Cross Party Group on the Active Travel Act Minutes of the meeting held at 10.30am on 18th November 2020 Meeting conducted through Microsoft Teams

Present & Apologies: see attached lists. Welcome and Introductions: Huw Irranca-Davies MS (Chair) welcomed participants to the meeting and explained how to use the various Teams facilities.

Active Travel and the 2021 Manifestos – consideration of the draft list of key policy asks The Chair introduced the item by explaining that the draft document, previously circulated, had been compiled from the 161 suggestions received from a wide range of organisations. A small had been appointed made up of people from the parties and from the active travel sector to help refine all those suggestions into the nine points in the draft document. It was important to note that there had been no prioritisation of the nine standalone proposals. He invited Hugh McKay, a member of the panel, to give a short overview of the draft document. He then called on each of the four party representatives to speak.

Plaid Cymru Luke Fletcher (Policy lead on transport and Pencoed councillor): Luke said that were ‘by and large” supportive of the proposals in the document. He emphasised the importance of the commitment to a Clean Air Act. He was not able to commit at this point to the proposal for active travel to receive 10% of the transport budget, he was also unsure of the value of introducing another commissioner, positing that perhaps the Future Generations Commissioner could fulfil the role. He expressed his personal wish to see many more active travel routes in Wales. Cllr Mia Rees (Cardiff Councillor): Mia expressed strong support for increasing active travel to school and complimented Cardiff Council for their work in this area. She also backed proposals for ensuring provision of active travel infrastructure in new developments. There is a need to allow local flexibility such as the new electric Nextbike scheme in the Vale of Glamorgan. Any targets set must be meaningful. She supported default 20 mph limits in urban areas. On the Clean Air Act, she stated that the Welsh Conservatives were committed to legislating with 100 days of the start of the new . They were also committed to a Community Cycle Fund. MS ( for Cardiff Central): Jenny expressed her personal support for all the proposals. Regarding her party’s programme, she highlighted the First Minister’s commitment to implementing default 20mph speed limits and the commitment to introduce a Clean Air Act. She believed there would need to be a debate about road charging as without it, it would be difficult to see how the required investment in sustainable travel could be funded. She believed that when people choose to do the wrong thing, they need to be making a contribution to enabling others to do the right thing. She expressed reservations about the appointment of an active travel commissioner Cllr Emma Sandrey (Lib Dem Spokesperson on Transport on Cardiff Council): Emma explained that she had been involved in the panel producing the draft document and was personally supportive of all the proposals. Her party was still working on its programme for the next election and she was sure they would find the document to be a useful source of ideas. The Welsh Lib Dems have supported increased investment in active travel; 20mph limits and a Clean Air Act. However, she emphasised the importance of gaining wider support for the proposals, to avoid situations such as that currently seen in parts of England where there had been a backlash against new cycle infrastructure.

The Chair thanked all four representatives for their contributions. He welcomed their comments on the paper. He explained that the group was seeking to be aspirational in its policy asks but also practical; putting forward ideas that could be acceptable to political parties. He then invited contributions from members. There followed a wide ranging discussion, during which the following suggestions for revisions were raised: • Recognition that the decline in VED will make alternatives such as road user charging essential. • School Streets are not possible for every school, e.g. on trunk roads. • School travel plans should cover all modes, with schools devising the plans, coordinated by the local authority. • The importance of having secure storage in residences, particularly flats. • The strength of the terms of reference and resourcing of an active travel commissioner are critical. • Refocus road safety policies in Wales to prioritise vulnerable walkers and cyclists. More attention needs to be paid to driver behaviour. • There is a need to address safety at all junctions. • The Clean Air Act needs to be put in place as soon as possible. • We need a behaviour change campaign to encourage people to use the new infrastructure.

It was agreed that the suggestions, and any further submitted to the secretary within seven days, should be worked into a revised document with the panel being requested to peruse the changes. On that basis, the document received the support of the meeting.

Minutes of previous meetings. The minutes of the meetings held on: December 10th 2019, June 4th 2020 and July 16th 2020 were accepted as a true and correct record.

Other business: The Wales Transport Strategy consultation has been opened. The CPG will have an opportunity to discuss how to approach it at the December meeting.

Design Standards for Social Housing. The Chair reported that he had recently raised with the Housing Department the omission of cycling storage from their new standards for social housing, although car parking still featured. An assurance has now been received from Ministers that cycle storage will be a requirement in the final document. The Chair cited this as an example of the importance of responding to consultations.

Date of Next Meeting: 10.30 am December 9th.

There being no further business, the Chair thanked members for their participation and closed the meeting.

Attendance List First Name Surname Job Title Organisation

Anne Adams-King Chief Executive Officer Welsh Cycling Ken Barker Cycling UK Joseph Carter Head of Devolved Nations British Lung Foundation Teresa Ciano Partnership Manager GoSafe, Road Safety Wales Duncan Dollimore Head of Advocacy and Campaigns Cycling UK Sian Donovan Director Pedal Power Ryland Doyle Communications and Research Officer MS Richard Evans Chair Cycle Training Wales Luke Fletcher Researcher –Finance, Economy and Transport Plaid Cymru Senedd Group Catherine Floyd Locum Consultant in Public Health Public Health Wales Matthew Gilbert Active Travel Lead Transport for Wales John Griffiths Member of the Senedd Senedd Cymru Rhiannon Hardiman Wales Manager Living Streets Huw Irranca-Davies Member of the Senedd Senedd Cymru Keith Jones Director ICE Wales Cymru Margaret Jones Secretary Cardiff Cycle City Peter King Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services Vale of Glamorgan Council

and Transport John Mather Cycling UK (N Wales) Mathew Norman Policy & Public Affairs Officer, Wales British Lung Foundation Gwenda Owen Engagement Officer - Wales Cycling UK Jenny Rathbone Member of the Senedd Senedd Cymru Mia Rees MSS AS Paula Renzel Policy Officer Sustrans Cymru Chris Roberts Secretary CPGATA Emma Sandrey County Councillor Cardiff Council Phil Snaith Secretary Carmarthenshire Cycle Forum Caro Wild Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning & Cardiff Council Transport Gareth Williams Communications and Parliamentary Officer MS

Apologies:

Rhun ap Iorwerth, Aelod Seneddol, Senedd Cymru Gail Bodley Scott, Section Leader (Transport Vision, Policy), Cardiff Council Christine Boston, Director, Sustrans Cymru Richard Brunstrom, Cycling UK, North Wales Alun Davies, Member of the Senedd, Senedd Cymru Russell George, Member of the Senedd, Senedd Cymru Owain Griffiths, Cardiff Cycle City Rhiannon Hardiman, Wales Manager, Living Streets , Member of the Senedd, Senedd Cymru Mike Jones-Pritchard, County Councillor Cardiff Council Richard Keatinge, Secretary, Beicio Bangor , Member of the Senedd, Senedd Cymru David Naylor, Wheelwrights John Pockett, Director, CPT Cymru