29th Nov – Bradford Cycling Campaign Chair’s Report 2024

This year The Campaign has been quiet in terms of meetings and coordination although we’ve responded to consultations and had phone interactions.  We of course continued to exist online with the Facebook group being a useful place to share information and engage in debate.  Here we update group members on consultations, encourage submissions from cycle users, provide info about closures (e.g. of the Canal towpath) and share National campaigns from the likes of Cycling UK or Sustrans.  

Our Facebook page has 373 followers (up 20 from last year) and our group has 687 members (up 13). We also have a Twitter (X) handle that we use occasionally although perhaps we should be migrating to Bluesky as seems to be the trend amongst UK “do-gooders”, but these things are only useful if used and interacted with.  The website tools exist alongside our mailing list which we haven’t made any use of recently.  The website has not been updated for a long time but I’ll upload minutes from this and the last AGM soon. We are able to use CycleBradford’s social media and do have other contacts and organisations who can spread communications through a range of channels should we manage to produce some materials.

For the Campaign to be more effective it remains the case that we need input from new members who could bring some new energy and give over some time to a strand or aspect of the campaign.  A call-out for new members is at least something we should do, perhaps accompanied by an open meeting in the New Year.  We should refresh/change or add to the board I think.

Active members (mainly James) have continued to email the council with particular issues including inappropriate signage during works (cyclist dismount signs etc.), junction issues and frustrations including the continued lack of a Leeds Road crossing in Shipley, coordinating with equestrians for a crossing near Buck Lane in Baildon and I have separately fed back on infrastructure changes in Bingley after meeting with the Labour candidate (now MP) Anna Dixon at Shipley Active Travel Hub earlier this year.

I was recently updated by Cllr Anna Watson that a proposed new road through Tong has been dropped (and this sits alongside a ‘victory’ of the Canal Road widening plans being ditched) – financial issues have been a key factor in both these cases but the arguments of active travel advocates are also factors.  As always, building more roads is like buying bigger trousers to tackle obesity.  Drive-Thrus continue to receive planning permission in Bradford and they are being built a lot faster than decent cycling infrastructure.  Bradford has one of the highest obesity rates in the country and although information about this is published in a range of reports available on the Council’s website, the linkage between planning, rates of active travel and physical inactivity is not adequately acknowledged, nor is the term ‘emergency’ in climate emergency fully understood it seems when it comes to planning.

However, more positively, in the city-centre significant improvements for walking and cycling are emerging from months of road-works.  The overall impression/sense of improvement is difficult to get a handle on just yet.  Other infrastructure is promised and expected up Manningham Lane, Thornton Road and more.  It would be useful to be presented with updates about schemes at B-Spoke – what is their measure of success for the scheme for example, will the monitor usage and uptake of cycling?

B-Spoke, the cycling forum has essentially ground to a halt again.  One was scheduled for July then cancelled and I don’t think it’s been rescheduled as promised.  I emailed Emma Young and John Davis to request an update about this earlier in the week.

Perhaps the Campaign could make some suggestions about how BSpoke might start up again a bit more fruitfully.  I don’t feel that the Campaign or cycle groups more broadly have very good relations with the Council and while it’s fine to hold them to account, getting ignored doesn’t help us.   Another route forward might be to engage other officers and Cllrs (e.g the Tong Green Cllr Matt Edwards recently contacted me about cycling activities, asking about BSpoke and we have a visit from the Council’s Net Zero/sustainability team at Capital of Cycling.  He’s suggested a meeting in the New Year).  

We have set up a cycling activities ‘Providers’ email list which is working okay (providers@capitalofcycling.org) to share information or seek help in projects.  In terms of activities within Bradford and opportunities for people to learn to cycle as adults and families, grass-roots community groups like Bolton Road Cycle Club, Hop-On and Capital of Cycling are continuing to do great work, supported occasionally by funds from WYCA.  

David Robison (Chair) / 29/11/24

Minutes provided by our secretary Steve Lax: