The Team Leader – Policy, Development and Transport submitted a report, the purpose of which, was to provide the Forum with an update on active travel in Bridgend, that was presented to the Clerks of Town and Community Councils on 28 June 2019.

 

By way of background information, he confirmed that the Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013 came into force in September 2014 and since then, the Welsh Government has been supporting councils in Wales through grant funding, to deliver the active travel programme identified in individual council’s Integrated Network Maps. Each year, councils are invited to submit proposals to implement routes that promote active travel including routes that compliment schemes implemented under safe routes in communities or to schools, also funded by Welsh Government (WG). Where appropriate and applicable, the Council also implements sections of the active travel network through developer contributions.

 

The Team Leader – Policy, Development and Transport then proceeded to give a presentation, the main thrust of which, was to inform Councillors of the extent of progress and to explain the processes that the Council Officers undergo to determine and assess schemes.

 

The presentation addressed the following principal points and themes:-

 

The main purpose of the Act, was to make walking and cycling the preferred way of getting around over short(er) distances.

 

An Active Travel network map was submitted for approval by WG in October 2017. The network covers:-

 

·       Existing Routes Map (ERM)

·       Integrated Network Map (INM)

·       Map to be made available to the public

 

Progress in Bridgend

 

Active Travel integrates with wider transport policies:-

 

1. Local Development Plan (LDP)
2. Local Transport Plan (LTP)

 

Active travel infrastructure improvement and funding

 

• Schemes to be identified in the INM and the LTP
• Schemes to be associated with and complement safe routes in communities/to schools
• Such schemes to be identified in school travel plans or community access plans
• Schemes to be developed and funded through the land-use process as part of:-

 

1.     21^st Century Schools programme

2.     Residential developments

3.     NHS/Trust developments

4.     Town Centre regeneration

5.     Transportation infrastructure development.

 

The presentation then gave information regarding WG funding for 2016/17 – 2018/19, together with that for 2019/20:-

 

 

 

Active Travel and wellbeing goals

 

• Prosperity
• Resilience
• Healthiness
• More equality
• Community cohesiveness
• Cultural vibrancy
• Global responsibility

 

Promotion of Active Travel journeys, through:-

 

Long term planning, e.g. land-use development;

Prevention, e.g. reducing car dependency, cycle training in schools, cycle to work schemes in the workplace;

Integration, e.g. intermodal and land-use integration;

Collaboration, e.g. with communities, schools, etc;

Involvement, e.g. transport users, pedestrians, cyclists, etc

 

Active Travel and the planning process

 

The development planning process plans for:

 

1.     Integration and co-ordination of land-use planning and transport

2.     Accessibility for all (a widened choice)

3.     Reducing the need to travel

4.     Prioritising active travel and public transport provision

5.     Support for ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs)

 

The development control process delivers:

 

• Design and layout of streets

(Manual for streets)

(Active travel design guide)

      (Other urban design principles)

• Transport assessments
• Amelioration of transport impacts
• ‘polluter’ pays principle

 

The Team Leader – Policy, Development and Transport, then shared with Members, land-use developments that have benefited from developer contributions for active travel schemes for the period of 2014 – 2018.

 

As this concluded the presentation, the Leader (and Chairperson) thanked the Officer for his submission.

 

A Member from Coity Higher aired his disappointment that despite the Coity Higher Community Council putting in a bid which at first was unsuccessful. The Community Council then subsequently put in a further bid for a Safe Routes to School scheme, but they did not receive all the grant money they thought they were entitled to. A Member of Coychurch Higher also added that a bid by the Community Council was also unsuccessful in terms of cycle route provision at Heol-y-Cyw into neighbouring areas such as Pencoed, particularly as there was little in the way of retail outlets in the Heol-y-Cyw area.

 

The Team Leader – Policy, Development and Transport advised that bids have to satisfy certain criteria, in order for them in turn, to be successful. This was dependent upon the layout of housing developments; land use criteria (in accordance with the Local Development Plan (LDP)). Transport accessibility also needed to be looked at in terms of serving a development. A Network Group would then look at settlement boundaries between and joining-up communities, in order to see if cycle routes and Safe Routes to Schools could be introduced in the vicinity of the area. Before funding was fully realised a type of Business Case needed to be introduced, whereby WG could be satisfied that routes such as those mentioned above, would be used by the public and school children etc.    

 

He added in response to both the above Members queries, that the Community Councils’ requests had also been hindered in terms of providing the official routes over and through the sections of land they referred to, as a result of land use/ownership problems.

 

He further added, that in respect of the area of Coity Higher, he had received a considerable number of suggested crossing point schemes and therefore he asked Coity Higher Community Council to list these in order of priority and to, in turn, return this list, as there was insufficient funding to proceed with an exhaustive list in one particular location of the County Borough.

 

The Leader concluded debate on this item, by advising that it had been estimated that there would be an increase of 500 houses a year built in different areas of the County Borough, as a result of the construction of new housing developments and therefore, the theme of Active Travel would very much continue as long funding was available from WG. This form of travel would also go towards reducing the use of vehicular traffic and the resulting pollution that is emitted into the atmosphere from this form of transport.

 

RESOLVED:                    That the contents of both the report and the accompanying presentation be noted.