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Cycleways supports the Plan's objectives, as set out in 5.6.3. However, it objects to the District Wide Transport Mitigation Proposals since they do not support the Plan's objectives, neither do they support the objectives of the Warwickshire Local Transport Plan (LTP 2011-2026), or the government's White Paper on Transport.
Apart from increasing the use of unsustainable modes of transport, the suggested options 05 and 14-24 will increase carbon emissions, air pollution, noise and congestion across the District.
The following examples illustrate how the Proposal fails the overall aims outlined in the policies mentioned above.
Within the objectives set out in 5.6.3 are:
Maximise the number of journeys made by sustainable transport
The main focus of the District Wide Mitigation Proposals is on the unsustainable mode, the motor vehicle, with a disproportionate investment of increasing road capacity rather than providing for good quality links for cycling and walking.This is evident in the lack of the provision of good quality cycle links between the areas of new development and access into the town centres of Warwick, Leamington Spa, and Kenilworth. Likewise, good links toWarwickHospital, Leamington College and other high usage destinations are not provided for either.
Deliver an integrated approach to transport
Here there is a serious lack of integration between the planned road improvements, as listed 01-15, and the sustainable modes, such as cycling and walking.
* Schemes 01-04 all impact on the proposed Kenilworth to Leamington cycle route, but these are not linked in together.
* Scheme 05, increasing the capacity of Spinney Hill roundabout. This will have a serious and adverse impact on the proposed Warwick - Leek Wootton - Kenilworth cycle route, and also for pedestrians who need to use this junction.
* Schemes 06 &07 form parts of the Warwick to Leamington cycle route, but again these are not linked in.
* Scheme 09, the proposed signalised junction should include a signal phase for pedestrians
* Scheme 11, the proposed signalised junction should include a phase for cyclists, (and pedestrians), becauseit forms part of the Warwick to Warwick Technology Park cycle route.
* Schemes 12&13 in Warwick make no provision for cyclists or pedestrians.
Without more comprehensive integration and providing genuine choices of how people can travel by the sustainable modesit will be very difficult for the Council to achieve its objectives as set out in 5.6.3, orin meeting the objectives of the government's White Paper on Transport.
One particular feature of the White Paper is in the role of community groups to facilitate the delivery of local transport solutions. The new Local Planwould therefore be an ideal opportunity to not just deliver a sustainable integrated transport framework for the District, but to also draw on the knowledge and support of local groups.
Cycleways would be pleased to work with the Council to further develop the District Wide Transport Mitigation Proposalsto enable the objectives as set out in 5.6.3 to be achieved.


Last week, Cycleways submitted its response to the transport mitigation proposals contained in the Local Plan.
In its response it referred to the government's White Paper on transport, and attached is a copy of the relevant pages, for your reference.
Later on in the White Paper, p38, it refers to the Sustainable Travel Towns project.
Even though this project has only been running for a few years it is already demonstrating a modal shift in travel behaviour, as follows:
reduction in number of car driver trips - 8%
cycle trips increase per resident by 26%
walking trips per resident increase by 13%
PSV usage increase by 14%
If one looks to London where a sustainable travel strategy has been in place much longer, the shift is quite dramatic when it comes to cycling.
The head of TfL surface transport planning, Michelle Dix, was recently quoted as saying that they plan to have as many commuters cycling to work by 2030 as those who use the underground.
In a recent survey conducted by City Hall in the City of London it showed that 49% of all vehicles passing along Old Street at the morning peak, were bicycles.
Turning to more local matters, Cycleways has prepared a draft cycle plan of the Warwick District embracing all three of its towns to show how the objectives set out in 5.6.3 of the Local Plan could be delivered. Here once again, the large scale plan of Leamington and Warwick that you supplied to us, was particularly useful.