Author: Arnold Ridout

Readout from 25 April 2022 Meeting

A lot going on.

Events:

  • Around Newham Ride, 30 April
  • A round of maintenance and a ride with AAA on 21 and 28 May.
  • We are looking for availability to help with either maintenance or a ride on any of 18 June, 25 June or 16 July.
  • Freecycle Ride is 29 May. We are looking for more marshals. There are some LCC training spots left.
  • Regular Fix Your Ride 14 May.
  • Nature Reserves of the Lea Ride 15 May.

If you would like any more information on any of the above or if you would like to participate in any of them, please let me know.

Accounts: Bill presented the accounts for the year 2021/2. Our position is financially stable and we are well stocked with material for Fix your Ride. The accounts were approved subject to minor editorial amendments. They will appear in the annual report. A budget for 2022/3 will be produced for next month.

Infrastructure:

  • We have put in comments on the [Twelvetrees Park/Stephenson Street development] which provides some key permeability in an obstructed area. Given TfL presence in the area the Walking and cycling Commissioner has been alerted and after the election ward councillors will be lobbied. Individual submissions were encouraged. This is a connectivity map and this is the Newham Cyclist response.
  • At the Newham Council Regeneration and Housing Commission meeting of 21 April which was scrutinising the Council’s performance in promoting active travel we pressed in evidence for improved leverage of active transport benefits from the current rash of developments and learnt that the Council was contemplating full segregation for the funded Romford Rd scheme and learnt that there was likely to be a general bid for capital funding for active travel developments (which has been lacking to date).
  • We decided to pursue improvements for Temple Mills Lane where the layout creates conflicts between cyclists and buses. We would like to work with Waltham Forest Cyclists and are likely to include a site visit as part of our May meeting ride.
  • In the absence of early consultation we decided to urgently make our own plan for LTNs 5 and 6 (Woodgrange and Capel). Anyone interested in formulating these should get in touch.
  • Reactions to the currently temporary LTNs 3 and 4 on the Council’s commonplace site have been muted but generally favourable.
  • The Redbridge project for Centre Rd, Aldersbrook Rd, Lakehouse Rd and Blake Hall Rd was poor but served to emphasise the need for the Newham end of Centre Rd to be addressed.
  • The Vision Stratford document was interesting. Individual responses were encouraged.

If you would like further information on any of the above get in touch through the usual channels.

Arnold

Climate Safe Streets Campaign

As part of the Climate Safe Streets Campaign LCC asked Newham Mayoral candidates to pledge to the Newham “asks” which were:

  • Borough-wide Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and cycle friendly connection between them.
  • Good quality cycle provision for the whole of Romford Road and Barking Road.
  • A 20 mph speed limit on all borough roads.
  • All schools to benefit from school street treatment.
  • Effective enforcement of parking rules across the borough.

To date a commitment to these asks has been given by the Green Party candidate Rob Callender and by the Liberal Democrat candidate Saleyha Ahsan.

I will update on any further commitments.

Arnold

Readout from 28 March 2022 Meeting

Back to Zoom for this meeting.

We started with a discussion of the Climate Safe Streets Campaign and in particular our borough “ask” for 20mph throughout the borough. Jeremy Leach from the 20’s Plenty Campaign joined us and provided some horrifying statistics on the safety of some Newham main roads using crashmap.co.uk and the lack of 20mph streets in the south of Newham. He provided some positive news on the progress of the campaign for 20mph (notably, more boroughs adopting it, TfL fitting limiters on buses, EU rules on intelligent speed assistance, and a more enlightened attitude to enforcement). He advised pushing for a universal 20mph in Newham rather than on specific streets, and sought help in making local candidates aware of support for this – a principle we have consistently applied in consultation responses for some years now.

In the broader discussion on the campaign, the general view was that all our asks (relating to low traffic neighbourhoods, Romford & Barking Rds cycle provision, 20mph, school streets and enforcement of parking rules) were important. Members were urged to use the LCC campaign tool to e-mail the mayoral candidates and to approach local candidates using the same information.

We decided to lobby the Mayor of London to reverse the disappointing LLDC decision to give planning approval to the MSG Sphere and also decided to keep monitoring its requirements for transport improvements. We also decided to respond to consultations on the important development at Twelvetrees Park This provides an important opportunity for permeability and accessibility in an area severely lacking both and huge potential to open up good cycling connections. We can call upon a useful earlier Transport Assessment of the area.

In the past busy month there had also been consultation responses on Brampton Academy Highway Scheme, Pool St (QEOP), the Royal Docks and Beckton Riverside Opportunity Area Planning Framework Document and a planning objection to Velor park (site of the Showcase Cinema).

Our ongoing non-infrastructure activities include:

  • Seeking volunteers for our partnership with the AAA children’s cycling clubs.
  • A possible Bike from Boleyn Ride on 1 May.
  • The continuation of the Fix Your Ride Stall at Woodgrange Market on the second Saturday of each month, but switched to 2 July for the Forest Gate Festival. This will need heavy support.
  • An Essex County Lane Ride on 3 April and a Discover Newham Ride on 30 April.
  • A feeder ride to the Freecycle event of 29 May for which marshals are required.

We decided to postpone our Annual Meeting unless the need to submit accounts made that impossible. This would avoid complications of a clash with the local election campaign.

Finally we briefly discussed plans for the sell off of a section of West Ham Park. Submissions can be made (by 16 April 2022) to the agents at:alex.soskin@savills.com   and hbushell@savills.com

If you are available and would like to participate in any of the events mentioned please get in touch via newham@lcc.org.uk. Also if you would like more information on any of the matter mentioned or other cycling issues.

Arnold

Ride Report 20 March 2022

Rather better weather than for our first Discover Newham Ride permitted us to catch Thameside at low tide following a cut through Beckton Park to Royal Albert Dock. Route map above. By the time we got to Cody Dock for coffee it was a great day for sitting outdoors. Exciting looking works are going on there. The other main interest on the ride was the sheer scale of the development currently going on in Newham. Hopefully this will include opening in up the route over the entrances to Royal Albert Dock, where the dock gates look like they are being worked upon; and further extension of the Thames path.

Arnold

Readout from 28 February 2022 Meeting

Our numbers were down for the first indoor meeting for over a year at a comfortable new venue in East Ham.

  • We heard about members’ progress on the Joyriders Challenge
  • We discussed the outcome of the positive catch up meeting with Newham Council. There is (funded) progress with the existing scheme of 7 Low Traffic neighbourhoods and the ongoing roll out of School Streets. Work is about to begin on Romford Rd improvements and there is a funded plan in place for the Leyton Rd from the borough boundary to Stratford. There are early signs that further low traffic neighbourhoods may come on stream. We have emphasised the importance of ourselves being involved at the planning stage. Also it would be useful to reappraise “old” low traffic neighbourhoods. A revision of the Cycling Issues Chart in the light of this meeting will be posted on this site.
  • Other infrastructure developments are dominated by large planning applications and planning framework documents. We are pursuing our policy of encouraging development money for cycle infrastructure from major developments and ensuring that documents outlining future planning in the borough reflects the need for improvement in active travel.
  • On future events: Our ride calendar is in place. We decided to continue our partnership with the AAA Saturday Children’s Cycling Club. This involves a session of bike maintenance in Canning Town and Stratford with, the following week a ride for the children. Fix Your Ride at Woodgrange Market starts again on 12 March. We decided also to organise a feeder ride to the Freecycle on the weekend of 28/9 May. Free ride leader and ride marshalling training is available from LCC over the next few weeks. We have received a request for cycle assistance for the Moonwalk overnight on 14/15 may. If you would like to participate in any of these events please let me know.
  • We decided to approach the Council about the apparent default to “Cyclists Dismount” where there are works that have disrupted cycle provision. Recent experience has shown that this is not always necessary and that works often require better signage.
  • Our annual meeting will take place on April 25. Details to be confirmed.

If you would like further information on any of these topics or other matters concerning cycling in Newham please get in touch.

Arnold

Ride Report 20 February

Our first ride of the season kicked off with unfavourable looking weather. However, hard core of 6 did a short tour of the Greenway, the Royal Docks and the lea Valley. We avoided the rain and had plenty of fresh air. In the teeth of a stiff headwind along the Docks we reached the dizzy heights of 5 mph but were rewarded with the discovery of local chocolatier. Our next local ride is planned for 20 March

Arnold

Read out from 31 January 2022 Meeting

16 of us gathered together via Zoom for a meeting that focussed on catching up on our current activities.

Since the November meeting there had been a good deal of activity. We had provided formal consultation responses on the Royal Docks Cycling and Walking Strategy, Newham Council’s Local Plan refresh and the Prince Regent Lane Bus Priority Scheme. In addition to specific details relating to each consultation our responses drew on some common and familiar themes:

  • A robust approach to installing Low Traffic Neighbourhoods;
  • A need for better north-south routes in Newham;
  • The potential for better leverage for cycle schemes from major developments;
  • The need for bus schemes to improve (and not hinder) active travel;
  • Bus lanes to operate 24 hours;
  • 20 mph speed limit;
  • Enforcement of parking rules.

We have also chased up on: installation of the cameras to enforce the closure in Corporation St; improvement of Penny Brookes St and ;drop kerbs for access to the newly opened Gainsborough Bridge in the Olympic Park.

By way of good news Newham are making permanent 2 of the Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (Maryland and Odessa) . We hope this is a sign of continuing progress in installing all of the 7 funded schemes.

We discussed the issue of access to the new City Hall which had given rise to significant social media activity. The closure of Dock St is a serious blockage to cycle access which we have raised in consultations but needs to be pursued further.

In December we met with Thames Water and Newham Council in relation to the Greenway/Stratford High Street works. The situation has improved.

We are in preliminary discussions with medics from Barts Health Trust on liaison in promoting cycling for health and wellbeing.

We were updated in progress (or lack of it) in getting Marshgate Lane maintained to a reasonable standard for cycling.

It was decided that the time was ripe to seek another catch up meeting with Newham Council to discuss these and other infrastucture issues.

The news from LCC was that the Climate Safe Streets campaign in the lead up to the local elections in May has had its soft launch. We have contributed our list of 5 specific Newham “asks” to be part of that campaign.

We are putting together our rides calendar and will be looking at liaising with other local groups which organise rides.

We discussed what we might do to promote the recent changes to the Highway Code. If you are interested in helping make a short film on Sunday 6 February let me know.

We discussed the benefits of having volunteers trained (by the Metropolitan Police) to mark bikes as part of their campaign to recruit volunteers – https://www.met.police.uk/car/careers/met/police-volunteer-roles/community-based-volunteers/overview/

We were encouraged, as individuals, to respond to Newham Council’s budget proposals which appears to be light on commitment to fund active travel: https://www.newham.gov.uk/council/engagement-newham-council-budget-2021

We decided to hold our annual meeting at the end of April and discussed possible venues for this and for face to face monthly meetings.

Going forward the Committee of Newham Cyclists will be changing. We will be looking to improve both gender balance and diversity.

If you would like any further information on any of these items please get in touch.