Current Issues
Student parking
A group of residents on roads close to the university have formed themselves into an alliance called "Swampedbycars" and have set up a web presence at www.swampedbycars.blogspot.com. They have submitted a document setting out their demands to Charnwood Borough Council that can be read at http://tiny.cc/bxgEB.
At present local students are not allowed to park on campus without special permission. Consequently they tend to park in roads neighbouring the university, even though this is against university rules. Swampedbycars is calling for students to be banned from bringing cars into Loughborough, preferably with a 6 mile + exclusion zone.
Swamped by Cars has now succeeded in getting Charnwood Borough Council to set up an Investigation Panel into the problems caused by cars associated with the University.
We were asked to make a submission which appears below:
The failure of the University to control and contract the use of cars associated with its operation represents a lost opportunity to mitigate the environmental and traffic impacts associated with its growth. It is also a failure to provide a leading example of how society can develop without reliance on the car and the detrimental environmental impact involved in the production, use and scrapping of these vehicles.
Rather than spend money on additional car parking we would advocate the University restricting car use and using the resource to encourage forms of travel that have a much lower impact on the environment.
The University should be aiming for almost all people needing to access its facilities to be able to travel on foot, by cycle or using public transport rather than a car.
We advocate the University emulating Oxford and Cambridge, making it a condition of enrolment that students do not keep or use cars within say a 5 mile radius of the town (unless given specific dispensation for disabilities). Such a policy would need to be enforced, and we would advocate the University employing a special Pro-Proctor and supporting staff to detect any transgressors and fine them. Cambridge University already pursues such a policy – see http://tr.im/CYZh .
In addition to this, when new staff are appointed and assistance is provided for a house move, this should only be granted if the member of staff moves to within 5 miles of the university (cycling distance).
The introduction of restrictions on car use should be off-set for both students and staff with support and incentives to walk or cycle for shorter distances and for the use of public transport for longer journeys.
Such policies could drastically reduce both on street parking and traffic congestion in the area, bringing car usage back within the capacity of the local road system.
The policies implemented by Oxford and Cambridge to encourage walking and cycling among their students and staff have in turn encouraged higher levels of both (particularly cycling) by local residents. In part this can be attributed to the fact that cycling becomes safer the more people do it. See http://www.ctc.org.uk/resources/Campaigns/CTC_Safety_in_Numbers.pdf .
Loughborough University has put in some provision for bicycle parking, but a considerable proportion is of poor quality and/or inadequate in some areas, with bicycles being padlocked to railings and trees. If bicycle use is to increase these facilities must be improved and expanded.
We advocate the University providing bicycles to all able students, including the cost and maintenance within the fees charged. The bicycles would remain the property of the university but would be either allocated to students or provided on a pool basis. The bicycles would have electronic chip identity tags glued into the frame. This company might be able to assist - www.studentbikeloans.com and Leeds University has some experience of this http://tr.im/CZ7f .
Student Accommodation
Anaash Holdings are proposing to build residential accommodation for 89 students, at the site of the redundant Temple Filling Station on Ashby Road. The site does not allow for car parking and had no bus stops in the close vicinity. Local people are concerned that the future tenants would park on nearby residential roads despite a “no car” agreement.
The developers, have now produced an “innovative solution” involving the provision of nearby bus stops and 45 bicycles (together with parking) for the use of the residents. The type of bicycle has not been specified.
Local Councillor (and campaign member) Max Hunt has commented that "Most 'no car agreements' made with developers or the university offer little in exchange to students. This proposal is innovative and possibly the first in any British university town. The S106 planning agreement has to be concluded by mid September and I will be pushing for a robust specification which the Borough Council can hold up as an exemplar to other developers and other planning authorities."
There are now five University Halls together with the student accommodation at the Wharf, Woodgate and Greenclose Lane with 'no-car' agreements. No precise figures have been issued but it would seem a reasonable estimate that about 30% of managed student flats/halls have such agreements. Most of them have bike racks for fewer that 50% of their occupants. Greenclose lane in particular seems very poor, being an indoor room for about 20 bicycles and no provision for visitors.
We need to press the planning authorities to introduce adequate standards for cycle parking for “car free” developments. A provision of one cycle space for every resident should be the minimum standard.
Draft plans for Loughborough Town Centre following the building of the ring road have now been published on the Leicestershire Website as the first part of the public consultation exercise. The plans themselves can be downloaded by clicking here (pdf).
A Station Travel Plan for Loughborough Railway Station is currently being drawn up. We are represented on a committee trying to finalise a list of actions, both short and medium term, aimed at increasing the proportion of people travelling to and from the station by sustainable modes. If you have any ideas for increasing the use of cycles (currently a 3% share) for travel to/from the station please join the discussion forum and contribute them. There is scope for a big increase, given that the size of Loughborough is ideal for cycle journeys.
In particular ideas for promoting cycling as a means of travel to the station would be welcome.
The formal planning application for the Eastern Gateway (housing and link road, not the area between the station and the link road) is now out and can be viewed here. . Of the vast array of documents, the most significant are "Masterplan", "Design & Access Statement", "Transport Assessment" and "Travel Plan". The latter two contain some informationabout bus services and various other things.
There appear to be only minor changes since the consultation at the end of last year. In particular, the shared-use cycle/pedestrian paths on both sides of the link road are still there, despite our objections. We would prefer cycle lanes with advanced stop lines at the junctions (as already installed on Nottingham Road - but with at least 1.5 metres width for the cycle lanes, unlike on Nottingham Road!).
Another issue is the extension of the pedestrian area in Loughborough and the restriction/exclusion of buses. Current proposals are, following completion of the ring road, to allowing buses to pass along the old A6 to the south only, with a view to removing them all together if the majority of councillors have their way. This will make life difficult for bus users and in particular the elderly who may no longer be able to drive and find walking any distance difficult. Action for a Better Charnwood is campaigning to keep the buses in the town centre and you can find more details on this issue here.
New regulations are to be introduced for cyclists, so we will have to be watchful to ensure that the the situation is improved with regard to the permeability of the town centre to cyclists.
|
If you have a problem such as a Pot Hole to report or any other
suggestions relating to cycle facilities please click
here.
|
Leicestershire & Rutland CTC