To include: -
· Tour de France – Cycling legacy.
Minutes:
Councillor A. Rushforth, Cabinet Member for Culture and Tourism, introduced the Transportation Planner (Transportation and Highways Design, Environment and Development Services) who had been invited to attend the meeting to provide an update on the efforts of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council to capitalise on the Grand Depart of the Tour de France to be held in Yorkshire in July, 2014. Consideration was being given to how the local area could maximise the benefits and the opportunities provided to the local population.
The Tour de France was the third largest sporting event in the world and was expected to be watched/followed by three and a half billion spectators globally. An estimated two to three million road-side spectators were expected across Yorkshire, bringing a boost of £100 million to local economies.
A wide-range of existing projects were being undertaken to promote the benefits of cycling to residents across the Borough as means of sustainable transport to access employment, education, retail and leisure opportunities.
It was hoped that existing projects would benefit from the spotlight of the Tour de France, and that the close proximity to the Grand Depart would encourage people of all ages to try cycling for the first time, or to increase the amount of journeys they made by bike.
The Council was leading a number of projects related to cycling issues: -
· Bikeability Cycle Training: -
o Aimed at Year 5 and 6 pupils across the Borough. Two-thousand children had taken part in these opportunities in the last two years.
· Adult and Family Cycle Training: -
o Over three hundred adults or families in Rotherham had received cycle training in 2012 to give them confidence and ability when cycling on the road.
· Try Cycling to Work Bike Leasing Project: -
o This project included the free loan of a quality bike and commuter equipment to enable people to try cycling to work over a four-week period. There was the option to buy the bike at the end of the challenge.
o The scheme also included: free cycle training, free bike maintenance support, an online diary to record miles ridden and carbon emissions saved, online and telephone support.
A number of businesses and organisations had taken part in this project.
· Cycle Shelters: -
o Cycle shelters were being introduced in a number of schools and businesses in Rotherham to encourage cycling to work and school by providing secure and sheltered bike storage.
· Bike It!: -
o Project aimed at school children to encourage them to cycle to school, learn about bike safety and to develop their cycling skills.
· Cycle Routes: -
o Improvement of a number of cycle routes in the Borough, including an off-road route between Rotherham town Centre and Sheffield; improvements between Rotherham and Rawmarsh and a route between Swinton and Manvers.
· Improvements were being planned to the already popular cycling facilities and equipment facilities available at Rother Valley Country Park;
· Welcome to Yorkshire was facilitating an all sector event on 5th June, 2013, to help sectors and businesses capitalise on the tourism and economic benefits of the Tour de France.
National funding allocations were confirmed until March, 2015. It was hoped that after this time funding would continue to be available for sustainable transport forms such as cycling and walking as they related to Government priority areas.
The Cabinet Member was encouraged by the wide-range of activities being undertaken to encourage people to try cycling and to support them to cycle more and asked whether the existing resources had capacity to support an increase in demand and interest following the 2014 Tour de France. The Transportation Planner confirmed that there should be capacity and resources to support an increase in interest.
Resolved: - That the information provided in relation to maximising the legacy of the 2014 Tour de France on local cycling opportunities be noted.