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The Lothian Cycle Campaign |
Additions and Updates to this site http://www.spokes.org.uk
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The Lothian Cycle Campaign |
Web Page 3
Editor:
Dave duFeu .Printer: Barr Printers Print run:
11,000
Copyright
details:SPOKES
may be quoted freely, if the source is acknowledged and our address
given.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY REPORT
Spokes works hard to promote the links between transport and health. Our efforts [Spokes 72,68,70] resulted in the Scottish Public Health White Paper Towards a Healthier Scotland placing as much emphasis on everyday walking/ cycling for exercise as it does on sport. It sets a hugely ambitious target to raise the proportion of adults taking 30+ minutes of moderate activity at least 5 times weekly from 1995 figures of 32% of men and 22% of women to 50%/40% by 2005 and 60%/50% by 2010. As examples of 'moderate activity', it cites only walking and cycling.
The White Paper also promised "additional resources" to implement a physical activity strategy, to be developed by a Physical Activity Task Force [PATF]. The PATF took nearly 3 years to set up, and despite the White Paper calling for greater integration in physical activity policy, officials rejected our proposal that it include a transport professional! We thus feared the strategy would focus heavily on sport, PE and leisure centres, particularly given the promise of government funding. However, we have been assured that PATF members fully realize the critical role of everyday moderate physical activity - achievable through daily work, shopping and leisure routines rather than driving to sport/lifestyle venues in one's free-time!
The will be a 3-month consultation on the PATF report, probably June-August. We urge readers to submit their views. Please copy us your comments, so we can consider them in a Spokes submission. It will be interesting to see how the report proposes to meet the almost impossibly ambitious White Paper target above!
More PATF info: www.show.scot.nhs.uk/sehd/patf, or phone our member David Leslie [0131.452.8556], who has been involved.
How Times
Change!!... A 1995 report, Reversing the Problem of
Obesity, by a government Physical Activity Task Force
called for cross-government action including "a
shift away from car-dominated culture to cycling and footpaths"
[LTT 12.10.95].
THE
COSTS OF OBESITY
Obesity could
overtake smoking as the leading cause of preventable death in the
US - 300,000 citizens a year die from diseases directly caused or
worsened by being overweight
[H 14.12.01].
Although remedial publicity focuses on diet, the biggest problem
is absence of daily moderate physical activity - indeed despite
rapidly increasing UK overweight-ness, calorie intakes have in fact
declined [SH 3.12.00, Health
Which June 2000, H 5.1.01].
And whilst genes are fashionably blamed for everything, the huge obesity rise is due to "environment and lifestyle" according to genetics professor Nick Hastie [H 10.4.02].
Two highly respected bodies charged with examining the effectiveness of UK government spending have estimated the cost of obesity to the taxpayer at £2,000,000,000+ a year in England alone. The National Audit Office & Public Accounts Committee, in their reports Tackling Obesity in England call for cross-government action to boost physical activity, including active travel such as cycling/walking.
NAO report: www.nao.gov.uk/pn/00-01/0001220.htm
PAC report: www.parliament.uk/commons/selcom/pachome.htm
Much is heard from
government and other decision-makers on
integrated policy -
but far less happens in practice. The latest example is typical - the
Scottish Executive pushing cycling/walking down into a sub-unit of
Road Safety [p1]
rather than linking transport, access, environment, public health,
for example through a Healthy Travel branch [p4].
An excellent report and practical guide, Making T.H.E. Links [ISBN 0 7521 1805 6, Spokes 76] was published a few years ago by the English Health Education Authority and Dept of Transport. Its ideas are gaining acceptance, with Health Authorities even part-funding transport initiatives!
A new NHS report [The Impact of Transport ... on Health, www.hda-online.org.uk/html/improving/policy.html] seeks more health-profession input in transport decisions [LTT 25.4.02]. It lists HA's helping fund traffic-calming, speed cameras, travel awareness officers, and safe routes to school. In Scotland, Renfrewshire's Access Officer is part-funded by Argyle/Clyde Health Board [Paths for All, Autumn 2001].
There is a stream of research showing the health benefits of regular moderate physical activity [Spokes76]. Most studies are not specifically on cycling, but health experts generally reckon a 15-20 minute daily bike commute is a good quota of moderate physical activity. Recent results include...
Other recent research confirms multiple benefits from reducing overweightness...lower risk of cancer (especially endometrial, gallbladder, kidney; also breast, prostate, colon, lung), blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke.
Other research [Nature 29.3.2001] shows regular moderate physical activity such as cycling to be more effective at increasing body energy use than fitting occasional spells of vigorous exercise into an otherwise inactive lifestyle.
There is also a hint [Circulation 2001] that the much-hyped heart-disease benefits of wine may in fact be due to light wine-drinkers also living a more healthy lifestyle!
Useful Reference:
Physical Activity and Health: Report of the Surgeon General is
considered in the UK and US to be the
definitive
statement
[www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/sgr/sgr.htm].
The Edinburgh/Glasgow International Conference on CD!! 300 papers on every conceivable cycling topic, animations, photos, delegate list, daily newsletter... £10 from Spokes
The government has set up a £2m challenge fund for ideas encouraging people to cycle [DTLR 14.3.02]. The fund only applies in England. A few years ago similar schemes ran in both England & Scotland. This enabled Spokes to scale up our map design and distribution project; it initiated the Safe Routes to School work which has now led also to adult cycle training and the Castlecliff Workshop; and it enabled ScotRail to improve on-train bike storage and so abolish the hated £3 bike-carriage fee [Spokes 68]. A consultants' report on the Scottish scheme [Spokes 79] recommended ongoing funding enabling voluntary groups to develop more and continuing initiatives; but the Executive rejected this. Please write to your MSP asking for a Scottish fund.
Cycling is the number
one physical activity outside of school for girls - and second for
boys, after football! [Scottish
Parent Teacher Council
news, 4.02 www.sol.co.uk/sptc]
Following complaints over Edinburgh Council's first build-out in McDonald Road, this excellent bypass came next - also designed to minimise risk of cars blocking the ends.
Edinburgh is to consult during June/July on road-user charge proposals. A first consultation in 1999 [Spokes 75] highlighted how the money could be used - and there was widespread support. This time, the charging details will be clearer, and strong opposition is expected. The Tories talk of a 'toll tax' [Spokes 79], and the Lib Dems, despite their national policies, seem set to oppose charging.
Spokes sees the Council
plan as vital, both to fund top-class sustainable transport, and to
provide the necessary traffic restraint. Other Scottish councils
wait to see if Edinburgh provides a model for the future, or if a
motorists revolt scuppers everything. This will be a major
battle with implications across Scotland. We urge you to play
a part by strongly supporting the Council plan in letters to
the press, councillors and the consultation, while still of course
suggesting pertinent detailed
changes.
'PLANNING
GAIN'
Spokes Planning Group
puts great effort into commenting on developer planning applications.
When approving such applications, the Council must follow stringent
government policy guidelines ['Transport and Planning'
(NPPG 17) from 244.7538 or www.scotland.gov.uk/planning].
These cover access and sustainability, in terms of location (reducing
the need to travel) and relevant cycle facilities. The council also
has its own more detailed policy guidelines - for example amounts and
types of car and cycle parking.
In theory these policies should always be followed, with no need for letters from outside bodies. However, we are not convinced this would always happen. Letters may raise issues and possibilities that officials had not thought of and, if there are disputes between the council and developers, letters give added weight to the council arguments. Indeed even with our letters, there are still examples of new flats not even required to include bike parking!
However there are many examples where our comments have proved very worthwhile, including recently...
nearby flat
developers [see
photo]
If you see details
of a new development in your area, please write to the council, and
pass your ideas to Spokes too. Details of each application, and a
weekly list of all applications, are at City Development, 1 Cockburn
Street. Note that there is often a strict deadline for
comments.
OUTSIDE
EDINBURGH
Hopetoun House has closed its west gate, the 'blue gate' near Abercorn Church, due to motorist joyriders causing damage. The tarmac estate path is vital for the Queensferry to Linlithgow quiet route, and is on council leaflets. It was also to be part of the future Sustrans round-Forth route.
Cyclists and walkers have used the track for over 20 years, making it an asserted Right of Way. Walkers can still get through, but cyclists who write to complain are told to use a steep and difficult alternative [more details in Spokesworker 15.5.02].
It is important to maintain use of the path. The gate is normally open when the House is. Also, there is a detector loop, which most bikes will trigger, under the path inside the gate. However, from the west you have to lift bikes over the gate - it is roughly 1.5m high so needs two people.
Also please write
to: Cllr Carol Bartholomew, Strategic Services, West
Lothian Council, Almondvale, Livingston EH54 6QG, asking the council
to pursue the Right of Way.
Spokes was disturbed
that an out-of-town site was chosen for the 2500-pupil Dalkeith
Schools Campus [Spokes
76]. However a
Green Travel Plan, to provide safe routes and to promote use by staff
and pupils, was promised [Spokes
79]. But now there
are rumours the main path to Dalkeith will have steps and a steep
gradient rather than the ideal but slightly more expensive route
(which would also take Sustrans route 1 right into Dalkeith).
This is a path for hundreds of journeys a day, plus visitors to
the town - the Council must get it right first time!!!
Quality connections from the campus to other communities are also
vital.
Please write asking
for the opportunity to comment on the details, to: Cllr James
Dunsmuir, Strategic Services, Midlothian Council, Buccleuch St,
Dalkeith EH22 1DJ. More
info: Midlothian Spokes - GerryLawson@supanet.com
We understand that
West Lothian Council's consultation on the Bathgate
Hills [Spokes
81] has revealed
widespread support for slower speed measures. A report is due
shortly. Meanwhile construction is underway on a 1km walk/cycle
Linlithgow-Beecraigs path, avoiding the dangerous road link.
This is a great move, though we are concerned that the uphill
whin-dust surface could erode.
Spokes has criticised
the National Trust for Scotland for a poor record on
sustainable transport, especially compared to the English National
Trust. Now bike access is to be allowed at Newhailes House
from the adjacent cycle route [also near Sustrans Route 1],
and bike parking installed. NTS South Region office wants more
suggestions on promoting cycle
access [Fiona
Chalmers 01721.726008].
This is great news - but still far from English NT sustainability
policy to reduce the proportion of car-borne visitors
to 60% by 2020 [Spokes
79][mesgxu@smtp.ntrust.org.uk]
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