Newcastle Cycling Campaign

Tag: cycle politics

AGM 2018 Part 1

Uncategorized

We held our Annual General Meeting on 25 March 2018 at the Jesmond Community Library in Newcastle. It was great to see so many people for the launch of our #city4kids manifesto including and lots of families and children who came for the first time. Many thanks to Ellie for keeping kids busy in the arts and craft room! Here is an account of the formal business of the AGM for those who couldn’t make it.  Claire Prospert, co-founder of NewCycling and Secretary, presented the annual report of activities. Before the winter, we worked with Richard Grassick from Moving Films to produce a[…]

Read more

Highlights of the 2017 AGM (part 1)

Uncategorized

We held our Annual General Meeting on 1 April 2017 at the Commercial Union House in Newcastle City Centre, a lovely community and artist space managed by Ampersand Inventions. It was very busy from the very start as the room filled with more than 40 members, familiar and new faces too. Many thanks for coming and here is an account of the formal business of the AGM for those who couldn’t make it. For our guest speaker’s speech, Chi Onwurah MP, click here Claire Prospert, co-founder of NewCycling and Secretary, presented the annual report of activities. Last year was a roller coaster, a year of[…]

Read more

Joint letter to Newcastle and North Tyneside

News, Politics

Dear Mayor Norma Redfearn and Cllr Nick Forbes The previous devolution deal showed strong support for integrated transport in the region, but looked critically weak on active travel. There was no mention at all of the infrastructure investment required to support walking and in particular cycling as part of an integrated sustainable transport solution. We ask that Newcastle and North Tyneside negotiate to secure as part of its devolution deal an ambitious package for walking and cycling, and from this to commit the delivery of a £30 million strategic cycleway programme to be implemented over the next three years. As[…]

Read more

Newcastle council: can you deliver what you have promised – a better future city?

News, Press

Newcastle council has agreed to go back to the drawing board with the Blue House roundabout, and is hopefully rethinking the full corridor in the process. In the light of this, we would like to explore how the council might use the evident public support for doing things differently, getting away from outdated methods of transport planning, and show true leadership to deliver change. Having carefully studied the council’s policies, there is certainly ample scope for this change to happen. Here we pose some questions to the council to help them direct their efforts towards meeting policy mandates. We would[…]

Read more

Open Letter from our patron Christian Wolmar to Cllr Nick Forbes

News

Dear Nick (cc Chi Onwurah MP and Catherine McKinnell MP) I am writing to you as patron of Newcycling, Newcastle’s cycling campaign, with the hope to give support and confidence, and to inspire positive action. I have been carefully briefed by the Newcycling Committee of recent road building plans for Newcastle. There are opportunities. If there were any remaining doubts that good facilities attract people to cycle, what has happened in London over the past few weeks will allay them. The opening of several major sections of the Cycling Superhighways has transformed parts of central London into safe places to cycle[…]

Read more

Newcastle, we have a problem – let’s tackle it together

News, Press

We call on the council to act in accordance with their own policy for land use and transport planning: the Local Plan. For links and relevant excerpts see below. The Local Plan describes and defines the problem as well as gives solutions. We also include map overlays showing the scale of Newcastle City Council’s plans for Blue House in relation to well-known local sites. Katja Leyendecker, chair newcycling.org, says “Taking account of the Local Plan, it is to our greatest surprise that the council wants to build a motor highway slicing through the neighbourhoods of Newcastle. We ask the Cabinet[…]

Read more

Highlights of our AGM (Part 2)

Event, Politics

This is the account of the second part of our AGM 2016 where we gave the floor to two speakers: firstly Cllr Ged Bell from Newcastle City Council and then Paul Gasson from Waltham Forest Cycling Campaign. Speeches were followed by a panel debate about bikelash and how to work together through change. We’d like to thank the speakers, panelists, and all the members who came to our AGM – to another year of campaigning for a better city! Le local politician Cllr Ged Bell, Cabinet member and portfolio holder for Investment and Development at Newcastle City Council, made clear that[…]

Read more

How ambitious are the political statements for cycling?

Uncategorized

Before the local elections, we asked political parties for statements. We received three statements, and say thank-you to these parties. In order of receipt these can be acessed here: Green Party (949 words) Labour Party (425 words) Liberal Democrat Party (785 words) Politics and city policies Being a political campaign engaging with decision-makers, we are keen to understand party positions. We are keen to know the gap we have to bridge between creating a Cycle City and a respective party’s ambition. Of course there are city policies to adhere to, too. And, still, we would like to see much more[…]

Read more

Requesting party statements 2016

Uncategorized

Received highlighting the problems of perpetual growth in a finite world making us aware of the progress that’s been made and assuring us of continued commitment outlining a largely supportive position, as well as explaining some limitations and reservations Awaiting   Like previous years, we have again written to political parties to inquire about their commitment and plans for sustainable transport, active travel and cycling infrastructure. Ahead of the local election and seamlessly building on Newcastle’s Cycle Manifesto and the highly supported Space for Cycling initiative, we specifically asked the political parties for their feedback on these points 1.Mode share[…]

Read more