP3 draft would be submitted to TfL on 3 November 2018 and the final document would be submitted 16 February 2019

·         The LIP3 was planned to be live in April 2019

A workshop relating to cycling and the LIP3 was considered to be a good idea

and the presenting officer stated they could circulate a doodle poll for members of the forum to attend. The TfL Guidance document was also circulated to members.

This presentation was included in the agenda and circulated to members of the forum.

Members of the forum NOTED this report.

Standing item on the agenda.

A member of the forum stated that the Vice-Chair of the trustees for London

Cycling Campaign wanted to invite forum members to the cycling event in

Waltham Forest. A date for September 2018 was being arranged and anyone

interested was welcome to join.

Wheels for Wellbeing – The forum was told that Tuesday’s remained busy and attendance had increased during the Easter Break. As a result of the annual sport season there were no Tuesday or Friday sessions until July 2018.

Other Business - An officer was asked whether any dates were finalised for the tour of Mitcham Road and Lombard Way. It was stated that this could be

combined with cycling on Roland Way and an invite would be sent out in due

course. There were also two potential dates for cycling in the town centre.

It was suggested that the forum may benefit from changing their name to reflect how much walking was discussed in the Cycle Forum. It was said that there was inclusive access for anyone interested in walking through the Mobility Forum and had been invited to attend past Cycle Forum meetings in the past.

The Chair stated this could be addressed properly in the next agenda once members had time to think about this topic.

Members of the forum NOTED these updates.

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.”

Not required.