To seek the views of the Connected Communities Scrutiny Committee on the draft Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP), prior to its consideration by Cabinet. The committee is invited to scrutinise the plan, provide feedback, and endorse its strategic direction. The report also outlines key findings from the public consultation and proposes next steps for refining and implementing the LCWIP.

The committee considered a report on the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP).

The principal points of the subsequent discussion are summarised below:

1. The Transport Planning Services Manager presented that:

2. In response to a question about what the political imperative is for driving the LCWIP forward, the Cabinet Member Transport and Infrastructure noted that there is no political imperative of it than if there is any need or want to move forward infrastructure projects, there has to be the basis of a plan to draw down the evidence to support any bids or applications made. It was noted that without these plans, bids will be unlikely to be successful for grant funding.

3. The Transport Planning Services Manager noted that the five most popular improvements that the public are asking for are: quiet lanes, highway route upgrades, junction safety upgrades, traffic calming, and footway improvements. Accordingly, these priorities are taken into account when determining the allocation of funding.

4. The Chief Operating Officer – Resident Services noted that active travel funding is already available. With an LCWIP in place, the council is hopeful that its grading will improve, thereby increasing the likelihood of securing additional funding.

5. In response to a question about other LCWIPs and whether it would have been good practice to have had an implementation strategy at this stage, Rhiannon Evans (Active Travel England) noted that it is helpful to have one in relation to a capability assessment which is calculated on three things: 1. Leadership; 2. Network plans; and 3. Delivery.

6. In response to a question regarding the rating system, Rhiannon Evans (Active Travel England) explained that all local authorities in England are assessed on a scale from 0 to 4, with Herefordshire currently rated at level 1.

7. The Chief Operating Officer – Resident Services added that officers are currently developing the implementation strategy and prioritisation plan. Once completed, it will be uploaded to the council’s website and presented again to the scrutiny committee at a future meeting. It was noted that the aim is to have this work finalised before Christmas.

8. In response to a question about the implementation strategy and the prioritisation list and their differences, the Transport Planning Services Manager noted that the prioritisation list will provide all of the routes identified and consulted on in Herefordshire. The implementation strategy is a short-term plan of what is being designed and being built on the assumed funding over the next couple of years. Both are considered as separate documents.

9. In response to a question about greenways, the Transport Planning Services Manager acknowledged that the wording in the technical report is unclear. In the actual plan, which will be presented to Cabinet, further detail on greenways will be included. Officers are working closely with landowners to ensure their concerns are respected. While greenways will be supported, the council’s main priority remains infrastructure within its own network.

10. In response to a question regarding the equality duty and its low impact rating, the Transport Planning Services Manager clarified that this report is limited to a priority list and technical overview. In contrast, the Cabinet paper provides a different equality rating and includes more detailed wording on how equality considerations will be improved.

11. In response to a question about mistakes in the technical report, the Transport Planning Services Manager noted these would be corrected.

12. The Transport Planning Services Manager confirmed that LCWIP will be subject to six-monthly updates to ensure priorities remain current and responsive to community feedback.

13. Committee members welcomed this approach and stressed the importance of clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for active travel. Officers noted that KPIs in the Local Transport Plan could be extended to cover walking and cycling, with scrutiny recommendations feeding into their development.

14. The Transport Planning Services Manager added that smaller-scale schemes (e.g. crossings, pavements, drop kerbs, 20mph routes) would be prioritised in the early years, particularly around schools, to enable short car journeys to shift to walking or cycling. Larger infrastructure projects were acknowledged as longer-term, requiring external funding, and would therefore be less frequent.

15. The Transport Planning Services Manager agreed that safety is a central priority. All new schemes will undergo safety audits, although some rural routes may not be fully compliant with national design guidance (LTN 1/20) due to physical constraints.

16. In response to a question about how market towns and rural areas would benefit alongside Hereford, it was confirmed that dedicated funding had been set aside for rural areas.

17. The Transport Planning Services Manager noted that over 700 responses had been received during the consultation. While some expressed opposition to prioritising walking and cycling over car travel, many called for more ambitious interventions than those initially proposed.

18. In response to a question about whether the priority list be included in the implementation list before Christmas, the Transport Planning Services Manager confirmed it would be.

19. In response to a question about how the success of the plan will be measured, the Transport Planning Services Manager noted that the council has a strong monitoring network which monitors walking, cycling, and car usage.

20. Committee members stressed the need to address accident hotspots, poor junction design, and potholes, noting that incidents not reported to the police should also be considered. It was advised that upgraded monitoring equipment using AI was being deployed to capture near-miss and actual collision data.

Resolved:

1. Ensure that the performance indicators monitoring the success of the Local Transport Plan include indicators showing reduced collisions, reduced emissions, and greater take up of walking and cycling as a mode of transport.

2. Ensure that any targets in the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan are Specific, Measurable, Agreed (or Achievable), Realistic, and Time Bound.

3. Publish the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan implementation plan, prioritisation list and programme of work by the end of 2025.