Together with London Living Streets, we have composed a Camden ‘Ask’ that has been sent to the leaders of all the main parties standing in Camden for the May 2018 Local Elections. This ask is our combined Active Travel Policy and follows LCC’s proposals for My Liveable London in asking them to commit to developing and submitting at least one Liveable Neighbourhood bid for an area in Camden that has high potential for walking and cycling. London Cycling Campaign and Living Streets have also produced a briefing document on Low Traffic Neighbourhoods
The full text of the Ask is given below. We will post on this page a summary of the responses of each of the parties standing in Camden for the 2018 Local Elections (in order of receipt). Links to the full responses are below the summaries. Labour have pledged support to all the parts of the Ask so we have repeated this statement against each individual point.
Summary of responses from leaders of parties standing in Camden
Ask 1 – Vastly improve conditions for walking and cycling throughout the borough so that people will choose to change the way they travel.
- One third of all car trips in Camden to be replaced by a walking or a cycling trip by 2022 and half by 2026.
Green Party – This is completely achievable with the right policies and political will, and we are happy to sign up to this.
Labour Party – We can pledge our support to every one of the points you have put across and this absolutely fits with our own commitments.
Liberal Democrats – The Lib Dems are committed to vastly improve conditions for walking and cycling across the borough, especially for children to and from school as we see the benefits of active travel from the very youngest ages.
Conservatives – This is a perfectly legitimate aspiration and objective. The only qualifier we would suggest is that there are categories of people, such as those for whom car transport is the only genuinely practical way of movement (due to age, disability or location) and those for whom the car is necessary for work, including builders, plumbers, electricians, people whose job requires large tools and heavy equipment. But with this qualifier in place, this is a goal to which the Camden Conservatives can agree.
Ask 2 – Adopt a policy that will result within 8 years in a borough-wide cycling network that is safe, comfortable and accessible to all.
- So that at least 50% of people who would like to cycle in Camden will take it up, wherever they live and whatever their age or ability.
- The network will be suitable for 12 year olds to use for independent travel.
Green Party – [we] have consistently campaigned for cycling to be made safe and appealing for those from 8 to 80 (and above) to use bikes to get around.
Labour Party – We can pledge our support to every one of the points you have put across and this absolutely fits with our own commitments.
Liberal Democrats – We welcome the continued development of a borough wide cycle network that is accessible to all. We want the cycling and walking network to support and enhance access to public transport. We also see opportunities for routes to quieten residential back streets that are currently used as cut throughs. We support the aspiration of at least 50% of people interested in cycling being able to do so safely and with enjoyment and to ensure the network is developed for school age children.
Conservatives – This is a good objective. We would stress that the network be designed so as to not contribute to congestion, which adds to air pollution.
Ask 3 – Develop and submit at least one Liveable Neighbourhood bid for an area in Camden that has high potential for walking and cycling. Each Liveable Neighbourhood will:
- incorporate practical steps that enable people to choose walking and cycling over private cars for their everyday journeys in the area;
- improve the experience of walking and cycling by creating healthy streets that are more attractive to people on foot;
- Link in to the Central London Walking network;
- Reduce the number of car trips through the area.
Green Party – Our view is that we absolutely must make the most of this new funding stream from the Mayor, and that yes we should develop a priority area but also three, four, five or more further areas with written-up plans to do this. I have visited Waltham Forest to see the way the whole area, including main roads, residential streets, former rat-runs and smaller shopping streets, has been transformed by the mini-Holland investment. We must be making similar plans for more of Camden’s local areas, working from the start with local communities to come up with ideas and get the details right.
Labour Party – We can pledge our support to every one of the points you have put across and this absolutely fits with our own commitments.
Liberal Democrats – The Lib Dems would support a number of Liveable Neighbourhood bids, we do not see the need to limit the number of bids. The bids would certainly include steps to ensure walkability, cyclibility, linking into other networks, enjoyment of the outdoors and reduce use in the area.
Conservatives – Camden Conservatives are supportive of a Liveable Neighbourhood bid. We maintain the earlier caveats about ensuring that no street works increase congestion and we are aware that reduction of car trips in not an option for everybody. But within those limits, we believe restoring streets to one of their functions as an agora- an open space for meeting and exchange- for the community is an important and laudable goal.
Full Responses
Council Elections May 2018 Ask
Active travel is a key element in improving Camden’s atrocious air quality and at a personal level can reduce a person’s risk of obesity and many chronic diseases as well as improving their mental health and well-being. Our ask has three parts:
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Vastly improve conditions for walking and cycling throughout the borough so that people will choose to change the way they travel.
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One third of all car trips in Camden to be replaced by a walking or a cycling trip by 2022 and half by 2026.
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Adopt a policy that will result within 8 years in a borough-wide cycling network that is safe, comfortable and accessible to all.
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So that at least 50% of people who would like to cycle in Camden will take it up, wherever they live and whatever their age or ability. -
The network will be suitable for 12 year olds to use for independent travel.
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Develop and submit at least one Liveable Neighbourhood bid for an area in Camden that has high potential for walking and cycling. Each Liveable Neighbourhood will:
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incorporate practical steps that enable people to choose walking and cycling over private cars for their everyday journeys in the area; -
improve the experience of walking and cycling by creating healthy streets that are more attractive to people on foot; -
Link in to the Central London Walking network;
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Reduce the number of car trips through the area.
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