MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL

POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE

24 JUNE 2015

REFERENCE FROM COUNCIL

CYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE

At the meeting of the Council held on 22 April 2015, the following motion was moved by Councillor Harper, seconded by Councillor English:

This Council recognises that cycling is an excellent carbon free form of transport.  However, Maidstone currently has very low levels of cycling compared to similar communities elsewhere.  The Council will work with the recently established Maidstone Cycle Campaign Forum to promote cycling.

In particular it will work with Kent County Council and the Campaign Forum to get in place as quickly as possible a cycle path along the Medway from Allington Lock to either Barming or Teston Bridge.  This will provide a safe and pleasant route through the middle of the town and a safe artery for cycling into the town avoiding in particular Tonbridge Road, a notoriously difficult road for cycling along.

The Council reconfirms that it has currently allocated £1m towards this project and that Kent County Council has an allocation of £2m.  If the scheme can be delivered under budget the Council will give consideration to use any balance (of its, MBC's, earmarked funds) towards further infrastructure for Cycling in the Borough.

During the discussion, with the agreement of the mover and the seconder, the first sentence of the third paragraph of the motion was amended as follows:

The Council reconfirms that it has currently allocated £1m towards this project and that Kent County Council has an allocation of £2m as part of the Local Enterprise Partnership funding. 

The mover and the seconder of the motion indicated that they had no objection to the second paragraph of the motion being amended to reflect Members’ concerns that the proposed cycle path should be sympathetic to the environment.

The motion, as amended, was referred to the Policy and Resources Committee.

RECOMMENDED:  That the Policy and Resources Committee consider the motion, as amended, relating to cycling infrastructure.

NOTE:   A briefing note provided by the Head of Finance and Resources to assist the Council in its consideration of the motion is attached as Appendix A.