 |
The Lothian Cycle Campaign |
|
|
The Lothian Cycle Campaign |
See also diary page. Other cycling events may be found on the Internet at http://www.scottishcycling.co.uk/events.
Jan 16 publicity/promotion meeting We are planning a new impetus on stalls, displays and general Spokes presentation in 2002. For example, display boards, sales materials, competitions and games for use at stalls, staffing of stalls, and so on. If you would like to get involved - or have ideas but not time to come along, contact Rosemary, Lyons.R@btinternet.com
Jan 16 Scottish Environmental Protection Agency Talk at Open Door, 420 Morningside Road, 10-11.30am. Contact: 447.1103
Jan 19 Funding Transport in West Scotland SERA workshop [Labour Party Environment Group] -important speakers expected. Motherwell. Contact: 440.4412 GerryLawson@supanet.com.
Jan 25 Dutch Public Transport Riddles Court, 322 Lawnmarket, 7.30pm. Open meeting of Light Rail Transit Assn.
Jan 31 What Next for the Railways? Speaker - Jonathan Bray of Transport 2000. Transform Scotland evening seminar. Contact: 467.7714 campaigns@transformscotland.org.uk
Feb 7 Transport and Social Exclusion Prof Margaret Grieco of Napier Transport Research Institute. Contact: as Jan 31.
Feb 18 Homes Zones for Scotland - day conference, Stirling. Fee £35. Contact: 01786.430120 collinsc@stirling.gov.uk.
Mar 4 Is Transport good for your Wealth? TransForm Scotland day conference on links between transport and economic activity. Excellent speakers - Lewis MacDonald MSP, Transport Minister, Prof Phil Goodwin, Prof David Begg. Contact: as Jan 31
Mar 7 A Vision for Improving Scotland's Health Dr E M Armstrong, Scotland Chief Medical Officer. Public Health Seminar, 5pm, Sydney Smith lecture theatre, Teviot Place.
Mar 21 Policy Implications of the Flexing City Contact: Jan 31
Apr 4 Home Zones TransForm Scotland evening slide show. Contact: as Jan 31.
June 1 Corstorphine Fair - to help at Spokes stall, contact Rosemary, Lyons.R@btinternet.com.
June 15-23 Bike Week 2002 with a 'Bike to Work' theme for the whole week, rather than a Bike to Work day as in previous years.
For Spokes plans, or to help, contact: Jackie 664 0526. For more details at UK level: nick@harvey.co.uk. Including...
Sun 16 June - Glasgow CycleFest 0141.287.9374 David Marsh
Sun 16 June - Edinburgh Meadows CycleFest - provisional
Wed 19 June - Edinburgh Bike Breakfast
Sep 3-14 World Summit on Sustainable Development (10 years after the first, Rio, conference). www.johannesburgsummit.org.
Sep 22 European Car-Free Day www.22September.org
Scottish cycling events - See www.scottishcycling.co.uk/events
The Structure Plan is the strategic planning document guiding all major land-use issues, public and private, up to year 2015. Transport and accessibility are crucial aspects; also housing, economic development, environment and retail. The draft plan is on the Council website at www.edinburgh.gov.uk - then go to the Planning section. It can also be inspected at the Planning Dept, 1 Cockburn Street. Public consultation ends on Friday 29 March. There will be several public exhibitions - contact Sarah Hartop 469.3934 or s.hartop@edin-city-dev.demon.co.uk for details.
We urge members to look at the plan (find it on the website above) and send in comments [to John Inman, Freepost EH242, Edinburgh Council, EH1 0AH]. Please copy a.s.a.p. to Spokes, so we can take your views into account in the Spokes submission. The transport chapter is particularly relevant to cyclists, but we are pleased that transport and accessibility seem well integrated into the whole document. So please look at and comment on all chapters if possible. Two initial comments on the transport section...
Sarah Boyack was sacked as Transport and Planning Minister. Whilst she was much criticised by environmental organisations for giving in to road building lobbyists (including most MSPs!), she also was signally successful through her ring-fenced Public Transport Fund initiatives in getting councils across Scotland to start gearing up their staff and workload priorities to place much greater emphasis on public transport, walking and cycling.
Responsibility for Transport is now with Wendy Alexander, who is also minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning. We fear this may downgrade transport, and put greater emphasis on 'delivery' of 'big' transport, rather than the everyday accessibility which Sarah Boyack had the time and interest to emphasise. Wendy Alexander's new role was welcomed by the CBI, but slated by Green MSP Robin Harper. However, there is a deputy - Lewis Macdonald - with specific transport responsibility - please write to him asking for greater emphasis on cycling issues.
A further concern is that Planning has been separated from Transport - it is now under Minister for Social Justice Iain Gray!!
Integration between transport and planning is vital so that new development is only located where easily accessible by public transport, walking and cycling. Please raise this too with Lewis Macdonald - and/or Iain Gray. No more Gyle's please!!!
|
