Minutes of Camden Cycling Campaign Meeting on 13th March 2006
Present: Jane Boardman, Stefano Casalotti, John Chamberlain (chair), Jean Dollimore, Richard Fletcher, Meade McCloughan (minutes) and Helen Vecht.
Apologies: Anne Boston, Paul Braithwaite, James Brander, George Coulouris and Paul Gannon.
Matters arising from the minutes of the February meeting
• mailout: Stefano has sent this out to members – total cost approx. £150-£180.
• Council’s Camden Living newsheet: Stefano to write a ‘from A to B’ article for this.
Judd Street one-way proposal
• Camden Council’s Environment Committee’s meeting on the 21st March will decide upon this scheme.
• We will apply to make a deputation to this meeting to put our case for its rejection.
• Jean will speak; Meade, Stefano and (probably) James to attend in support.
• It would good to put the plan Jean has drawn up on an overhead and use this to get our message over to the councillors: Jean to email the juddplan.jpeg to Stefano so he can make a transparency of it.
• The importance of keeping our presentation (a) positive and (b) simple was reiterated.
• Jean and Stefano jointly to write to members of the Environment Committee and the local councillors; other members to be encouraged to do likewise, especially if they live or work in the wards of these councillors (e.g. John lives in Cllr Thane’s ward).
• Would LCC be able to make its own deputation? Jean to ask Simon Brammer.
Feedback from the first maintenance class
• Good turnout, good room (if a bit cold and dark –to be rectified for next time).
• Our ‘tutor’ is good at explaining, but people would have liked opportunities to get ‘hands-on’ experience – presumably this will happen in the subsequent sessions. Will we get to cover the whole syllabus?
• We will probably run another sequence of classes at Velorution (there are at least ten people on a waiting list for this).
• The current classes are being subsidized by CCC – the attendees pay £7 per class, which covers about 2/3rds of the cost. If we were to charge £10 per class, this would cover the costs (currently £117.50).
• It was agreed that we should organize another sequence of classes at Velorution, but this time charging £10 per class.
Summer festivals
• We need to get the list of festivals taking place in Camden this coming summer – usually produced by the Council in mid-April and put on the website (under ‘Leisure’).
• We should ask members if there are local festivals they would like to participate in with the assistance of committee members.
• The Hampstead Heath Open Day doesn’t usually appear on the Council’s list; there wasn’t one last year, but we need to check what’s happening this time.
Safer Routes to School
• Jean and Stefano have met with Alex Djan and Anil Vaswani (council officers) and expressed our dissatisfaction with the recent spate of very weak SRS schemes.
• The problem is that these schemes are devised following consultation with the schools themselves, which usually involves just getting the preferences of car-driving parents.
• Stefano and Jean to meet with the council officer who facilitates this process (Simon Bishop) and see if we can help to improve matter. Action: Stefano.
• The issue should also be raised at the next meeting of the Council’s Walking, Cycling and Road Safety Advisory Group.
LCC Borough Groups meeting
• 2012 Olympics (1) : Sustrans is planning a major series of ‘greenways’ into London – £100m budget! LCC is a bit hesitant about project as it will suck up funds which LCC would otherwise want to bid for, but we like the sound of it!
• 2012 Olympics (2): the LCC committee meets tomorrow (in Hackney) – we don’t have a representative on this yet.
• LCC: is becoming a charity, via an EGM on the 3rd May at the LCC offices. This will have ramifications for our status and our constitution, but it was agreed that we should proceed with changing our constitution as planned at our forthcoming AGM and then make any other required changes next year.
• local employees: LCC has been looking into whether and how borough groups could employ people – more information to follow in due course.
• Tour de France 2007: borough groups will get £200-£300 to organize link-up rides.
Regents Park and Hampstead Heath
• Regent’s Park: Stefano had had a positive response from Marc Camley, the new Chief Executive of the Royal Parks Authority. A committee has been set up to look at cycling issues on which Tom from LCC sits and through whom we can direct our thoughts. Stefano, Rik Andrews (LCC Parks co-ordinator) and Colin Wing (Westminster LCC) have had a ride around Regent’s Park to identify possible routes. Rik is drafting a proposal to go in due course to the Royal Parks Authority.
• Hampstead Heath: Stefano has now heard from the Superintendent of Hampstead Heath as to who chairs the Heath Consultative Committee and he will now write to her and ask about how one applies to join that body.
• Hampstead Heath/Regent’s Park Greenway: Chris Nicola (Camden Council) is to be encouraged to apply for a TfL grant to put in a ‘greenway’ between the two parks. The deadline for application is this coming Friday (17th March). LCC is keen on this.
Annual General Meeting Monday 10th April Primrose Hill Community Centre
• Jean to write an ‘Annual Report’ and e-mail it to the newsgroup in advance.
• James to draw up a ‘Treasurer’s Report’ and e-mail it to the newsgroup in advance.
• Meade to e-mail the proposed new constitution to the newsgroup and bring copies along to the meeting itself.
• Helen has kindly agreed to chair this meeting.
• Jean to ask the Primrose Hill Community Association if and how we could get the bar opened (and if not, whether we can bring our own drink?).
• James to be asked to circulate information about the AGM via his ‘contacts’ list.
• Stefano to produce a poster and stick it up in the Primrose Hill Community Centre.
to be asked to circulate information about the AGM via his ‘contacts’ list.
Committee membership
• Jean and Stefano are willing to stand again as joint-co-ordinators.
• Everyone agreed that it was very good both having joint-co-ordinators and having Jean and Stefano as joint-co-ordinators.
• Jean mentioned that she might be away for five weeks late summer/early autumn, and that special arrangements would have to be made regarding consultations etc.
• Richard Fletcher indicated that he would be happy to re-join the committee.
• Sela Yair has moved to Hillingdon.
• Jean agreed to ask George Coulouris whether he would be willing to be rides organiser, possibly with help from Richard.
Any other business
• Everyone agreed that the Primrose Hill Community Centre was a very pleasant venue.
• Richard suggested that we rename ourselves ‘Camden Cyclists’. It was agreed that this was a good idea and that it should be put to the AGM.
