Our campaigners attended, along with other interested parties, a “blue skies” thinking consultation at the Royal Borough of Kingston’s offices on 28 October run by their retained consultants, Atkins Global. There was much discussion of the proposed Boardway, much favourable, some less so. This has the potential to be a great amenity for the community, to improve the waterside and a safe cycle route into and around Kingston Town Centre but let us await some detail !
Mini-Holland
Council debates New Malden to Raynes Park Route
Illustration of proposed greenway
Our petition with 1700 signatures, both paper and electronic, in favour of the proposed New Malden to Raynes Park Mini Holland Cycling and walking route was debated at the Council meeting on Tuesday 13 October at 7.30pm, members of the public attended.
The petition in opposition to the route was also presented. After so many arguments had been raised in opposition the “Antis” confined themselves to one point. They argued the proposed route was a “wildlife valley” and this was not compatible with cycling and walking (or “fast” cycling, as they saw it). The area is not a nature reserve but a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC). It is common for cycling to be allowed in SINC’s and for these areas to have cycle routes through them; they’re often ideal for family cycling.
Parts of the Wandle trail, Morden Hall Park and Hogsmill trail are all SINCs and all are also cycle routes. Therefore this does seem a bit of a non point. As we’ve always said low impact transport like cycling and walking is certainly compatible with a favourable ecology and environment for wildlife; in fact sometimes it can enhance it.
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Petition to support the New Malden to Raynes Park Mini Holland cycling and walking route
A Mini Holland proposal
Our petition with over 1600 signatures, both paper and electronic, in favour of the proposed New Malden to Raynes Park Mini Holland Cycling and walking route is to be debated at the Council meeting on Tuesday 13 October at 7.30pm, members of the public can attend;
http://moderngov.kingston.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=137&MId=7870
Please keep signing the petition, every signature helps make the route more likely to happen;
http://bit.ly/new-malden-greenway
The Co-ordinators of the Kingston and Merton Cycling Campaigns have jointly written to the local media in support of this route;
https://drive.google.com/a/dmzone.co.uk/file/d/0ByG6pIbWG27yTDZWWWlZZ0FKZzA/view
Background
The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames has a once in a generation opportunity to improve its facilities for walking and cycling and for environment and community friendly travel for all its residents and visitors. Last year the Borough was awarded more than £30million from the Mayor’s Outer London Cycling Fund (the Mini Holland Programme) and has christened the project “GoCycle”. The idea is to promote active travel for all, particularly children, the old and women.
https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/improvements-and-projects/cycle-mini-hollands
http://www.kingston.gov.uk/info/200355/go_cycle/1118/about_the_go_cycle_routes_and_projects/3
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New Malden – Raynes Park link
Illustration of New Malden end of route
The next Mini Holland Project in Kingston is the New Malden to Raynes Park greenway on a Thames Water Main and Sewer alongside the railway under the A3 dual carriageway.
This was taken to the next stage at the Council committee on Thursday 25 June. Initially Thames Water appeared to want £1m plus apparently to check this link won’t damage any of their pipes ! Following a meeting with TfL and RBK we understand Thames Water accept they can’t use the greenway as an opportunity to replace their infrastructure at the taxpayer’s expense.
There are also local protesters who do not want the route built. We look forward to engaging with them during the consultation in due course.
Set your pedals for Portsmouth Road Mini Holland Scheme !
Illustration of Portsmouth Road scheme
On 25 June Kingston Councillors unanimously voted to approve the revised proposals for Portsmouth Road. Work will now start on the detailed design stage and construction schedule. The current programme is for construction work to start winter 2015 and be completed Summer 2016. We hope that ambitious timescale can now be adhered to.
June 2015 Newsletter
All our latest news including:
- Cycling casualties rising
- Bike Week 2015
- Eileen Gray, CBE
- Annual Meeting report
- Mini-Holland schemes
Mini Holland New Malden Raynes Park link
The next Mini Holland project, following Portsmouth Road, from RBK, is a connection between New Malden and Raynes Park; a new walking and cycling route. It will run alongside the railway on Thames Water supply pipes and go under the A3 dual carriageway. The new route is planned to open up an area of valuable green space for all ages to enjoy, cycle, walk, learn and relax; making it quick and easy to travel on a traffic free route between the two town centres in a way that has not previously been possible.
The long term plan, perhaps aspiration, at present, is that this route will link with the planned Transport for London Quietway from Waterloo to Clapham and on to Wimbledon which will extend to Raynes Park. It is not yet clear what route the Quietway will take nor, as far as we are aware, has funding been made available.
Mini Holland Portsmouth Road Revised Proposals
We welcome the revised proposals for the Portsmouth Road mini Holland scheme which have been published by the Royal Borough of Kingston, today, Monday 16 March 2015;
http://www.kingston.gov.uk/downloads/file/1212/portsmouth_road_revised_scheme
These proposals are a considerable improvement on the original proposals. We will be seeking further assurances about the design but, in the round, we support it.
The northern part of the route is a two way cycle track on the river side of Portsmouth Road. This has some impressive features; fully protected space, floating bus stops, refuges for turning cyclists, possibly crossings which can detect bicycles and a well thought out link to Surbiton via Palace Road. It will be valuable for family and novice riders, particularly if it joins the Boardway link along the Thames. It is a reversion to the original design in the bid document which featured such a two way track and is certainly better than the “white paint” in the original proposal in February.
KCC Responds to Kingston’s Mini-Holland Proposal
· The Kingston Cycling Campaign strongly objects to the design of the scheme set out in the consultation documents.
· This is Kingston’s first Mini Holland scheme; it is important to set a satisfactory standard and precedent for later schemes.
· We believe that full segregation, (protected space), can be provided along the length of this route. Connections with facilities to the north and the south need to be designed at the same time to ensure continuity.
· In the bid document it was stated this road was to get a fully segregated two way cycle track for about half its length and the remainder was to be semi- segregated. Around 70 to 80% of the carriageway length is proposed to have no protected space for cycling, rather there will be Mandatory Cycle Lanes (“white paint” as people call it).
· The proposal may be of some limited value to existing cyclists but will do very little to encourage non-cyclists, or the hesitant, to use bicycles; which is the objective of the mini-Holland programme.
· It is not the dramatic or step change in cycling provision which the mini- Holland schemes are intended to achieve, as in the Mayor’s Cycling Vision for London.
· We met with Councillors from the Administration and without giving any promises they said they would speak to Officers about increasing segregated provision. We welcome this.
· We do not want this fantastic opportunity for our Borough to be wasted and we are confident that if aspects of the scheme are redesigned to incorporate protected space along the entirety of this short route it will prove an outstanding achievement for Kingston.
Meeting to discuss Mini Holland proposals
Our next meeting is on Tuesday 10 March 2015 at 8pm at the Richard Mayo Centre, Eden Street, Kingston on Thames KT1 1HZ http://mayocentre.org.uk/. We hope to discuss the revised Portsmouth Road Mini Holland proposals and feedback from the Sustrans workshop on the New Malden to Raynes Park Mini Holland Link. If you cycle, or would like to cycle, in Kingston please join us.
Kingston Cycling Campaign 