To receive apologies for absence.

There had been no apologies for absence.

To receive details of members nominated to attend the meeting in place of a member of the committee.

There had been no named substitutes.

To receive declarations of interest from members of the committee in respect of items on the agenda.

No declarations of interest were made.

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 22 July 2024.

The minutes of the previous meeting were received.

Resolved:

That the minutes of the meeting held on Monday 22 July 2024 be confirmed as a correct record and be signed by the Chairperson.

To receive any written questions from members of the public.

A document containing questions received from members of the public and the responses given was attached as a supplement to the published agenda for the meeting on the Herefordshire Council website.

A record of supplementary questions asked during the meeting and the responses given, is attached at Appendix 1 to the minutes.

To receive any written questions from members of the council.

No questions had been received from councillors.

For the committee to note and make recommendations on the active travel measures report.

(Appendix 5 – Hereford Transport Hub papers to follow as supplement)

The committee received the report on ‘Active Travel Measures.

The Chairperson provided a broad outline of the four objectives of the item which were: 

• To consider active travel measures including road safety for all users.
• Explore the county policy on implementing active travel measures where new road build is being proposed.
• Explore where the council is on implementation of active travel measures across the county.
• Explore the benefits and challenges of active travel measures around key buildings such as schools and hospitals and residential roads in Herefordshire.

The principal points of the discussion included:

1. The committee discussed the work that had been carried out in Denmark since the end of World War II to integrate active travel with other transport measures. It was acknowledged that Denmark had thrown significant time and resources at getting its transport infrastructure to where it currently was and that implementing workable active travel measures in Herefordshire, in an affordable manner, presented numerous challenges.

2. The committee noted the need for active travel measures to provide an alternative, but complementary means of moving around the county, that would sit alongside existing means of transport rather than replacing them.

3. A committee member suggested that incorporating active travel measures and including a solar farm within the Council’s bypass project plans might garner more support for the bypass from the current government.

4. The committee raised concerns about active travel feeling quite ‘distant’ as a concept. It regularly seemed to feature as a component of other policies, but was not clearly synthesised anywhere in the council’s plans.

5. The committee referred to paragraph 5 of the main report and noted the four main objectives for active travel:

-        Increase the percentage of short journeys in towns and cities that are walked or cycled

-        Increase people’s annual walking activity

-        Double rates of cycling

-        Increase the percentage of children aged 5 to 10 who usually walk to school

as given by the Department for Transport, were not being discussed in any detail within the council.

6. The committee noted that there was a need to establish whether the purpose of active travel was to provide health benefits to the public or to provide an alternative means of getting people from A to B - the latter of which could be adversely impacted by inclemental weather.

7. A committee member suggested active travel could provide both an alternative means of travel and health benefits, and also highlighted the importance of active travel measures as a useful tool for reducing traffic congestion.

8. A committee member stressed the importance of keeping active travel measures and 20mph speed limits as separate issues.

9. The committee enquired as to whether any separate/dedicated paper or policy was going to be put to council outlining what the administration wanted to achieve in terms of aims and objectives for active travel.

To discuss the committee’s work programme.

The committee agreed to reschedule the November item ‘Bus service improvement plan’ to allow additional time for anticipated government proposals around bus services to be released, it was felt that this would allow for a fuller and wider debate on bus services around the county. The item was deferred from November to an unspecified date in 2025.

The committee agreed to schedule the Tree and Hedgerow management item for its November 2024 meeting. A committee member suggested that road ditches policy should also be included as part of the topic.

The committee considered Mr Peter McKay’s earlier supplementary question relating to updating records on footpaths and highways. The committee felt that it did not consider it a topic that was appropriate for scrutiny or one that the committee could add value to - as it essentially concerned a local operational matter.

It was suggested by the Statutory Scrutiny Officer that the question would be better dealt with through a service request via customer services.

The committee agreed to redirect Mr McKay’s question, as it was too specific for the scrutiny work programme.

The committee agreed to look at ‘Road safety and speed limits’ in its May 2025 meeting.

The Statutory Scrutiny Officer suggested that an informal work programme discussion be arranged for committee members before the next committee meeting to discuss which items from the longlist should be included in the committee’s work schedule.

Resolved:

That the work programme, as amended and subject to periodical reviews, be agreed as the basis of the primary focus for the committee for the remainder of the municipal year 2024/25.

Monday 18 November 2024, 2pm

Monday 18 November 2024, 10am

Supplementary Questions from members of the public – Environment and Sustainability Scrutiny Committee, 23 September