Report of Strategic Director (Growth and Development)

This report provides an update on the production of an Active Travel Strategy and Investment Plan, which aims to create a city-wide, Manchester-specific strategy and network plan for active travel investment and a prioritised pipeline of measures to deliver across the city.

The Committee considered a report of the Strategic Director (Growth and Development) which provided an update on the production of an Active Travel Strategy and Investment Plan (MATSIP) for Manchester City Centre.

Key points and themes in the report included:

·               The proposed vision and objectives for the MATSIP;

·               The planned work programme and investment plans to develop strategy and to continue improving walking and cycling for all pedestrian users;

·               A collaborative approach between the Council and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) to deliver schemes to implement the Bee Network vision;

·               Some of the £325,000 received from the 2021-22 DfT Active Travel Capability Fund was directed to produce the strategy and investment plans. Expert analysis and advice had been commissioned from transport and urban design consultants Sweco;

·               How the MATSIP would recommend investment priorities and schemes for the immediate and medium terms with a long-term horizon of 2040 to match the GM2040 Strategy and the City Centre Transport Strategy;

·               Five place-based workshops in each area of focus (North, Central, East, South and Wythenshawe) and digital engagement would be undertaken to facilitate stakeholder and resident engagement.

Some of the key points and queries that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

·                A need to ensure active travel routes are accessible and safe to encourage usage;

·                Routes needed to be well-connected, particularly to schools, hospitals and district centres;

·                Clarification about revenue and capital expenditure;

·                Whether stakeholder and resident engagement would be organised by consultants and if the scoping of this had already been undertaken;

·                Concern over a lack of docking stations for Beryl Bikes in Wythenshawe;

·                Parking on pavements and overgrown hedges and the safety issues these cause;

·                How the MATSIP will tie in with public transport;

·                Welcomed recent consultation outcomes being used to inform the strategy; and

·                Could feedback from consultation on Beelines be incorporated into the strategy;

The Principal Policy Officer acknowledged the need for safe junctions to ensure that the active travel network is accessible, and this would be addressed through the development of the strategy. It was hoped that the MATSIP would tie together the different Council initiatives and early engagement was underway between partners in Neighbourhoods and Manchester Active.

The Principal Policy Officer reiterated the importance of the split between capital and revenue expenditure and further assessment of this was required to understand funding requirements. He explained that increased revenue allocation in the DfT Active Travel Capability Fund was anticipated, although the detail of this had not been confirmed.

In response to a query regarding the engagement programme, it was explained that this would be delivered by the Council with an intention to utilise the expertise of Neighbourhood Officers and Sweco consultants. Stakeholder mapping was ongoing and the wider details on consultation and engagement were not yet finalised.

With regards to Beryl bikes and the Greater Manchester Cycle Hire scheme, the Principal Policy Officer advised that funding for the initiative from the Mayor’s Challenge Fund (MCF) was limited but the Council was working with TfGM to identify areas to extend the scheme to, although there was no exact timescale for this. 

The Executive Member for Environment and Transport reiterated the need for the active travel network to be accessible for all residents and to encourage a modal shift to alternative transport methods. She also commented that member engagement in the scheme was key.

The Executive Member for Environment and Transport explained that the Growth and Development directorate could create a flowchart for the public to demonstrate how the MATSIP and national policy fit together and what will be delivered.

Concern over on-pavement parking was reiterated by the Executive Member and she explained that the Council was considering what powers it had to address the issue, with the possibility of launching pilot programmes.

The Interim Head of Infrastructure and Environment confirmed that outcomes from the Beelines consultation were available and could be used in a place-based way to look at land use and trip trends. 

Decision:

That the Committee

(1)      notes the report and

(2)      notes that a further report setting out progress would be brought to a future Committee for consideration.