You can make a difference; no time to lose. Email your MP now!

We heard the following good news from Roger Geffen at the Park Bikeworks meeting last night: 

“After months of lobbying by CTC and coalition partners, the Government now looks set to enshrine in law a Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy. Over 5,000 CTC supporters wrote to their MPs to demand that the strategy be included as an amendment to the Infrastructure Bill to be debated in Parliament on 26 January. A huge ‘thank you’ to every one of you who has supported the campaign, but we can’t rest on our laurels just yet: please continue writing to your MP encouraging them to vote in favour of the amendment on Monday.” 

So click on the link which takes you to an easy semi-automatic way to send an email of support for the measure to your own MP.

Your chance to meet the CTC national Campaigns and Policy Director

          CTC, Derby Cycle Group and CycleDerby have got together to organise a fabulous free event for you to attend.

CTC's Campaigns and Policy Director, Roger Geffen will be speaking at the event. Roger has the challenge of persuading the UK's politicians, the media and the wider public of the need for action to improve cycling conditions, while positively encouraging more people to cycle. He will be discussing topics which include; the national Space4Cycling campaigning, recent changes in CTC and Cyclenation joint campaigning and how we can collectively persuade Councillors and MPs to create policies to enable more cycling for everyone, with your help and support.

Roger Geffen will be speaking at the ParkBikeworks in Derby at 6pm on Thursday 22nd January. To hear Roger speak and to have the opportunity to raise your questions, make sure that you come along.

All are welcome and the event is jointly organised by Derby Cycle Group and CycleDerby. No reservation needed. The bicycle parking facilities at Park Bikeworks should be available for the evening and the cafe is due to be open for purchase of food and drinks. See you there.

Pedal Peak II - Moving Up a Gear

Happy New Year, everybody! I trust you all had an enjoyable festive season. 

2015 promises to be the year when we start to see various developments taking shape in our area, under the "Pedal Peak Phase II" project. Just to remind you, there are four separate schemes, as well as a number of grants to be awarded for cycle-friendly projects, all detailed in the DCC circular below,. Within our immediate rangering area will be the Hope Valley Link and the White Peak Loop. Click on the links in the article to obtain more information. The results of the public consultation on the WPL make interesting reading, and two planning applications have been made for sections of the Bakewell to Matlock route (although neither includes the most 'sexy' bits: the Haddon tunnels and the A6 bridge). However, it seems that a new piece of path is to run from Arc Leisure into Matlock town center (which will be very handy for me!) and work on this is to start this month!

Pedal Peak ll – Moving up a Gear Newsletter December 2014

General Pedal Peak Project Headlines:

Little Don Link  Phase 1 linking Dunford Bridge with Penistone is nearly complete with the surfacing of the former Woodhead railway line. Phase 2 is underway to upgrade the surface of the route linking Upper Don Trail to Langsett Gateway. Phase 3 beyond Langsett is in the design stage and will involve making use of a long disused railway bridge under the A616. For more on the Little Don Link: contact project officermike.gibson@barnsley.gov.uk Staffordshire Moorlands Link  5.5km of towpath improvements have been completed along the Caldon Canal between A53 Stockton Brook and Hazelhurst Locks nr Denford. The Department for Transport has just released an additional grant of £1.5m to allow Staffordshire County Council to complete the remaining 6.6km of towpath improvements through to Cheddleton and Leek. For more on the Staffordshire Moorlands Link: highways@staffordshire.gov.uk

Hope Valley Link 

Phase 1 completed - 2.5km new route built between Hathersage and Bamford. Sustrans have been carrying out a local consultation on options for Phase ll between Bamford and Hope and the results should be available soon. For more on the Hope Valley Link: www.derbyshire.gov.uk/pedalpeak

White Peak Loop 

The results of the public consultation for the extension of the Monsal Trail between Bakewell and Matlock are available on the County Council’s website. Two planning applications have now been submitted to the County Council for Phase l between Matlock and Old Road, Darley Dale (referenceCD3/1214/119) and Phase 3 between Church Road, Churchtown and Harrison Way, Northwood (reference CD3/1214/122) with further applications due to follow soon.  A consultation to build a short shared cycle/pedestrian route on the A6 near the Arc Leisure Centre, Matlock to provide a valuable additional link into the White Peak Loop for Matlock residents is complete and the scheme is planned for delivery starting at the end of January. For more on the White Peak Loop:www.derbyshire.gov.uk/pedalpeak

Clyde's note: given that it is quite likely that there will be some opposition to this project, your support is always needed. Click on each of the two phases above (ending in 119 and 122) and then click "Comment on this application". Use copy and paste if your comments for both phases are essentially the same!

Cycle Friendly Places Grant 

11 grants have been awarded so far to the value of £61,000 to support projects to benefit cycling provision to the value of £192,000 with a further 20 enquiries being dealt with.  Most enquirers are looking for safe locking places and support for helping ‘cyclists welcome’ scheme i.e. having locks and tools available for them to use free of charge.  Interest has come from café owners, Post Offices, pubs, outdoor centres, B&Bs as well as the local Cheddleton Railway. For more on the Cycle Friendly Places Grant or to make an enquiry go to: http://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/visiting/cycle/peak-district-cycle-friendly-places-fund