Active Travel - are we turning a corner?

There are some promising signs that the new Government appreciates the multiple benefits of Active Travel and that we may see a change in direction.  Louise Haigh MP, the Secretary of State for Transport, expressed some very positive views about cycling in a recent podcast https://shows.acast.com/streets-ahead/episodes/louise-haigh-mp-secretary-of-state-for-transport, also reported in a recent Guardian Article. 

The new Government has launched a few consultations as it determines its policy and spending priorities.  You may wish to submit your own thoughts, and/or contribute to anything which COGS may submit (one of the items for our next meeting):

.  Responses to the Budget Consultation can be made at the Treasury website, deadline for submissions 10/9/2024.

.  Responses to the consultation on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) can be made here, and the revised NPPF can be found here.  For some local perspective, Wiltshire held an hour long webinar, and Leader of the Council Richard Clewer has submitted and distributed his own response. This consultation closes on 24/9/2024.

Salisbury cycle path built in direct path of Zebra crossing pole - May 2024

The Salisbury Journal have published an article on yet another infamous pole being left in the middle of yet another cycleway, this time in in Salisbury  - you can read the article in the Salisbury Journal

COGS News

Wiltshire Council's JSNA - how this can help Active Travel

The JSNA, or Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, gathers information from local residents about topics they consider important, and local priorities are driven by the responses received.  There is information about this available on .https://bswtogether.org.uk/blog/triangle/wiltshire-residents-encouraged-to-have-their-say/ and a survey is available until 5 May 2024.  COGS members might like to mention the importance of active travel in keeping people healthy and avoiding health costs.  

Wiltshire Council awarded £375k to fund active travel

Wiltshire Council has been given a total of £375,000 by Active Travel England (ATE).The funding comes from two government-funded schemes: £275,000 from ATE's Capability Fund, and £100,000 from the Active Travel Fund 4 extension. The larger grant will be spent on the development of walking and cycling in Melksham, Calne and Royal Wootton Bassett, along with feasibility studies, development and designs for the following routes:

• A3094 Netherhampton to Hospital cycleway in Salisbury

• Cycleways linking Trowbridge, Westbury and Warminster

• The Town Path walking and cycling link in Salisbury

• A338 City Centre to Hospital cycleway (via New Bridge Road and Downton Road) in Salisbury

• Development for priority schemes in Chippenham, Trowbridge and Devizes, as identified in the towns' walking and cycling plans

The additional £100,000 will enable the delivery of accessibility improvements at Roundstone Street and The Halve in Trowbridge as an extension of the Future High Streets Fund (FHSF) project. 

This will join up existing cycling and walking infrastructure, and will see three pedestrian crossings installed, along with segregated shared-use paths, and improved signing and wayfinding.

COGS are delighted that some of the funds will be spent in Salisbury

Active Travel, website updates

The http://activetravel.life website has been updated with information about the conference on 24/2, including presentations and links to press coverage. 

In addition there is a link to the new website https://activetravelsalisbury.org.uk/ which is being used to provide information about active travel in Salisbury.  

Horatio's Garden Spring Forward Challenge

The team at Horatio's Garden have launched a community sporting challenge - the Spring Forward Challenge - and they are inviting COGS members to participate.  See the link and the poster below, also available here.   

2023 Summer Rides Programme has now finished 

COGS Summer Rides will resume in the spring of 2024

Regular Thursday evening rides will be starting on Thursday nights in April 2024. Rides will leave Salisbury Leisure Centre at 6:30.  In addition there will be a number of weekend rides throughout the summer, as described on the 2023 rides programme (PDF format). 

Many thanks to Rob for the planning and organisating the rides and to all the COGS ride leaders who have assisted - we look forward to seeing members out on the rides! 

Supporting Active Travel in Salisbury  - well done to Paula Downard for her article in the Salisbury Journal. September 2023

Walking, wheeling and cycling... Reduces congestion Improves public health Helps local businesses Improves air quality Combats climate change Lets get it the funding it desperately needs! https://crowdjustice.com/case/stop-the-cuts-to-walking-and-cycling/ 

COGS MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL

At the AGM last year the subscription rate was raised to £5 (£2 for children/unwaged), but this this still represents great value for money. COGS membership entitles you to a 10% discount on purchases of bicycle accessories from Stonehenge Cycles and Hayball Cyclesport.  This year instead of posting membership cards we will be sending regularly updated lists of members’ names and postcodes to these Salisbury cycle shops so that they can confirm that people claiming a discount are indeed members. If for any reason a membership card is still required these can be made available upon request. 

Members will again be able to renew by BACS as well as by cheque or cash. Please see the payment options at the end of this email. 

COGS are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy and will hold and use members' data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and with the COGS Privacy Policy.

Payment options:
If you wish to renew your membership please consider the payment methods below - the membership form will ask which of these you intend to use. Your payment may cover multiple members, including 2 or more separate emails at the same address. Payment methods available are:
BACS       Lloyds Bank, Account name: COGS Cycling Opportunities Group Salisbury, Sort code 30 98 97, Account number 54715260.
In the “reference” field, please use your full name.
Cheque    Please make payable to “COGS” and write your name on the back if it’s not obvious from the account name.
Cash    Please do not send cash in the post.  We would encourage payment by BACS or cheque if possible, but if not cash may be handed in person to either Rob Jacobs or Paula Downard
Additional donations to support the work of COGS are always welcome!
To start the renewal process please use the 'Renew COGS Membership' button  to start the process and then make payment by the method you have proposed.

Hardboiled 300 on Saturday 15th April 2023

COGS members will be supporting this years Hardboiled 300. This 300km cycling event starts at Poole, Train Station at 0200h on the 15th April. Controls at Middle Woodford, Ashcott, Axminster, Cattistock and Poole., plus 6 information controls.

COGS will be providing the control station at Middle Woodford Hall where Nick Rose, Al Bayliss, Peter Durnan and Mike Sneddon will host and cook for the adventurous cyclists taking part.

This year a maximum of 50 cyclists will be taking part with first to arrive shortly after 0430h.

Hot Off The Press - 3rd February 2023

COGS members attended the South West Area Board meeting on Thursday 23rd February in Alderbury.  During a Q&A session we were very grateful to Cllr Richard Clewer for clarifying that he had just signed off 11 cycling projects that were being submitted to Tranche 4 of the Active Travel England fund.  This is fantastic news and we would like to thank Wiltshire Council for taking these bids forward. We look forward to working with Cllr Clewer and his colleagues going forward to provide cycling infrastructure to achieve increased active travel numbers in Salisbury. 

Active Travel England to become a Statutory Consultee – how will this affect road building in Wiltshire?

The Department for Transport has now confirmed that from 1st June 2023, Wiltshire Council will be required to consult Active Travel England (ATE) on planning applications where the following thresholds are met: 

• 150 residential units;

• 7,500m2 commercial use; or

• Developments with a site area of 5 hectares or more.

ATE has an ambitious target of 50% of trips in Wiltshire towns and cities being walked, wheeled or cycled by 2030. To help implement this, in January, the DfT announced that £32.9 million of funding was to be made available for local authorities to train engineers and planners to conduct high-quality engagement and consultation sessions with local communities. 

Active travel measures will need to be formally considered as part of the pre-application process, with a full assessment of opportunities and potential measures to be considered within technical planning documents. 

Active Travel England (ATE) is a new executive agency that has been set up to make walking, cycling and wheeling the natural choice for everyday trips. With an overarching target of 50% of trips in towns and cities being walked, wheeled or cycled by 2030, 

Active Travel England will be a new statutory consultee in planning. 

There is now an invitation to respond to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) Consultation 

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1128942/01_Chief_Planners_Newsletter_Jan_2023.pdf

Current Consultations September and October 2022

Wiltshire and Salisbury Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs)

As mentioned previously, the consultation on Wilts and Salisbury LCWIPs now extended until Monday 26th Sept.  Further info, and a link to the five documents being consulted on and the two response surveys are given here: https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/transport-town-cycle-networks

COGS will be submitting a detailed response, but have compiled some thoughts which you might like to consider when putting together your own response.  Hopefully you will be able to find the time to submit something before Friday because numbers responding really do make a difference.

Note that (unhelpfully) some comments on the survey form are restricted to 1000 characters.  If you want to submit more extensive comments these can be emailed directly to transportation@wiltshire.gov.uk

Some thoughts on points you might want to make for the Wiltshire LCWIP & Infrastructure documents, and for the Salisbury LCWIP are given in the linked documents.  Use your own words and of course feel free to submit your own thoughts and ideas.

Current Consultations

2) Salisbury Neighbourhood Development Plan

Salisbury Council are now consulting on the Salisbury Neighbourhood Development Plan. The consultation runs from 20 July to 14th October September 2022. This is a formal consultation known as the 'Regulation 14' consultation. 

The Salisbury City Council Press release, dated 20/7, giving more details, can be found here:

https://www.salisburycitycouncil.gov.uk/latest-news/item/neighbourhood-plan-have-your-say

Documents are available to view on Salisbury City Council's website at

https://www.salisburycitycouncil.gov.uk/your-council/neighbourhood-planning/regulation-14-consultation

Comments are being collected on this website:

https://salisburyneighbourhoodplan.commonplace.is/

Please take this opportunity to have your say and help shape the future of Salisbury.  

Press release

Release Date: Wednesday 5th July 2022 

Wiltshire council fails to secure active travel funding

The Government have recently released the final funding allocations for Active Travel Tranche 3 and Wiltshire Council (WC) were awarded zero funding in the allocation (GOV.UK, 2022) due to an unambitious bid and failure of leadership.

Local active travel, walking, cycling and air quality groups across Wiltshire are extremely disappointed that WC Leadership has not been able to satisfy the requirement to secure any monies for active travel projects.

Background

·       Councils that put in bids per head of population higher than WC were successful in being awarded funding (average bid per head of population  £7.86, WC bid £2.20 per head of population) and WC are in the bottom quartile nationally by county area.  By putting in a bid that was too low and lacking in ambition, our council (and thereby its residents) has been penalised and has not yet submitted a bid for Tranche 4.

·       Neighbouring counties (Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire) were awarded £14m and £10m respectively for their ambitious plans (GCC, 2022; OCC, 2022). 

·       Those councils having well-established Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) that had been consulted on with local residents and adopted, were able to bid more successfully for funding (GOV.UK, 2017).  Wiltshire’s LCWIP has been in preparation for more than 2 years and has not been consulted on or adopted, demonstrating a lack of commitment at a high level (Wiltshire Council, 2022).

·       Moreover, the councillor responsible for transport across the county (Cllr Mark McClelland) has openly stated in correspondence and social media posts that he is blocking all bus lanes, Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and School Streets initiatives in Wiltshire, which would otherwise help encourage everyone to take up active travel and reduce overall car usage (Twitter, 2022).

·       Development and delivery of yearly Active Travel Fund schemes are, since April, a statutory duty for Highways Authorities and an operational matter, not one to be dictated by the whims of individual elected politicians like Cllr Mark McClelland, whose retrograde vision for Wiltshire Transport (inverting the sustainable transport hierarchy to prioritise the private car) directly goes against central government funding policy.

·   Despite offers from active travel groups in the county to help prioritise routes, shape the strategy and ensure that schemes help active travel users; these have largely been ignored.

What have Wiltshire Council delivered for active travel?

·   Wiltshire Council removed both “People Friendly Streets” (a key element of the Salisbury Central area Framework) and Brown St and Exeter St cycleway  (funded by Tranche 1 of the Emergency active travel fund) at additional expense to the taxpayer and to the detriment of Salisbury residents and commerce without the time required for proper assessment. 

·   Recent consultation on improvements to the Gyratory and Exeter Street roundabouts  in Salisbury appears to have been shelved with no benefits delivered for those seeking active travel across the city and in particular to Salisbury hospital.

·   Ill-conceived plans, which had no community input, for the closure to vehicles of Hook St between Royal Wootton Bassett and Swindon, before withdrawing them.  Whereas a number of ‘orphan’ schemes that do not join up to any existing or planned active travel infrastructure around the county such as the B3108 shared path are going ahead.

What do we need?

·   Safe active travel routes within our key towns and between them (Gill, 2022).

·   Fully developed active travel  schemes must be developed by Wiltshire Council and local community groups that meet the strict requirements and design guidelines for receipt of central government funding.  For example, the Royal Wootton Bassett to Swindon cycle path has been in formal planning for 12 years now and there is still no date for construction (GOV.UK, 2022).

·       Wiltshire to be submitting LTN 1/20 compliant schemes to the value of £8-10 million (LTN 1/20, 2020) for next Active Travel Fund 2022/2023.

·   Wiltshire Council urgently need to contact Active Travel England for their support in appropriate budget allocation and human resources

·   Wiltshire wide LCWIPs that have been prepared and consulted on with local stakeholders’ involvement

Impact of WC failing to secure Active Travel England funding

·   The impacts are severe on long term plans for our residents in terms of increasing carbon emissions, more cars on our already congested roads leading to greater safety risks and more pollution around our town centres and schools that affect the most vulnerable in our society.

·   Active Travel England have stated that they have powers to remove general funding from Highways Authorities which fail to submit successful bids or execute good practices during delivery. This means no money for road maintenance (pot-holes) and absolutely no money for new road schemes. This is a significant general financial risk to Wiltshire Council.

·   Active travel is an excellent way to make people safer and healthier, reduce pollution, reduce the burden on the NHS, to save money and to stimulate local economies.

What do we want?

The signatories of this press release want:

·      WC to contact Active Travel England to request a full analysis of why this bid was rejected so lessons can be learnt.

·      WC to commit to effective engagement with local community groups to support the development and implementation of Active Travel projects for central government Active Travel funding submissions – not just the internal monthly meetings that currently take place at WC.

·      Transparency on the evidence used to make decisions in relation to Active Travel planning including when Active Travel projects are being developed and selected for submission.

·      Leadership by the Transport and Highways Portfolio Holder and Wiltshire Council leader to enable it to meet WC’s own Climate Strategy.

·      Properly budgeted and resourced teams to accelerate the delivery of Active Travel schemes.

ENDS

Sent on behalf of:

Wiltshire Climate Alliance Transport Topic Group

Cycling Opportunities Group for Salisbury

Royal Wootton Bassett Active Travel Group

Active Travel Salisbury

Climate Friendly Bradford on Avon

Sustainable Calne

NB to Editors

The following contacts are willing to discuss the contents:

Jimmy Walker

Email: drjimmywalker@gmail.com Mob: 07484749268

Gill Anlezark

Email: gillandjimmy@gmail.com Mob: 07548644326

Andrew Nicolson

Email: dnnclsn@aol.com  Mob: 07514551847

Dave Knight

Email: dave.knight@oneplanet.biz

Mob: 07933114856

References and citations

GCC, 2022. £14.1 million active travel bid success for Gloucestershire - Gloucestershire County Council [WWW Document]. URL https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/gloucestershire-county-council-news/news-may-2022/141-million-active-travel-bid-success-for-gloucestershire/ (accessed 6.30.22).

Gill, O., 2022. “We have to drive a lot less”, says Chris Boardman, the PM’s new travel tsar. The Telegraph.

GOV.UK, 2022. Active travel fund: final allocations. [WWW Document]. GOV.UK. URL https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/emergency-active-travel-fund-local-transport-authority-allocations/emergency-active-travel-fund-total-indicative-allocations (accessed 6.30.22).

GOV.UK, 2022. Active travel: local authority toolkit [WWW Document]. GOV.UK. URL https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/active-travel-local-authority-toolkit/active-travel-local-authority-toolkit (accessed 7.2.22).

GOV.UK, 2017. Planning local cycling and walking networks [WWW Document]. GOV.UK. URL https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-cycling-and-walking-infrastructure-plans-technical-guidance-and-tools (accessed 6.30.22).

LTN 1/20, 2020. Cycle infrastructure design (LTN 1/20). GOV.UK.

OCC, 2022. GBP10.4 million awarded for active travel improvements [WWW Document]. GBP10.4 million awarded for active travel improvements. URL https://news.oxfordshire.gov.uk/104-million-awarded-for-active-travel-improvements-in-oxfordshire/ (accessed 6.30.22).

Twitter, 2022. https://twitter.com/docmarkmac/status/1542453192264486912.

Wiltshire Council, 2022. Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) [WWW Document]. Wiltshire Council. URL https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/transport-town-cycle-networks (accessed 6.30.22).

Sent to:

Terence Herbert, Chief Executive of Wiltshire Council

Richard Clewer, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Wiltshire Council

Mark McClelland, Cabinet Member for Transport, Waste, Street Scene and Flooding, Wiltshire Council

Parvis Khansari, Corporate Director, Wiltshire Council

Kate Blackburn, Public Health, Wiltshire Council

Tamara Reay, Portfolio Holder for Climate Change, Wiltshire Council

John Glen MP

Michelle Donelan MP

James Gray MP

Danny Kruger MP

Andrew Murrison MP

Chris Boardman - England’s National Active Travel Commissioner

Jenny Box Cycling UK, Deputy Director

Rupert Furness, Head of Active Travel, Department for Transport

Press Agencies

Current consultations

Please consider submitting responses to the following consultations, especially if they affect areas where you live or cycle on a regular basis.  

Laverstock & Ford Communities Neighbourhood Plan (2021-2036) Regulation 16 Consultation

There is a consultation on the Laverstock & Ford Neighbourhood Plan https://wiltshire.objective.co.uk/portal/.  This consultation closes at 5pm on Monday 11th April 2022.

Salisbury Station Forecourt and Fisherton Gateway 

Full details of this consultation are available in the website at https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/fhsf-salisbury.

There is will be a further public exhibition to give members of the public an opportunity to discuss the proposals with members of the team on

Thursday 7 April 2022 from 2.30pm - 6.30pm in Salisbury Guildhall. 

Also a pop-up event at Five Rivers Health & Wellbeing Centre on Wednesday 6 April from 3pm - 6.30pm

Letter from David Wilson Salisbury Neighbourhood Development Plan Transport and Movement Topic Group Lead

To:

 Parvis Khansari, Director - Highways and Environment, Wiltshire Council

Dear Mr Khansari,

As you will be aware, there has been significant under-investment in Salisbury’s cycle infrastructure and we are rapidly falling behind comparable towns and cities. The most concerning element is that many of Salisbury’s new housing developments are now occupied and, in nearly all cases, Wiltshire Council has not managed to deliver the off-site S106 cycle infrastructure linking the housing sites to schools, shopping centres and the city centre.

The Local Plan Review consultation has sharply increased the focus on the lack of progress, with concerns being discussed at the City Council, the Neighbourhood Development Plan steering group, topic groups and the newly formed Salisbury Neighbourhood Plan Connectivity Group. As far as we are aware, you do not have a pipeline of cycle schemes in the engineering design phase, which are required to serve the new developments. 

The funding for local authorities in the Government’s three year spending review settlement (22/23, 23/24 & 24/25) being allocated for Active Travel is expected to be significant and, after recently attending your Salisbury Cycling Liaison Panel meeting, I am far from confident you will be in a position to start delivering these cycle routes within the next 12 months. As far as I am aware, the majority of planned cycle schemes in Salisbury have been stuck in the early transport planning phase for many years now and have not been moved into the engineering design phase. 

I understand that the Government has recently written to your Council, setting out their requirement for you to implement high standard LTN1/20 compliant schemes in order that they can fulfil their £2 billion Active Travel spend commitment, set out in last year’s Gear Change proposals. 

 We now have 12 months until the government is expecting Councils to start delivering these LTN 1/20 cycle routes on the ground and,as far as I am aware, you do not have any of Salisbury’s key routes ready to go to into the construction phase. We are currently working with Heather Blake to prioritise the list of cycle routes for the emerging LCWIP, but all of these schemes are at a very early stage of scheme development. Therefore, in parallel to the LCWIP consultation activities over the coming months, we need to move at least three key cycle routes into the engineering design phases in order to be able to successfully spend your Active Travel grant settlement by the end of this parliament. 

In order to assist in getting Active Travel schemes on the ground from 22/23, the Government is giving local authorities additional revenue funding to cover the next 12 month period (through the recently announced Capability Fund) to allow you to finalise LCWIPs and to design and procure LTN 1/20 compliant cycling schemes ready for delivery over the three years from 22/23, as part of the multi-year spending review settlement for Active Travel. We would like you to ringfence a significant proportion of  this funding to help Salisbury get back on track.

I am aware that the LCWIP covering Salisbury has been in the development phase for many years and still needs to be consulted on and adopted. In addition, the 2018 Salisbury Transport Strategy refresh has yet to be adopted. It must therefore be a top priority to get both documents adopted this summer and, most importantly, issue the long awaited 2018 Transport Strategy Implementation Plan to give local people confidence that you have a pipeline of highway capacity and active travel schemes in train.

Salisbury NP Connectivity Group are extremely keen to work with your team to support you in progressing the above. There is much cycle and walking infrastructure required, however we recognise the need to be realistic and the priority must be to deliver the S106 funded cycle links from the largest new development sites to the city centre. An LTN1/20 compliant cycle route linking St Peters Place on the northern edge of Salisbury, through the city centre to the approved Netherhampton Rd, Harnham Development on the southern edge would create a very important and much needed north-south spine across the city. Much of this spine would be implemented and funded as part of the approved EA River Park (Maltings) scheme. The other top priority is the east west NCN corridor from Petersfinger to Wilton to link with the large new housing developments in Wilton.

These routes are deliverable with minimal third party land requirements and most have S106 funding available. If we can plan to deliver the north-south spine and the east-west NCN link, using a combination of S106 and Active Travel grant, we will have a framework in place by 2025 linking the new residential sites to employment and education, and this framework can be further enhanced in future.However there seems to be a blockage in moving this work from transport planning phase into engineering design.

 Can you please therefore confirm: 

1. Your agreement to moving the following three key cycle routes to link the new developments (some already occupied) to the city centre into the engineering design phases within the next few months

1. 1. St Peters Place –1250 dwellings

   2. Netherhampton Rd, Harnham 640 dwellings (plus 82 dwellings Harnham Park)

   3. Wilton UKLF site – 450 dwellings

2. That in the coming weeks a proportion of the Capability Fund revenue funding will be ringfenced to develop key cycle routes in Salisbury in order to achieve (1) above. 

3. The programme for the LCWIP consultation & adoption. (I believe this is a DfT requirement to give them confidence you will be ready to start delivering from 22/23 onwards)

4. You will allocate additional resources to the other top 10 priority schemes in the emerging LCWIP to get them through outline design and feasibility ie allowing them to be ‘oven ready’/costed ready for future bidding rounds.  

5. The  2018 Salisbury Transport Strategy Refresh will be adopted this summer.

6. The 2018 Transport Strategy Infrastructure Plan will be ready this summer. 

Salisbury has many enthusiastic volunteers and groups working hard to help facilitate more active travel in the local area. Some of these groups are part of the newly formed Salisbury NP Connectivity Group and we feel that we are very well placed to assist you in meeting the Dft’s requirement for you to collaborate with local voluntary groups to develop and deliver initiatives that support the Active Travel funding objectives.

I would be grateful if ‘Salisbury Cycle and Walking Infrastructure to serve new developments’ could be added as an agenda item for your next Future Salisbury Place Board, which I believe is due to be restarted after the May election.

I look forward to hearing from you.   

Kind regards

David Wilson

Salisbury Neighbourhood Development Plan Transport and Movement Topic Group Lead

 Copied to:

John Glen MP,

Cllr John Farquhar, Chair of Salisbury Neighbourhood Development Plan Steering Group

Cllr Bridget Wayman, Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Waste

Cllr Ashley O'Neil, Portfolio Holder for Climate Change

Cllr Philip Whitehead Leader Wiltshire Council

Cllr Richard Clewer Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, Heritage, Arts & Tourism, Housing and Communities

Cllrs Brian Dalton, Matthew Dean, Derek Brown OBE, Atiqul Hoque, Sven Hocking, Simon Jackson, Pauline Church, Liz Sirman, Ricky Rogers

Salisbury Neighbourhood Development Plan Steering Group.

COGS

Salisbury NP Connectivity Group

Tim Robertson

It is with great regret that we have to announce  that one of our great friends and long time COGS member Tim Robertson passed away last week after an accident at home. Tim was a lovely chap who will be sadly missed. Not only was he an active campaigner and super letter writer but he rode a mean pace.  Rob Jacobs remembers the two of them riding home via the Wylye valley a couple of years back (probably on a Churches ride), it hurt Rob to keep up with Tim who had a few years on him.  Rob is considering including a memorial ride on the summer listing as a tribute to Tim. Keep a lookout on the website.

Goodbye Tim, we miss you my friend!

Tim's son Alistair has forwared COGS the following message “In addition to providing a tribute for the service, I would be very grateful if you could circulate the message below to appropriate people. Many people will already know the sad news, but this message offers a chance for people to remember him simultaneously and we hope that this may provide a sense of community at this sad time.” 

We are very sad to announce that Timothy (Tim) Robertson, Wilton, died on March 7th. He leaves behind his ever-loving wife Liz, his devoted children Alastair and Joanna and his adoring grandchildren Nancy and Edward.

Tim was a well-loved, ever helpful member of the community for decades and many people will wish to remember him, both with joy for a well-lived life and with sorrow that he is gone. Due to current restrictions, we will be holding a small funeral with only immediate family present.  Therefore, we invite you to remember him in your own way at the time of the service, which is taking place at St Mary and St Nicholas, Wilton, at 1.30pm on Tuesday 23rd March. We invite you to pause and reflect on the 23rd and honour Tim in a way that feels suitable to you and your memories of him.  If you are moved to do so, we would be grateful if you could send note of how you chose to remember him at the time of the service, to rememberingtimrobertson@hotmail.com.

Should you wish to make a donation, to be shared between the Alabaré Trust and St Mary and St Nicholas, this can be done via www.chriswhitefunerals.co.uk or c/o Chris White Funeral Directors, 12 South Street, Wilton SP2 0JS Tel 01722 744691

Best wishes, Alistair and the family

Study Finds that Low-traffic schemes benefit everyone, not just the better-off

Hirra Khan Adeogun, senior campaigner at Possible, said: “Much of the controversy around low traffic neighbourhoods is based on the false perception that they only benefit wealthy people living in residential areas. This report not only busts that myth but shows that in fact 9 in 10 Londoners could benefit from these measures - with those living in poorer neighbourhoods first in line.” 

Creating space for safe walking & cycling in Salisbury - a strategy document presented to Salisbury City Council and Wiltshire Council

Wiltshire Council Provides Free Cycle Training for Adults 

 APPLY NOW PLACES LIMITED

The above link will take you to the Bikeability Adult information page

In the second paragraph highlighted in green click on "registration and self-assessment form".

Complete the online self-assessment form on the webpage, which will give WC more information about your current riding ability and allow us to tailor the session to your needs. Important, where asked, please enter ‘Wiltshire Council’ as the training provider name and bikeability@wiltshire.gov.uk as the provider’s email address. WC will then contact you to arrange training.  

Please note that free training places are limited and offered on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.  APPLY NOW!

Flooding on Avon Valley Path

Congratulations to Benji and friends for getting together to clear flood water from the A36 underpass on the Avon Valley path, as reported in the Salisbury Journal.  Much appreciated by the many pedestrians, cyclists and wheelchair users who frequent this path and who had been forced to take a longer and more dangerous route along the road for the 4 weeks or so the path was flooded.