Content

(Report of Director of
Planning, Housing and Environmental Health)
 
The report provided
Members with an update on progress and next steps in the
preparation of the Tonbridge and Malling Active Travel Strategy
(ATS), which was being prepared in accordance with the Department
for Transport’s published Local Cycling and Walking
Infrastructure Plan guidance.  Once
adopted, this Strategy would replace the current borough Cycling
Strategy.
 
Members noted that
a cycle route priorities consultation had been undertaken in 2022
to inform the preparation of the ATS and a full summary of the
consultation feedback was included at Annex 1, with headlines
highlighted in 1.1.4 of the report. 
Careful consideration had been given to the feedback received by
the project team, with particular reference made to the alternative
route suggestions and ideas to improve infrastructure for active
travel on local roads and public rights of way.  The route suggestions were set out in Annex 2,
including comments from the project team.
 
Queries and
concerns were raised over a number of particular routes and Members
were assured that future deliveries would be subject to detailed
scheme design and public consultation to enable full options to be
presented when the draft Strategy was brought back to the Committee
for consideration.  However, it was
recognised that funding remained limited for active travel projects
in the coming years.
 
Following
consideration by the Housing and Planning Scrutiny Select
Committee, the Cabinet Member for Transformation and Infrastructure
resolved that:
 

(1)       
the feedback received to the cycle route priorities consultation
and the progress being made, be noted;
 

(2)       
the alternative routes detailed in 1.1.6 of the report be
investigated further for potential inclusion within the Active
Travel Strategy; and
 
(3)        the updated
timetable as detailed in 1.2.3 of the report, be noted.