Month: November 2023

Readout from 27 November 2023 Meeting

Ted Maxwell, representing the informal group Save Our Safer Streets, spoke about the removal of the Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in Tower Hamlets even after being made permanent. The meeting was supportive of the campaign. Ted outlined ways in which Newham Cyclists could provide practical asistance .

There has been one Newham Ride since the last meeting, on 12th November 2023. Next ride is the Christmas Lights Ride on 10 December 2023. There was discussion on improving the link with the LCC website and providing a GPS link of our rides.

The ride for the Ambition, Aspire, Achieve (AAA) children’s club proposed for 2 December 2023 will not go ahead because AAA are engaged with their toy delivery then. A new calendar will be put together for maintenance and rides in the New Year.

Fix Your Ride (FYR) has now finished for 2023. It will start again in 2024.

On infrastructure:

  • The opening of phase #1 of the Romford Road Active Travel Scheme (RRATS) scheme will happen when the Council is satisfied with the safety. The regular NC dialogue (which is good on this particular project) will continue. There will be a further liaison meeting in December 2023 when there should be information on Phase #2. Public engagement events are planned by the Council for December 2023.
  • Implementation of the borough-wide 20mph speed limit will be implemented in #4 Phases , northern part of the borough to the southern part. The traffic order for Phase #1 has been published. Liaison will continue with the organisation 20 is Plenty and other interested organisation in case of problems in implementation and to ensure enforcement.
  • A response has been submitted to the Bromley-by Bow Gasworks (BBBG) planning application raising the fact that some of the critical roads for local Active Travel connectivity are currently designated as “private roads” i.e. not adopted or controlled by LB Newham so don’t .
  • The Mayor of London (MoL) has rejected the planning application for the MSG Sphere (to be located next to Stratford railway station), to which Newham Cyclists had objected.
  • LB Newham Liveable Neighbourhoods team have proposals for complementary measures for Low Traffic Neighbourhood/LTN 2 (Odessa) includes proposals for complimentary measures. The exact nature of these are not clear from the Council’s website.

There was feedback from the London Cycling Campaign (LCC) Campaigning Summit. A key message was that campaigning by ‘personal witness’ stories was more effective that reliance on ‘dry data’ (to promote and support cycling). There were also tips on improving outreach through partner organisations and cycle shops. A strategy could usefully include means to attract younger activists. A consolidation of mailing lists increased the numbers by 10%. The suggestion of a separate meeting of the interested to develop an outreach strategy was favourably received.

Other business:

  • London Cycling Campaign (LCC) Annual General Meeting will take place on Wednesday, 6th of December 2023.
  • Voting ends on 29 November for the London Cycling Campaign (LCC) Board of Trustees interest/Board elections 2023.
  • The Newham Cyclists Christmas Social is scheduled 11 December 2023 at the Boleyn Tavern. For those wanting the Christmas menu the choice of dishes needs to be given to Arnold by 3 December.
  • The suggestion to look into the activities of the Safer Transport Team of Newham Police command, if it exists, will be looked into.

Christmas Social 11 December 2023

The joint Christmas Social, with Bike from Boleyn, will take place on Monday 11 December at the Boleyn Tavern.

The event will start at 7.00pm although the Tavern is open from 4 pm if you need a warm up.

We will provide a drinks tab (with a limit of £100).  Food will be available as follows:

  • Burger and pint @ £15.
  • An a la carte menu.
  • A traditional style Christmas menu at £30 for 2 courses or £34.99 for 3. If you would like this please let me know by 4 December.

It would help with the arrangements if you let me know you are coming (and haven’t done so already).

Arnold

Newham Ride report

Although 16 places were booked on the ride were were but six on the day. The weather was damp and cold but the ride covered some beautiful and interesting spots in the borough For those that wish to investigate themselves here is the link to download the GPX file:

www.newhamcyclists.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/gpx/Newhamride121123.gpx

Readout from 30 October 2023 Meeting

In relation to rides, the Bike from Boleyn ride has taken place since the last meeting and went well. There will be a local Newham Ride on 12 November.

There has been a maintenance session for the children’s cycle club of Ambition, Aspire, Achieve at the ARC. There is still work to be done at their Abbey Hub and the meeting indicated at willingness to seek to arrange this in November or December. If you are interested in either maintenance of helping with a Saturday children’s ride let me know.

There was a Fix Your Ride session at Woodgrange Market on 14 October 2023 and the last one of the year (i.e. 2023) is scheduled to take place on 11 November 2023.

On infrastructure:

  • A report on the last monthly meeting with the Romford Road Active Travel Team (RRATS) is available. The completion of the current phase #1 has now been put back to December 2023 with phase #2 (eastern end , Dersingham Ave to Ilford Hill) due to start in January 2024 next year. NC have been emphasising the need for good publicity for the scheme given the piecemeal approach to this project. The Council are planning a public event in November. The meeting expressed frustration at the delay in opening the sections of phase 1 that appear to be complete.
  • There is also available a report on the useful Newham Liveable Neighbourhoods (LN) team organised audit ride of 26 September of schemes around the Romford Rd, western end. There was a good turnout from the Newham Council new Liveable Neighbourhoods (LN) and Transport for Lonon (TfL) teams, including Michael Barratt – a longstanding friend of NC.

    The audit ride looked at the schemes in the recently created (from 2020) Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTN’s) in the Stratford, Maryland and Forest Gate areas which have now been made permanent and examined a possible new LTN scheme bounded by Vicarage Lane, Romford Rd, Ham Park Rd and Upton Lane, the major motor traffic “cut through/rat runs” runs being Ham Park Rd, Margery Park Rd and Tavistock Rd.

    NC are seeking regularly LN events of this sort. The meeting recalled that a Newham Planning Committee had recommended that Wyatt Rd should be made two-way directional for all carriageway traffic and filtered to meet the concerns of residents with regard to “cut through/rat run” issues. This is within the area under examination.

    Comments were also made about some movement of installed planter observations in the existing LTN’s.
  • Still no more news on the Woodgrange and Capel areas and a related concerning lack of information.
  • There are major developments coming up for planning permission around the North Woolwich Rd which provide opportunities for the Council to leverage funding to support local Active Travel. Specific current “planning permission” related schemes schemes include the Beckton Masterplan and the Bromley by Bow Gasworks where NC have a particular concern about the fact that the major routes providing potential Active Travel connectivity are currently designated “private roads.”

London Cycling Campaign (LCC) HQ have provided membership by ward data. NC have increased membership to 171 but membership is still heavily biased to the north of the borough. The meeting noted that the opening of new university campuses in Newham provided an opportunity for outreach, as did spreading our activities to different areas of the borough. It was also worth seeking lessons from other LCC borough groups with a more successful outreach in terms of local membership and activism.

Other business:

Next meeting provisionally set for Monday 27 November by Zoom subject to other arrangements to be notified.