CYCLING UK/MILTON KEYNES GROUP

COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT MK CITY PLAN 2050

INTRODUCTION

This is a comprehensive document, which we generally support with reservations in certain areas.

The change in the national government and its intention to build more housing will be an immediate challenge.  The County Councils Network (CCN) has already warned that government reforms to boost housing development could create a developer ‘free for all’ with excessive targets piling more pressure on infrastructure and services. Already development in some areas has stopped as electricity supplies cannot be guaranteed.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has just announced that the demand for new diesel cars is growing faster than the demand for pure battery electric vehicles, with the registration of new diesel cars for private buyers growing by 17.2 per cent in September compared with the same month in 2023. We need to be getting rid of diesel motor vehicles as a priority in the fight against climate change.

NHS digital figures have shown that obesity admissions in MK have risen by a third over the past year from 3410 to 4465. Obesity not only impacts individuals and their families and friends but also the wider community with the impact it has on the whole NHS service in MK.

THE PLAN

Much of the policies affecting cycling (and walking and wheeling) cover wide and different areas, reflecting the various roles that cycling plays in MK. However, the Plan is very positive about the future role of cycling in MK and recognises its number one role as part of the Active Travel role as the top priority in the MK transport hierarchy. This has often been stated in plans for the future but rarely achieved. This is a test case.  MK is a motor car dependent city, but we cannot achieve climate change targets if this is allowed to continue. This is the big challenge – can the Council, and the new Labour government, provide the necessary leadership and support to achieve the ambition and objective of the Plan, which are only at draft stage in the current public consultation process, given that there is already a lot of recorded opposition to the these. For example, there is a lot of opposition to the 15 minute city concept for MK, in spite this being key to the planning of MK in the early years. 

THE PLAN AMBITION

We fully support the ambition of affordable and accessible means of getting round the city to support wellbeing and health with walk, cycle and scoot number one priority as part of tackling climate change.  Of course, the more sustainable the better, eg electric or similar public transport.

THE PLAN OBJECTIVE

We fully support the plan objective.

TOPIC PAPERS

These are often repetitive but we support many of the proposals.

We support the importance of the National Planning Policy Framework objective to promote healthy and safe communities by providing well designed, beautiful and safe places, ensuring that services and open space are accessible and support health, social and cultural wellbeing.

The Plan clearly reflects this by recognising that the city structure helps people’s health and that active lifestyles – more cycling and walking and more active leisure and sport – have a big impact. Landscaped open spaces and parks are essential.  Infrastructure needs to play a key part in ensuring that transport, health care, social care, shops, leisure, sport and cultural facilities are within easy distances for example as set out in Plan table 3.

This recognition that land use planning and transport planning should be one integrated process and not seen as separate processes, as has often been the case as a result of the Council’s traditional organisation of departments, is welcomed. This should mean a major Council reorganisation to reflect this with equal emphasis given to active travel and public transport as to highways.  

There is a need to produce a comprehensive citywide Redway and other cycling routes plan to show present routes, planned ones, missing links and the links to, from and within future development, most of which are listed in the Topic papers.  This is to ensure that Redway and other Active Travel routes are strongly linked to planning permission conditions and Section 106 works and not seen as an afterthought.

We agree that while there are good Redway and other links to Central MK the motor car dominates within. Cycling and walking are unpleasant at best and dangerous at worst.  While there are some segregated cross CMK routes north/south the Plan proposes a new east/west Midsummer Greenway with better way finding and signage with new and improved green spaces linked to the Greenway.  We support these, but CMK will still remain unpleasant and not a healthy area where people want to spend time in.

However, there is no mention of the role of Active Travel England.  In theory it was set up to have a role in making sure that the pro cycling Gear Change, Local Transport Note 1/20 and the Highway Code updates were applied to all new developments of a certain size. LTN 1/20 is very specific in the design of segregated cycle/walkways and our Redways do not always meet this standard as regards keeping cyclists, walkers and other users in separate lanes as far as possible.  Central government support for ATE is vague at the moment, especially given the change of government, which does not help.

Two further reports are not mentioned.  First, the Local Government Association Marmot Report 2010 and second, the National Infrastructure Commission Gilligan Report Running Out of Road 2018. Both are very supportive of creating healthy communities by sensitive land use and transport planning and the role of the NHS in the first report.  We strongly support the role of the latter in the Plan.  Good health needs healthy activities to promote this. Indeed, the National Audit Office pointed out some years ago that for every pound invested in cycling and walking produced benefits of up to eight pounds.  

The Gilligan Report is very strong on investing in cycling in MK. It recognised that getting people out of their cars will be difficult, but not impossible, that MK already has a cycling infrastructure, but it needs improving, and that cycle routes do not always take you where you want go.   The Report recommendations are extensive and we support their inclusion in the Plan.

Another report which is worthy of support is the Living Streets and Sustrans Stepping off the Road to Nowhere 2024, which is a strong advocate for green growth, sustainable transport and beautiful streets and homes.

A further briefing, this one from the Sustainable Transport Alliance, of which Cycling UK, Living Streets, Sustrans and bus and rail groups are members, highlights the huge social, economic and environmental benefits of shifting away from car dominated travel and car dependency.  

MK is the junction for main Sustrans National Cycle Network Routes 6 and 51.  The NCN is not mentioned in the Plan but it has an important role both for local cyclists, walkers and wheelers but also in attracting others from further afield. The Grand Union Towpath from London to Birmingham is a national trail. 

The role of the MK Parks Trust is vital not only for the provision of open space but for the promotion of cycling, walking and other activities within. The early parks were linked together from one end of the city to the other. Many of the recent parks have been slow to be handed over to the Trust and often the linkages are weak or non- existent.  The Covid crisis showed how important the parks are to mental and physical health of the population.

The role of East West Rail is vital to the city, restoring the long closed rail link between Cambridge and Oxford.  The proposals still await public consultation but will involve considerable impact on non rail users as well as rail users.  Stations, whether new or existing need to have good active travel and public transport links and have good disability facilities.  Wolverton station has no disability links to some platforms and even cyclists find it difficult to use the steep steps while carrying a bicycle.  This should be made a priority.

ADDITIONAL PROJECTS WHAT WE WOULD STRONGLY SUPPORT

Grade separated Redway crossings of grid and main roads, including the M1, preferably by underpasses and not grade crossings.

Reinstate the old Linford Lane to provide a direct Redway link from the Downhead Park underpass to Woolstone.

Provide all weather active travel links to Hanslope Park from Wolverton/Haversham and from Hanslope.

Completion of the A421 Redway to provide a active travel link to Ridgmont station and to the countryside beyond.

Improved active travel across the boundaries with neighbouring local authorities.  The existing road links are seeing an ever increase in motor traffic and a consequent number of deaths and injuries.

Implementation of the East-West cycleway advocated by the Gilligan Report linked to other cross country cycling routes.

Cycle parking should be provided at all public destinations, secure and under cover for long term parking.  All residential units should have secure and covered cycle parking.  Open poorly secured cycle parking is not acceptable – there are far too many cycle thefts in MK as it is.

Work with East West Rail to provide active travel routes to stations, cycle parking at and active travel crossings of the line, eg where the line bisects the MK South East development.

ROLE OF CYCLING GROUPS IN MK CITY PLANNING

Cycling UK, the national cycling organisation, was founded in 1878 to protect cyclists’ rights and to encourage cycling.  We are part of the wider MK Cycling Forum which works with the City Council, the Parks Trust, Sustrans, the bike and scooter hire firms and other organisations to promote safe and attractive cycling throughout the city and beyond. We would welcome a much more participatory role in the land use and transport planning of MK.   

Philip Ashbourn MA MRTPI (On behalf of Cycling UK)

PEOPLE

We support the Plan stressing the importance of the National Planning Policy Framework, the draft of which has still to be approved, objective to promote health and safe communities by providing well designed, beautiful and safe places, ensuring that services and open space are accessible and reflect current and future needs and support health, social and cultural wellbeing.

The Plan clearly recognises that the city structure helps people’s health, especially obesity and related illnesses and that active lifestyles – more cycling and walking and more active leisure and sport – have a big impact. Landscaped open spaces and parks are essential.  Infrastructure needs to play a key part in ensuring that transport, health care, social care, schools, shops, leisure, sport and cultural facilities are within easy distances, for example as set out in Plan table 3.

LAND USE PLANNING AND TRANSPORT PLANNING

The one strong strand running through the Plan and the Topic Papers is the welcome recognition that land use planning and transport planning should be one integrated process and not seen as separate processes. This should mean a major reorganisation of the MK Council departments to reflect this with a lesser emphasis on highways and more on active travel and public transport.  Forward planning and development control are also essential in the process. For example, there is a need to produce a comprehensive citywide Redway plan to show present routes, currently planned ones, missing links and the links to, from and within future development, eg MK North East. This is essential to ensure that Redways and other Active Travel routes are strongly linked to planning permission conditions and Section 106 works and not seen as an afterthought.

CENTRAL MK

While there are good Redway and other links to CMK the motor car dominates within CMK and cycling and walking is mainly unpleasant at best and dangerous at worst. There are some segregated

cross CMK routes north/south and the Plan proposes a new east/west and Midsummer Boulevard Greenway and better way finding and signage with new and improved green spaces linked to the Greenway. 

THE FAILURES OF THE PLAN

The Plan stresses the importance of the grid road system but there is no corresponding support for the Redway system with grade separated crossings of the grid roads by underpasses and bridges.  We prefer the former as the latter are more vulnerable to bad winter weather, e.g. snow and ice.  We find the increasing use of grade crossings of grid and other main roads unacceptable, not just for cyclists and walkers but for all other non motorised transport, where the waiting times, also for motorists, are considerable.

The Gilligan Report offered some good suggestions on improving cycling along the East-West Arc. For example, he suggested a defined East -West cycleway through the city linking at both ends to other cross cycling routes.

The Plan makes no mention of cycling and other active travel inks at the boundaries of adjacent local authorities.  We already have the near scandal of a relatively new and lengthy Redway parallel to the A421 with no link to anywhere at the end. This should be a major cycling route to the open countryside beyond Ridgmont and is a perfect example of two local authorities not working together. Similarly, cycling links to Northamptonshire are poor or lacking. Over the years the volume of motor traffic on rural roads has increased considerably with a growing number of road deaths and injuries to all users which affects cyclists’ confidence in using these roads which not that long ago in the pre   sat nav era were perfect for cycling.