If Calderdale is to reach climate targets, a 2,000 per cent uplift in cycling is needed
Plus: 1,000 person strong petition re-opens debate on controversial Todmorden cycle lane plans
Hello and welcome to the weekend edition of The Calderdale Lead!
The days are getting longer and the weather appears to be getting better so it’s the perfect time to get out and about and explore the borough on foot or on a bike.
And that’s exactly what we all need to do because a senior councillor has worked out that Calderdale needs to see a 2,000 per cent increase in the number of people cycling if the borough is to meet its emissions targets!
That’s re-opened the row around cycle lanes in Todmorden and other areas of the borough. We’ve got full details from the LDRS’ John Greenwood below.
Huge upturn in cyclists needed for borough to hit emissions target
By LDRS’ John Greenwood
Calderdale will need 2,000 per cent more people cycling by 2038 if it is to meet climate emission reduction targets, says a senior councillor.
The goal of getting more people off of four wheels and into two was raised in debate triggered by a petition of more than 1,000 signatures submitted to Calderdale Council.
The number of people signing the We Support Cycle Infrastructure in Todmorden and Calderdale petition, organised by Hannah Dobson, meant it was debated at Calderdale Council’s Place Scrutiny Board.
Calling on the council to support cycling infrastructure, Ms Dobson said she started the petition after seeing signs go up in Todmorden opposing cycle lane proposals with the slogan “our town, our decision” – proposals now dropped from Todmorden Town Board’s active travel proposals using Town Deal funding.
The issue has been controversial with a Facebook group opposing the cycle lane proposals, citing loss of parking space outside some businesses as one of the issues, having more than 950 members and another seeking to modify proposals having almost 200 members.
But Ms Dobson, who told councillors she works in Todmorden, cycles and sometimes drives a car, said: “I thought ‘it’s my town too, and I do want a cycle lane, please’.
“So I started this petition to try and give a voice to those who would like more safer places in Calderdale to ride.”
She said the most popular option in a consultation about the Todmorden proposal was “do nothing” but doing nothing was not an option.
“Our infrastructure is clogged, our air quality is regularly unsafe and we can’t build more road space in our narrow valley.
“Even if we could, the evidence is clear that demand grows to fill road capacity – more space for cars is not a solution,” she said.
Cycling offered a “real and impactful solution” and it was the role of the public sector to take decisions in the collective interest, said Ms Dobson.
Benefits included for health, education and business, and the valley bottom was flat and electric bikes could help with the hills, she said.
“The petition calls on you to show leadership, to act as our public representatives should and to have the vision to make evidence-based decisions for our collective benefit – our towns, your decisions and our future,” said Ms Dobson.
After hearing Cabinet councillors and officers outline actions and goals including climate and health objectives, with council Deputy Leader Coun Scott Patient saying he shared frustrations, she said she felt like she had heard a lot of excuses.
“If you keep letting people stopping things happening over a handful of parking spaces, we will never have change.
“You have to de-normalise cars, you have to give space to people on bikes and people on foot and that is going to change our landscape – in our grandparents’ lifetimes we have completely reshaped our landscape around cars, so we can do it again, to make it about people.
“You just have to stop talking and planning and do it,” said Ms Dobson.
Coun Patient said to meet the council’s climate and emission targets by 2038, it needed a 2,000 per cent increase in cycling.
He agreed there was a need to go faster and further, but consultation and engagement also needed to be better and council policy made clear.
Cabinet councillors said feedback from a lot of different stakeholders had to be balanced and officers said there were also financial issues with cost having to be taken into account.
Coun Sarah Courtney, Cabinet member for Regeneration and Transport, said: “It’s important we balance the needs of all residents and businesses.
“We really need to be delivering the right active travel schemes in the right places,” she said.
Coun Regan Dickenson said he was a former racing cyclist but had never liked cycle lanes for a number of reasons.
“With every respect to your petition and sympathy for it, what is also recognisable is there are a lot of people who aren’t in favour of it as well,” he said.
He agreed there was a requirement to change people’s minds and he believed promotion and improving the canal towpaths of cycle ways could create a “green artery”.
But Coun Patient said the council did not own the towpath and there were issues with it, for example when icy and next to a body of water.
He said hills should not be a barrier to cycling and Coun Dickenson said e-bikes would make that easier.
Board chair Coun Sue Holdsworth recommended board members endorse the petition while recognising financial restraints would mean the council had to be realistic in the amount of support it could give to cycle lanes, and members agreed.
That’s all for this edition of The Calderdale Lead. Don’t forget that if you’ve got a story you think we should be covering then please email calderdale@thelead.uk and we’ll take a look.
Until Wednesday, enjoy the rest of the weekend!
Andrew