E-mail sent by stephen Brazier, Monday, 30th March 2020 @ 10:53pm
Following advised restrictions due to the coronavirus outbreak, meetings and events have been cancelled, however we do have several topics to report on.
Every member of STACC who has paid their subscription for 2020 should now have received their membership card, togther with a new edition of the St Albans City & District Cycling Map. If you have not, please let us know your current address in a reply to this e-mail.
E-mail sent by stephen Brazier, Thursday, 27th February 2020 @ 7:20pm
We have been very busy trying to digest the South Central Herts Growth and Transport Plan. We are working with other cycling groups and individuals in the south central area to produce a thorough response. If you would like to give your own feedback to the County Council, click through to their Consultations page.
St Albans district falls into both the South Central and the South West areas for Growth and Transport Plans. The South West GTP was out for consultation in 2018 (we responded). Six Councils (Districts / Bororughs and County) in SW Hertfordshire are now working together on priorities for the future and to tackle challenges around transport, healthcare, schools, infrastructure and quality of life. They are seeking residents' views: https://www.givemyview.com/swhertsyourfuture
STACC is consulted by Hertfordshire County Council as a stakeholder group in Highways schemes, Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) and Greenspace Action Plans (GAPs). We have recently given feedback on proposals for the Buncefield Lane Quietway in Hemel Hempstead, roads around the new Katherine Warrington School in Batford, the Codicote Road roundabout in Wheathampstead, the Ayot Greenway GAP and the Jersey Lane GAP.
One area that we struggle to find enough time to deal with is reviewing Planning Applications and commenting on accessibility and parking / storage space for cycling. Could you help with this? Please get in touch or come to a committee meeting if you could contribute to the vital campaigning on this or any other concerns.
Our next committee meeting is on Monday 30th March at the Civic Centre.
STACC AGM - will be on the evening of Wednesday 3 June in St Albans. It is a registered SustFest event. SATCC will also have a stall at the SustFest Market Takeover on Sunday 24 May.
Our Punch cartoon this month illustrates one of the Community Safety Partnership priorities that we feel needs emphasis - see section below.
E-mail sent by Rona Wightman, Tuesday, 25th February 2020 @ 10:33am
Your regular news bulletin will be out soon. But we are sending these two items out ahead for your immediate consideration and action.
1. Ladder Roads and beyond parking consultation - closes 28th February.
If you regularly use the Green Ring on-road section along Jennings Road and Woodstock Road you will have noticed the side effects of parking restrictions. Jennings Road was not too bad, then narrowed by wall to wall parking, then empty again when resident-only bays introduced. Woodstock Road has always been tricky but since commuter parkers have been displaced from Jennings Road it has become very difficult, only a narrow channel left between the parked cars combined with poor sightlines and no passing bays.
Please look at the proposals and give comments : https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/traffic-regulation-orders-and-parking-consultations Scroll down to the Consultations bar and click on the yellow down arrow to find the documents. The Parking strategy is slanted towards residents, of course, it has to be. But it is not obvious that the needs of local people using the roads to walk and cycle have been considered.
The address to send comments to is parkingrestrictions@stalbans.gov.uk
2. Community Safety Partnership priorities consultation - closes 29th February
All the priorities are of themselves good for everyone in the community. But this is an opportunity to raise the profile of cycling aspects of the priorities - theft of cycles to be specifically mentioned in item 2 and close passes in item 3 for example. If you are subscribed to OWL neighbourhood watch emails you will already have read the following, which outlines the priorities and gives links to the strategy and to the survey.:
Each year the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) consults with the public and local groups on its plans to tackle crime and disorder across the District. The survey seeks residents' views on whether the Partnership's priorities are correct and how you think we should tackle these issues. This survey will support the development of action plans for the CSP in the coming year. It might be helpful to read the draft strategy before answering the questions in the survey.
Our mission statement this year is Working for a safer St Albans and our priorities are focussed on achieving this. The CSP has identified five main priorities for the year 2020-21.
1. To establish an effective response to violent crime including knife crime, gangs, drug dealing, robbery and criminal exploitation engaging with cross border partners.
2. To focus on crime that acquires possessions including burglary, motor vehicle crime, cyber crime, scams and rogue trading.
3. To assist landowners, businesses and the community by tackling rural and heritage crime such as flytipping, anti-social behaviour, road safety concerns and specific wildlife crime.
4. To support victims of domestic abuse, tackling repeat perpetrators, raising awareness and educating people around healthy relationships and personal safety.
5. To promote health a physical and mental well being for all by tackling hate crime, alcohol and drug misuse, homelessness, street drinking and by assisting vulnerable people both at home and in the community.
