Dear Steve,
Thank you for your email and for the amazing work that you do with Camden Cycle Campaign. I appreciate the insight you have provided on this issue.
Decarbonising our transport sector is one of the most pressing challenges we face if we are to meet our net zero goals, which is a top priority for me and my Labour colleagues. By getting people to engage more in active travel, we will improve air quality, help lower emissions, reduce congestion and improve physical health.
I can assure you that the Transport Secretary Louise Haigh MP is absolutely committed to investing in our cycle routes. As you can read in this article outlining her support for massively improving our cycle networks, Labour will deliver unprecedented levels of funding in cycling and walking as a critical part of plans to improve health and inequality. Louise also made clear that she knows that improving and building cycle routes, along with measures to help people use those routes from childhood onwards can increase bike usage by hundreds and hundreds of per cents.
As you have said, it is clear that active travel delivers immense benefits in a whole range of ways, and I will continue to do everything I can to encourage it and ensure that government is playing its part in allowing it to thrive.
Thank you for taking the time to get in touch and please do let me know if you have any further questions. I will absolutely bear in mind your views and continue to support cycling both in our community and across the country in every way possible.
Best wishes,
Tulip Siddiq MP
Member of Parliament for Hampstead and Highgate
Dear Tulip Siddiq,
My name is Steve Prowse, I live in Gospel Oak Ward & I volunteer as the Coordinator for Camden Cycle Campaign (CCC), the local branch of London Cycling Campaign (LCC). CCC is a very active group that has ~500 members. CCC advocates not just for cycling commuters but full Inclusivity and Diversity in cycling for all types of local journeys from cycling to school to popping to the shops.
London MPs can and should be proud of what the London Mayor and London councils have done since the Pandemic to get more people walking/wheeling, cycling and ditching the car. It is great to see Camden come 4th overall in the Healthy Streets Scorecard and receive an award for Top Inner London borough based on housing density.
Active travel, particularly cycling, can bring several benefits to address the issues I know you are passionate about. Let me outline how Active Travel can help in each area:
1. Cost of Living Crisis:
- Reduced transportation costs: Cycling is a low-cost alternative to driving or using public transport, saving money on fuel, parking, and fares.
- Health savings: Regular cycling can improve overall health, potentially reducing healthcare expenses & the burden on the NHS.
2. Children’s Welfare and Health:
- Increased physical activity: Regular cycling helps combat childhood obesity and improves cardiovascular health.
- Improved mental health: Exercise and outdoor activities can reduce stress and anxiety in children.
- Enhanced independence: Cycling allows children to travel independently, boosting confidence and social skills.
- Better air quality: More cycling means less air pollution, benefiting children’s respiratory health.
3. Women, Minorities and People with Disabilities:
- Remove barriers that stop Women from cycling. In London, less than 1 in 3 cycle trips are made by women. In the Netherlands, it’s over half. 90% of LCC’s survey respondents said they would start to cycle or cycle more if cycle infrastructure was better.
- Improved accessibility: Cycling infrastructure often includes improvements that benefit wheelchair users and other mobility aids. According to Wheels for Wellbeing, 78% of disabled people in London can cycle, but only 15% use a bike to get around regularly or occasionally.
I am writing to you today to ask that you support the Active Travel aspects of local and national government. Your public support for the Transport Minister, Mayor of London & Camden Council can help bring forward substantial positive change for the constituents that you represent.
The Rt Hon Louise Haigh, Labour MP for Sheffield Heeley and Secretary of State for Transport
In remarks to Department for Transport staff when she first took over the job, the Minister called efforts to make transport more environmentally friendly “the critical thread weaving through every priority”. The Minister has also recently been quoted as saying that there will be “unprecedented” levels of funding for active travel. We ask that you support not only increased levels of funding but also long-term funding arrangements with TfL.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan
We ask that you support the Mayor’s target for London to be net zero carbon by 2030 (not 2050) and in particular that kilometres travelled by vehicles in the city needs to reduce by 27% by 2030. We also ask that you support the Cargo Bike Action Plan and the London Assembly Economy Committee in helping business benefit from adopting Cargo Bikes. Campaigners are calling for a ‘Green Deal for Freight’, with funds allocated to a ‘Bikes for Business’ project so that tailored advice and subsidies are made available to any London businesses wanting to adopt cargo bikes.
Cabinet Member for a Sustainable Camden, Councillor Adam Harrison
Camden Council’s Cycling Action Plan was first published in April 2019. The Transport Strategy was reviewed in 2022 and an updated version of the Cycling Network was included. The Officers are currently working on defining the next three year plan (FY 25/26 to 2027/28). We ask that you support this new delivery plan and in particular, the schemes that are in your Constituency, namely:
- Better Safer Kilburn High Road. Camden, Brent and Westminster Councils want to improve road safety and air quality along the High Road.
- South Hampstead Safe & Healthy Neighborhood (LTN) AKA ‘The Gardens’. No detail about this scheme has yet been published & no formal Consultation has yet been launched. CCC understand that details of the scheme may not be made public until the Consultation opens. As our local representative, the Council will be able to share an update on progress with you. We ask that you make enquiries as when it will come to Consultation.
- Quietway 3 cycle route through Brent / South Hampstead & Cycleway 51 through Kilburn / West Hampstead. These routes have not yet been made public & we would be grateful if you could ask if the routes are ready to be made public.
If you would like me to elaborate on any of these points or provide more information on a specific aspect, please let me know. We would love the opportunity to show you what Camden has achieved & to discuss active travel measures. Also, if you would like to go on a bike ride (photo opportunity) or perhaps get advice on the safest way to cycle to Parliament, don’t hesitate to ask.
Yours sincerely,
Steve Prowse
Coordinator for Camden Cycle Campaign.
