Issue - meetings

Report of the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport (CET/24/3) seeking approval for three Devon Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIP), attached.

The plans are attached as;

Appendix I – Heart of Teignbridge LCWIP

Appendix II - Barnstaple with Bideford and Northam LCWIP

Appendix III – Exeter LCWIP

Three Impact Assessments have been prepared for the attention of Members at the meeting, which are attached and also available at;

Ø   Teignbridge Local Cycling and Walking Plan - Impact Assessment (devon.gov.uk)

Ø   Barnstaple with Bideford and Northam Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan - Impact Assessment (devon.gov.uk)

Ø   Exeter Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan - Impact Assessment (devon.gov.uk)

RESOLVED

(a) that the adoption of the Heart of Teignbridge Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan, provided in Appendix I, be approved;

(b) that the adoption of the Barnstaple with Bideford and Northam Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan, provided in Appendix II, also be approved;

(c) that the adoption of the Exeter Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan, provided in Appendix III, be agreed; and

(d) that the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport be given delegated authority, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Highway Management, to make minor amendments to the Plans.

(Councillors Connett, Dewhirst, Leaver and Whitton attended in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and spoke to this item).

The Cabinet considered the Report of the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport (CET/24/3) seeking approval for three Devon Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIP), circulated prior to the meeting in accordance with regulation 7(4) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.

The plans were attached as;

Appendix I – Heart of Teignbridge LCWIP

Appendix II - Barnstaple with Bideford and Northam LCWIP

Appendix III – Exeter LCWIP

The Council’s current Strategy for active travel infrastructure, the Cycling and Multi-Use Trail Network Strategy, had been approved by Cabinet in 2015. Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) were a strategic approach to identifying cycling and walking improvements at the local level and the framework was set out in the Government’s Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy, which formed an important part of Government’s strategy to increase the number of active travel trips. They were also an important tool in realising the Government’s Gear Change vision but were an important part of local authorities making the case for future active travel funding, whether through securing external grants or in negotiations with developers.

The Council had so far completed three LCWIPs: Heart of Teignbridge (HoT), Barnstaple with Bideford and Northam (BBN), and Exeter which had involved a technical, evidence-based approach to identify the challenges and develop prioritised routes, followed by public consultation and endorsement of the document by the relevant Highways and Traffic Orders Committee. Section 5 of the Report described how subsequent minor changes to the draft plans had been approved in accordance with HATOC resolutions and all three plans had been endorsed by respective HATOC meetings.

The LCWIP documents sought to outline the future walking and cycling infrastructure priorities in their respective areas over the next 10 to 20 years. They were ambitious, transformational plans aimed at substantially increasing walking and cycling levels across Devon as well as supporting the climate crisis and health and wellbeing.

The walking and cycling proposals in the respective geographies of the Heart of Teignbridge (covering Newton Abbot, Kingsteignton and Kingskerswell); Barnstaple with Bideford and Northam, and Exeter were considered the most strategically important, building upon existing established active travel networks and with greatest potential to attract developer funding due to the scale of growth planned in the localities.

The Heart of Teignbridge LCWIP (Appendix I) set out walking and cycling proposals along five key corridors, which included Newton Abbot Town Centre, Kingsteignton, Buckland and Milber, Wolborough and  Kingskerswell and Torbay as well as additional proposals to improve active travel provision within the NA1 Houghton Barton and NA3 Wolborough strategic site allocations.

The Barnstaple with Bideford and Northam (BBN) LCWIP (Appendix II) set out four walking and six cycling proposals in Barnstaple, Bideford, and Northam which included Alexandra Street (Barnstaple), Barbican Road and Queen Street (Barnstaple), Yelland to Barnstaple, Roundswell to Pilton (Barnstaple), Whiddon Valley to Barnstaple and Landkey  ...  view the full minutes text for item 457