We've all been there, I suppose - walking alongside a busy road on an all too narrow (or non-existant) footway with traffic rushing past at above the speed limit; too worried about perceived danger from motor traffic to cycle so we take the car for short trips, or maybe just worried for the kids so we join the school run (if only it was a run...). The government's worried too, due to the effect on pollution of the urban environment and the effect of a sedentary life on our health.
A couple of year's ago the DfT produced a seminal paper 'Gear Change - A bold vision for cycling and walking' accompanied by a technical note, Cycle Infrastructure Design (LTN 1/20). A year later it produced 'Gear Change - One year on', and last January announced Chris Boardman's appointment to head Active Travel England. Whilst Horsham District Council is not the Highway Authority, it is the Planning Authority, so potentially can significantly influence the location and layout of future development within the district, and also any related highway 'improvements'. But to do this effectively, it needs planning policies - see where I'm going yet?
So, over a year ago, I proposed that HDC's Overview and Scrutiny (O&S) Committee set up a Sustainable Travel Task and Finish Group to examine how sustainable travel was dealt with by HDC in the light of this new strong steer from central government. I was challenged to chair the resulting group of 6 members (3 Conservative, 1 LibDem, 2 Green), and after 8 months and 8 zoom meetings I was relieved when O&S unanimously voted to 'take the recommendations to council for consideration'. (The report can be found in the meeting's papers.)
Not the end of the story by any means, but another opportunity opened up by the ongoing water neutrality saga (which is delaying the Regulation 19 Local Plan) to improve HDC's policy regarding sustainable travel. Let's hope that council grasps this opportunity as keenly as it has the housing numbers challenge!
