Agenda and minutes

Plymouth Local Access Forum - Monday 16 June 2014 10.30 am

Venue: Council House, Plymouth (Next to the Civic Centre)

Contact: Lynn Young  Email: laf@plymouth.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

APPOINTMENT OF CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR

To appoint a Chair and Vice Chair for the municipal year 2014 - 2015.

Minutes:

Agreed that Ray Fairchild is appointed Chair and Ian Stewart is appointed as Vice-Chair for the Plymouth Local Access Forum for the municipal year 2014 - 2015.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.

WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS

The Chair will welcome new members to the Forum.

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed Councillor Sam Davey to the Plymouth LAF.

3.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Members will be asked to make any declarations of interest in respect of items on this agenda.

Minutes:

The following declarations of interest were made in accordance with Code of Conduct –

 

Name

Subject

Reason

Interest

Mr Pawley

South West Coast Path

Is the Plymouth local representative for the South West Coast Path

Personal

Councillor Wheeler

Planning applications

Is a member of the Planning Committee

Personal

 

4.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 89 KB

The Forum will be asked to confirm the minutes of 17 March 2014.

Minutes:

Agreed that the minutes of the meeting held on 17 March 2014 are confirmed as a correct record.

 

 

5.

CHAIR'S URGENT BUSINESS

To receive reports on business which, in the opinion of the Chair, should be brought forward for urgent consideration.

Minutes:

There were no items of Chair’s urgent business.

6.

TRACKING RESOLUTIONS

To monitor progress on previous resolutions.

Minutes:

Rosemary Starr (Smarter Choices Manager), gave a verbal update on behalf of Kat Deeney (Green Infrastructure Team Leader).  The Forum was advised that –

 

(a)

the Local Nature Partnership (LNP) was now up and running and a website would soon be available;

 

(b)

a video of the LNP would be available online in September;

 

(c)

a report on the LNP would be available for the September meeting;

 

(d)

Kat Deeney was willing to attend December’s meeting to answer further questions.

 

Following members’ questions, the Chair advised the Forum that a representative of the LAF should be on the board of the LNP.

 

Agreed that Kat Deeney would be asked to clarify the issue of LAF membership on the LNP.

7.

ANNUAL REVISION OF THE LOCAL ACCESS FORUM TERMS OF REFERENCE pdf icon PDF 52 KB

To review the Plymouth Local Access Forum’s terms of reference.

Minutes:

The Forum noted and agreed its Terms of Reference.  The LAF recommended the removal of the word ‘only’ from paragraph 3.4.  The recommendation was that LAF members could serve more than two terms.

 

Agreed that –

 

(1)

the Public Rights of Way Officer clarify how the RoWIP has been included in the Local Transport Plan;

 

(2)

the Public Rights of Way Officer to check if there is a lower age limit to being a LAF member, and if yes, what it is;

 

(3)

the Smarter Choices Manager ask Jon Shaw to attend a future LAF meeting;

(4)

the Smarter Choices Manager to include in the Plymotion newsletter information on membership of the LAF and to contact the University of the 3rd Age re LAF recruitment;

 

(5)

the Smarter Choices Manager to update the LAF on the LAF recruitment campaign at the 8 September meeting.

 

 

8.

HUDDLE HOT TOPICS pdf icon PDF 76 KB

To discuss any issues arising from the April and May editions of Huddle Hot Topics.

Minutes:

The Forum noted the latest versions of Huddle Hot Topics.

 

A discussion ensued regarding the issue of cycling on footpaths. 

 

Dave Curno clarified the situation, and explained that the issue of cycling on footpaths has developed into a technical debate about the status of towpaths in general.  He confirmed that a mobility scooter is a mechanically-propelled carriage and there is no right to use it along a footpath, bridleway or restricted byway.  Someone who uses a mobility scooter on a footpath is in exactly the same position as someone riding a horse or bicycle along the same route - they are not committing an offence but they are trespassing.

 

The Chair reminded LAF members who had access to Huddle, of the importance of its use.

9.

PATHS FOR COMMUNITIES

The Forum will discuss the formation of a sub committee for Paths for Communities.

Minutes:

Ray Fairchild, Chair, advised the Forum that he had discussed this matter with Robin Pearce, Public Rights of Way Officer, and it was agreed that it would be beneficial to form a sub-committee.  Should further funding be released under the scheme, the Forum would be well prepared and could apply for a grant.  Ray Fairchild asked Forum members to think of suitable walks for the scheme and to consider membership of the sub-committee.

 

Agreed that the Public Rights of Way Officer sets up an initial project meeting with Messrs Attrill and Curno and Mrs Hitchens.

10.

SOUTH WEST COAST PATH UPDATE

The Forum will be provided with an update on the South West Coast Path.

Minutes:

Dave Pawley, LAF member, updated members on the South West Coast Path.

 

The Forum was advised that –

 

(a)

the steps at Jennycliff had now been repaired with new steps made of recycled composite plastic, new safety fencing, handrails and signage had been installed, and the path had been widened and resurfaced;

 

(b)

there were a number of projects in the Plymouth area that were being considered and included –

 

·         Laira rail bridge to Cattedown Wharves;

·         bridge across the mouth of Hooe Lake;

·         West Hoe Road to Long Room via Millbay Docks.

 

Following members’ questions it was reported that

 

(c)

The Cattedown Wharves line was still used occasionally, and it was possible that Network Rail owned the line and land;

 

(d)

the land at the former Royal Marines base at Turnchapel had been purchased by Yacht Haven and would be used for engineering purposes.  The South West Coast Path would oppose any proposal to close the site to the public.

 

11.

LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN

The Forum will be provided with a presentation on the Local Transport Plan.

Minutes:

Rosemary Starr, Smarter Choices Manager, gave a presentation on the Local Transport Plan.  The Forum was advised that –

 

(a)

the Local Transport Plan covered the period 2011-26;

 

(b)

the plan had been developed in consultation with key stakeholders, the business community, the public and neighbouring Local Authorities, and linked communities together;

 

(c)

the aim of the plan was to make walking, cycling and public transport the desirable choice, thereby leading to a reduction of carbon in the city;

 

(d)

the walking and cycling infrastructure of Plymouth was being improved;

 

(e)

there were a number of other projects in the pipeline, including the restoration of Laira Rail Bridge, which would provide a new walking and cycling path across the River Plym;

 

(f)

a comprehensive cycling programme was planned for this year, and included the city’s participation in the third ‘Sky Ride Plymouth’ event;

 

(g)

a range of facilities were available for cyclists and included –

 

·         free adult cycling refresher courses;

·         a free monthly cycle maintenance workshop in Devonport;

·         the availability of 3600 ‘Bikeability’ places this year;

·         participation in the ‘Bike It Plus’ scheme (in association with Sustrans);

 

(h)

Councillor Philippa Davey was the Council’s Cycling Commissioner;

 

(i)

the Plymotion team was now working on offering Personal Travel Planning to 32,000 households in Plympton, Plymstock and Peverell;

 

(j)

the Co-operative Way brochure and South West Coast Path encouraged people to walk;

 

(k)

two members of staff in the Transport & Infrastructure Department had recently completed their Walk Leader qualification;

 

Following members’ questions, the Forum was advised that –

 

(l)

there had been an increase in the availability of footpaths suitable for walking;

 

(m)

there were now three locations in Plymouth which offered cycle hire;

 

(n)

Partnership work with neighbouring authorities in the Plymouth travel-to-work areas (ie Devon, Cornwall and the South Hams) was important;

 

(o)

information regarding the transit of cycles on trains was available.

The Chair thanked Rosemary Starr for her report.

12.

WORKING GROUPS

To agree any working groups for items on this agenda.

Minutes:

Ian Stewart, Vice Chair, suggested the creation of a working group to investigate  little known paths in Plymouth in order to make the citizens of Plymouth aware of what paths are available.  It was suggested that a path could be explored and this could be used as an idea for funding under the Paths for Communities scheme in the future.

 

Agreed that a working group would meet outside Ham House at 10.30 am on Monday 7 July 2014 to walk the path through Ham Woods.

13.

WORK PROGRAMME pdf icon PDF 180 KB

To receive the Forum’s Work Programme for 2014 - 2015.

Minutes:

The Forum reviewed and updated its work programme.

 

Agreeed that –

 

(1)

the Chair circulates the Annual Review to the LAF members;

 

(2)

the action re attendance at the Saltram Countryside Park Stakeholder Forum is still outstanding.

 

14.

CORRESPONDENCE

To consider any correspondence received and note any correspondence sent by the Forum.

Minutes:

There were no items of correspondence for the Forum to note.

 

Agreed that the Public Rights of Way Officer updates Councillor Wheeler on the footpath at Coombe Dean School

15.

DATE OF NEXT MEETING

The next meeting will be held at 10.30 am on Monday 8 September 2014.  

Minutes:

Agreed that the next meeting of the Forum is held at 10.30 am on Monday 8 September 2014.

 

16.

ISSUES ARISING FROM FORUM MEMBERS

To discuss any issues brought forward by members of the Forum.

Minutes:

Bob Harvey, LAF member, advised that a local Member of Parliament had issued a statement to the effect that no more wind turbines were needed in the region.

 

Bob Harvey, LAF member, advised that he had received an update from the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), detailing recent developments. Ray Fairchild, Chair, advised the Forum that it was his aim to have a representative from the Plymouth LAF on the AONB to ensure that the LAF were kept informed of any developments.

 

Agreed that Bob Harvey would send AONB information to Ian Stewart, Vice Chair.

17.

AOB

Minutes:

Agreed that –

 

(1)

the Public Rights of Way Officer provides LAF members with a copy of the Co-operative Way brochure as soon as it is available;

 

(2)

the LAF Secretary updates the LAF web pages.