Cyclenation News: Conference summary courtesy of Manchester

CTC/CYCLENATION CONFERENCE AT SHEFFIELD

 15/10/11   Sheffield University

 1. Theme

Cycle campaigning and localism: Threats and opportunities

 2. Presentation: Sheffield University’s commitment to cycling such as employing a

    travel plan officer, recycling bikes, subsidising bus services from car parking fees with 

    a view to achieving sustainable transport

 3. Localism and planning reforms: Matthew Brunt , Assistant Director of the Passenger

    Transport Executive Support Unit. Matthew outlined the rationale about localism

    which is the transfer of power away from the centre, i.e. Westminster, Whitehall to

    empower local communities and generate civic responsibility. This lies behind the

    Localism Bill. Localism is a very elastic term open to many interpretations including,

    for example aspects of devolved government, subsidiarity, civic regeneration and so

    on. Localism presents a mixed picture including planning reforms which seem to

    favour corporate interests and the Bill gives priority to economic over environmental,

    social and cultural concerns. . The Secretary of State, Eric Pickles, still retains the

    so-called Henry VIII clauses which retain reserve powers of executive discretion – in

    effect the Minister can override local planning decisions where she considers these in

    conflict with the “national interest”. An example might be the widening, extension or

    construction of roads generating traffic levels, pollution and dangers harmful to

    localities.

 4. Roger Geffen [CTC]: outlined a new accord strengthening support for local campaign

    groups.  He welcomed the translation of Philip Hammond, perceived to be anti-cycling

    to the Ministry of Defence portfolio and his replacement by Justine Green, considered

    to be more sympathetic to environmental issues as she is opposed, for instance, to

    the expansion of Heathrow and understands the urgency of climate change recognising

    that environmental sustainability is as important as economic growth.

    He outlined the reconfiguring of the working relationship between Cyclenation and the

    CTC [the Memorandum of Understanding] as a means of meeting the challenges of

    the localism agenda, that “local authorities know best”, involving more members in

    cycle campaigning, boosting capacity, skills, professionalism and the effectiveness of

    local campaign groups. This is to be achieved by increasing the numbers of local

    groups, improving the quality of information sharing, training and networking,

    co-ordinating campaigns and providing a ‘toolkit’ that can be customised locally,

    securing the resources to do this whilst building on the existing good practice such

    as conferences, the Right to Ride network and Cycle Digest.

 5. Jason Torrance:  Policy Director at Sustrans. Jason outlined some of the big themes

    of local transport including changes in health policy, the resumption of  road building

    programmes. He noted an ideological shift in areas of health, education and transport

    which may impact on cycling – especially moves towards deregulation and the

    relaxation of planning controls. The 29% cut in local transport funding is likely to have

    a negative impact on provision for sustainable means of travel including cycling. The

    focus must be on local transport plans and local authorities especially with the winding

    up of PCTs imminent. He stressed the importance of promoting active life-styles in

    preventative health and indicated the need to connect  health reforms with the

    sustainability agenda.

    Recent research has concluded that Cycling Demonstration Towns such as Darlington

    and Worcester have produced a dramatic increase in both cycling and the use of public

    transport. Research, monitoring and evaluation is lacking at the Department of

    Transport. The urgency of climate change is revealed by the need to cut emissions by

    90% by 2030 if local authorities are to meet the targets for sustainability.

    He reminded the delegates that membership of cycling organisations was tiny and that

    alliance with the ‘sleeping giants’ such as the National Trust, the Wildlife Trust, the

    CPRE and the RSPB could prove to be very effective as they have membership around

    1 million each. When they are aroused they are listened to.

 6, Cyclestreets: This was a workshop involving the discussion of a presentation of

    Helping Campaigners Campaign which offers an online toolkit. This has been

    funded from a grant of £30,000 from Geovation, a Government agency as part of

    an Ordnance Survey initiative. The toolkit helps campaigners or local groups to

    pinpoint geographically precise points of difficulty such as dangerous junctions,

    unresponsive signals or absence of cycle parking provision, and it can show planning

    applications and relevant data and pull in best practice. Any group can sign up to this

    toolkit. By registering on the site a group can convert mere moaning or whingeing into

    solid evidence and find viable, constructive solutions; it can prioritise issues and show

    where a problem is widespread and perhaps endemic to the authority. The kit can get

    new people involved easily  and save campaigners time and money. The local group

    can have its own branding and use it as a discussion forum which can be a closed or

    public space.

 7. CTC Media workshop:  A library of positive images of cycling is being made

    available on line to which campaigners can contribute together with examples of good    

   [and bad] practice in infrastructure such as cycle lanes. The CTC is aiming to get local

   and health authorities to use positive images of cycling in promotional material. It is

   important when taking pictures of anonymous cyclist in opportunistic circumstances to   

   obtain their consent. The importance of getting cycling in local newspapers was

   stressed as politicians – MPs, local councillors, MEPs, and local businesses are keen

   to receive favourable attention . The audience of local radio and regional television

   is much larger. Techniques of engaging journalists were outlined.

  What the media want is an interesting story with a case study, a good photograph

  that includes lots of people, something unique or extraordinary, entertaining and,

  if possible, fun for the reporter. Most of all it must aim to be exclusive. Potholes, of all

  things are a ‘sexy’ topic as they embarrass local authorities and are a menace to a

  much wider constituency with which readers will identify sympathetically.

 8. Danny Dorling: Social Mobility and Access: Cycling’s Contribution

    Danny outlined some very important findings of preliminary research based on 2001

    data that will be re-examined when the results of the 2011 census become available

    next year. Cycling is not even a significant minority mode of transport but this may

    be changing. As recently as the early 1970s thousands of car workers used bikes to

    get to work. This gave the image of cycling as a second-class form of transport for

    those who couldn’t afford a car. The 2011 evidence is likely to present a very

    different picture where the commuting cyclists is young, male and affluent 

    expressing a life-style. Cycling is chosen, not a necessity.

    A demographic map of the popularity of travel modes in the UK revealed that, for

    example, no areas of Scotland had 16-24 year olds using cycling as even a second

    choice of travel. Only in  affluent and highly educated Cambridge did cycling manage

    second preference. Cycling seems to have become embourgeoised – a chosen mode for

    those displaying their physical as well as economic, social and cultural promise. For

    those aged 25-39 only Hull [where car ownership is well below average] and

    Cambridge showed cycling coming second. The car is predictably dominant in the

    40-59 age group and evidence points to the younger males dropping out of

    cycle commuting from about 32 onwards. Fascinatingly amongst the over 75s males

    have at least one car whilst there are many women in this age cohort who don’t and

    have never driven illustrating, perhaps, some social history as this generation came

    to maturity in the 1940s and early 1950s. The car was seen as a symbol of success

-          its status symbol of masculine achievement being central to its popularity. The

   comparative immobility of women reflected their relegation to roles of domesticity

   or even servility. Cycling remains a function of inequality and social exclusion.

   A parallel with smoking is illustrative – its decline began with the aspirational, the

   upwardly mobile and successful. Progress in reducing it among working class people

   has proved more challenging.

Paul Thomson 15/10/11

Originally posted at http://www.cyclenation.org.uk/news.php#572.

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