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. Cyclenation  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