Agenda and minutes

Edmund Hopkins (Joint Vice-Chair)

Councillor Rosemary Healy

Mike Mewse

Steve Rhodes

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 13 October 2021

Subject to the following amendments, the minutes of the meeting held on 13 October 2021 were agreed:

Minute 7b -   with regard to the enclosure walk – there isn’t website information but there are information boards;

Minute 7d –   the LAF is not involved with Age UK, but the Age UK Health Walks have started up again;

Minute 7e –   the LAF is not yet formally involved with Green Social Prescribing (GSP) but Rob Kirkwood is in contact with GSP;

Minute 7c -  consultation, not consolation.

Verbal update from Keith Morgan, Principal Senior Transport Planner

Paul Horn of NCC Major Projects, was in attendance and highlighted the following points and responded to Forum member’s questions:

a)  Consultation was undertaken during in November with regard to the location and initial steel arch frame design of the bridge. It has been determined that the bridge will land on the east of Lady Bay Bridge and the north side at the Trent Basin;

b)  Consultation included for hosted in-person events, two on each side of the river, and also an online survey which received 1,192 responses which were significantly in support of the scheme. In addition there is a free text-box comment option, the responses of which are currently being examined;

c)  Concerns raised and comments made so far have been varied, including:

i.  residents within the Trent Basin area with regard to the ecological compact on the south bank landing

ii.  signage;

iii.  lighting;

iv.  security /CCTV;

v.  path surface

vi.  potential use by motorbikes;

vii.  general and disability access.

d)  A report was submitted to the City Council’s Executive Board in December 2021, which sought approval to progress the design and submit planning applications to both local planning authorities of Rushcliffe and the City from February 2022;

e)  An approximate time frame of five months has been scheduled for the planning process, but this may be extended depending on staff availability;

f)  A steering group has been operating for the past 12 months consisting of a range of authorities and bodies, including the Canal and River Trust, Environment Agency, committed representatives from Rushcliffe Borough Council, the County Council and City Council, considering and commenting on issues such as design and environmental impact from the start of the process;

g)  Once the design is determined and approved by planning committees, a principal contractor will be sought and appropriate construction access permission and maintenance agreements sought;

h)  it is not possible to commit to a completion date target at this point, but it is hoped that construction will start on site during this calendar year.

Members of the forum, welcomed the positive update on progress and achievements so far, thanked the Major Projects Team for their work, requesting further regular updates, particularly around planning permissions and connection routes.

Verbal presentation from Jo McAulay, NHS Active Hospitals Project

Jo McAulay, Project Lead for the NHS Active Hospitals Project was in attendance to inform the Forum of the project and seek ideas and information to support it.

The following points were highlighted:

a)  Nottingham is running one of four pilots across the country to promote activity of hospital-based staff and patients within the vicinity of hospitals to promote all-round better well-being. Being inactive can be as damaging as smoking so it’s important to encourage activity;

b)  Whilst obviously not suitable for all patients, it is hoped that once staff are engaged and inspired, they will then encourage capable patients of all ages and with a variety of conditions to become more active, such as walking and cycling, with the commissioning of the project to primarily focus on out-patients with liver disease, and children with diabetes, then moving on to include pregnant women with diabetes and musculoskeletal inpatients and outpatients;

c)  The scheme is looking at what can be delivered within the hospital, but also what is available to easily access locally and in the surrounding areas, linking local amenities, to which patients and staff may be signposted. The scheme isn’t intending to directly provide activity, just to promote and direct people to activities;

Members of the Forum provided following comments and suggestions:

d)  LAF volunteers host a range of skills and knowledge, including several subgroups of niche skills and would welcome the sharing of information;

e)  With Wollaton Hall Park very close to the Queens Medical Centre, with access through the Golf Club Entrance, the Friends of Wollaton Park may be willing to contribute, as would Nottingham Open Spaces Forum, which could offer information on more general access across the City;

f)  Promotion of health and active travel for all is important and the current work on the hospital cycle parking initiative is welcomed;

g)  Ridewise, focuses on promoting cycling and walking for health within the city and holds a lot of helpful information which members would welcome sharing with the Active Hospitals programme. Ridewise has community cycle centres sited near to both hospitals within the City and promotes cycling for health and cycling for all, including adapted cycles and companion cycles activity;

h)  There is clearly a large overlap on the mental health focus of the Green Social Prescribing Project (GSPP) whereby people can self-refer for a variety of reasons, such as isolation, GP suggestion and more complex referrals, and Active Hospitals, so it would be mutually beneficial to share information;

i)  The LAF walking subgroup is active mainly provides guidance for self-directed walks, some of which are close to hospitals and include great places to visit. Details of which can be found on the website;

j)  ‘Best-foot-forward’ is a led-walk organisation based within the City, but does offer schemes within the county and has links with GSPP and a ‘Green Space Walking Network’. In addition, several schemes link into the Ramblers Association, which offers information on walks for those starting out, up to training  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Liz Cordle, Chair of the Walking Subgroup, provided a verbal update to accompany previously circulated summary which is and includes a list of completed and planned walks maps against the city wards circulated with the initial publication of the minutes.

Points highlighted by Liz and other members of the walking subgroup included:

i.  12 self-guided walks have now been completed– the latest are Dunkirk and Beeston, with interesting industrial heritage (published October 2021) and Park Steps and Tunnel;

ii.  Around half a dozen or so walks are either in development or proposed. It is hoped that once completed, these self-guided walks will touch every ward in the city, or at least most;

iii.  Neil and Mike continue to work on the Leen Valley walk;

iv.  20 minute neighbourhood where people stay close to their home, which strongly links between the activity of the walking subgroup the work of the planning subgroup, which ensures that rights-of-way are accessible and attractive people to use;

v.  It’s been decided to only publish walks on the website and no longer on paper but QR codes are being investigated as to how to share which people can scan at venues to identify walk routes;

vi.  The City Council communications team have suggested the use of local neighbourhood Facebook pages to promote walks and cycle routes. JL will help put together some text to send to the Neighbourhood Development Officers;

vii.  The deadline for publishing the walks, including the Park steps and Tunnel, was 15 January, but due to COVID-19 restrictions causing delays, this work is now behind schedule and submissions can be made after this date. Funding is in place;

viii.A joint bid was submitted by Nottingham City Council, clinical commissioning group, and CVS, for the ‘Green Social Prescribing Project’, but it is hosted by CVS;

ix.  The final draft of the Old Basford, New Basford and Cinderhill walk has been written but assistance is needed with the production of the revised maps and photographs;

Action

1)  JL and MK (copy in LC) to co-ordinate promoting self-guided walks on City Council Neighbourhood Facebook pages;

2)  IB to forward the Basford - Cinderhill walk to JL and LC to assist with the production formatting;

3)  LC and HH to forward walk routes to CT to be included in the Nott’s Guided Walks programme.

Margaret Knowles, Chair of the Planning Subgroup provided a verbal update to accompany previously circulated summary (circulated with the publication of the minutes of the previous meeting). 

Highlighted points included:

i.  The ‘Informal Planning Guidance (IPG); The Reduction of Carbon in New Residential and Commercial Development (Consultative Draft)’ which proposes requirement that major planning applications must include a carbon reduction/energy statement, was considered the Subgroup and is supported. It was concluded that alongside this IPG, the Council should produce a second planning document addressing active transport in development management. A Transport Position Statement has been produced and suggestions made of what the guidance should include with regard to new developments providing sustainable access to walking, cycling and public transport and local facilities;

ii.  Several planning applications have been considered:

a.  Site of former Padstow Secondary School and a site on the playing field north of Southglade junior school, Ridgeway, are both subject to planning applications for housing developments, as is indicated in the Local Plan. Both sites have attracted objections because a number of unrecorded public rights of way will be affected, and open space lost. Both sites / public rights of way were subject to Section 251 extinguishment orders, which were opposed and have now been withdrawn by the DfT, and the developer will now be applying for Section 247 orders. There is concern that the view from the Padstow field across Nottingham and beyond will be lost, which will impact on the enjoyment of the LAF promoted walk (it is acknowledged that this element is not the remit of the LAF). Further/ more detailed information has been requested before the group formally comment on the planning applications;

b.  Elms Primary school site, adjacent to Elm Avenue and the Enclosure Walk, is proposed for demolition. The proposed new development has much to commend it but there is concern that the Avenue is kept open during demolition and construction works;

c.  Cycle parking and road safety issues were raised on the Sherwood Library application;

d.  hybrid applications have been commented on for the landing of the foot / cycle bridge at Trent Basin, with a condition requested to ensure that the part of the Trent path on site is delivered by the development.  A planning condition is also required to safeguard the area for the north landing of the foot/cycle bridge and associated works, including reasonable provision of space for construction work and future maintenance.

Any further assistance from Forum members in examining planning applications would be welcomed.

Chris Thompson, Nick Hynes and John Lee provided the following update:

i.  There hasn’t been a formal meeting but the group has had a catch up and discussed some of the claims;

ii.  There is still a lot to be done and each claim requires a substantial amount of work;

iii.  Recent focus has been on the footbridge from Meadow Close to Quayside Close which is being claimed as RoW so if any members of the forum or citizens who have used this route are welcome to complete a user evidence form to support this claim.

Following the environmental works along the Daybrook, it was noted that there is a well-used but difficult to access path on the City Hospital side of the Daybrook, which links Edwards Lane to Hucknall Road. With the newly introduced ‘ford’ which the path passed through, if formally recorded this would be of benefit to Active Hospitals Project.

Actions

1)  JL to circulate user evidence forms with regard to the claimed public right of way over the footbridge, between Meadow Close and Quayside Close;

2)  JL to provide CT and NH with maps to enable the riverside path under Trent Bridge and links with Trent Lock;

3)  CT and IB to walk the path on the City Hospital side of the Daybrook as an initial assessment, including with regard to advising as self-led walk for the Active Hospital Project.

Although not a formally established group, the thoughts of the Forum were sought and provided as follows:

i.  Members expressing an initial interest in establishing an e-scooter group included Chris, Nigel, Giselle, and JL, so JL will contact the e-scooter operator, WIND, to accept the offer of experiencing and using e-scooters;

ii.  Membership of the group should consist of a range of age groups and representative of e-scooter users so this should be taken into consideration when recruiting to the Forum, as experience of e-scooters will ensure there is credibility for the group;

iii.  Since ‘WIND’ have taken on more staff to advertise the e-scooter scheme and enforce conditions of use in the City, it could be  helpful if they could identify frequent users and ask if they would be interested in being involved in an e-scooter feedback group to help ensure that the user experience is as good as possible;

iv.  Neil has already enquired if there is an existing e-scooter user group in the City , but there appears not to be;

v.  To ensure viability, membership of the sub group should be about 6 people;

vi.  It’s interesting that the DfT continues to have pockets of funding available with regard to e-scooter pilots, so this appears to be an expanding area of transport.

Action

JL to approach WIND and ask for their assistance in contacting frequent e-scooter users to ask if any would be interested in joining the LAF/e-scooter sub group.

Verbal item from John Lee, Public Rights of Way.

a)  Hugh McClintock stepped down as Joint Vice-Chair due to other commitments, but wished to remain an active member of the LAF;

b)  As membership is for a 3 year period, JL will be emailing members and request confirmation that they are willing to continue in post and be reappointed to ensure all comments and contribution are formally recognised by external bodies;

c)  Rob Kirkwood, who has been attending as an observer on behalf of the Open Spaces Forum, expressed interest in being formally appointed to the LAF and offered to promote the recruitment to members of the Nottingham Open Spaces Forum;

d)  As there are gaps in membership, it was decided that JL will advertise during the spring and summer for new members by putting up posters on well used RoW routes, within parks and other open spaces;

e)  Although the LAF had previously included horse riders, as a mainly urban Authority, and with a limit on membership of 22 plus 2 Councillors (and a current membership of 17), specifically seeking horse rider members was not thought a priority, but would be more than welcome.

f)  The invitation to express interest in becoming a member should be as wide as possible to include as diversity of groups, including underrepresented groups and communities, potentially including the universities which will have walking, cycling and running groups and the work of the LAF may be relevant to their studies;

g)  The Canal and River Trust could be invited to promote the recruitment, as could Ridewise and local walking, cycling and running groups, and the NCVS;

h)  Now that the LAF operates on-line instead of face to face, involvement will be a lot easier for many more people;

i)  Current members who don’t engage online but are still keen to be involved, need to be considered;

j)  If overwhelmed with suitable applications, consideration could be given to extending membership beyond 22 members as not everyone is always able to attend and it would be a shame to turn away keen people who could provide a valuable contribution. Extending involvement in the sub-groups could be considered, especially if there is specific interest;

k)  The Chair thanked Hugh McClintock for his work whilst holding the post of Joint Vice-Chair and members were pleased that he continues as a member of LAF.

Action

1)  With regard to recruitment, JL to:

a.  advertise during the spring and summer for new members by putting up posters on well used RoW routes with additional focuses on e-scooter users;

b.  contact and seek expressions of interest for joining LAF;

o  Nottingham Disability Advisory Group,

o  Canal and River Trust,

o  Ridewise,

o  local walking, cycling and running groups,

o  NCVS,

o  WIND,

o  Universities.

2)  Record that Rob Kirkwood is appointed to the LAF.

·  Updates on the new foot / cycle bridge to be presented at future meetings

·  Update on the Planning White Paper – Councillor Wooding to provide written briefing

·  Living Streets - a representative be invited to engage and input into a future meeting;

·  Design quality framework

·  A joint meeting with the County Council LAF to discuss the new footbridge;

·  Update on the Broadmarsh development – for next meeting;

Action

JL to contact County Council RoW officer Neil Lewis to propose a joint City and County LAF meeting to discuss the new bridge across the River Trent and support a joint response.

None.

To agree to meet on the following Wednesdays:

13 April 2022

13 July 2022

12 October 2022

11 January 2023

The meetings will either be held via Zoom and streamed live on YouTube or at Loxley House, Station Street, Nottingham.

Agreed to meet virtually on the following Wednesdays:

13 April 2022

13 July 2022

12 October 2022

11 January 2023