GREENWICH CYCLISTS
Note of monthly meeting held at 7.30pm on Wednesday 4 April 2001 at Greenwich Forum
Present:
Rushton Aust, Jonathan Bangs, Andrew Bestwetherick, Doug Bollen, Greg Englefield, Fanny Abramczuk, Annie Hart, Barbara Henley, Justin Horne, Ken Lawrence, Barry Mason, Linda Pearce, Erica Van Dommelen, Ken Lawrence, Simon Ridell, David Snazzell, Heime Widenhorn, Nick Williams
plus Merlin Matthews and Paul Standeven for first item.
Discussed:
1. BM welcomed all, great to see so many new faces. BM hadn’t read his emails at home last night so hadn’t realised that Merlin Matthews and Paul Standeven were coming to the meeting. He invited MM to talk to the group.
2.1 Re-Cycle: MM explained that he runs a registered charity based at West Mersea in Essex called Re-Cycle. Old bikes and bits are collected, mended and shipped out to 5 countries in southern Africa where a bike can make a huge difference to the lives of, for example, women who might have to walk miles for clean water or children having to walk many miles to school each day. 12 x 40 foot containers full of reconditioned bikes have now shipped, 4,000 bikes in all. These numbers means it costs only £2.50 to ship each bike. The National Lottery has provided £75,000 of funding and, for example, the Post Office no longer chops up its 5 year old delivery bikes, they get shipped.
2.2 MM is now looking for local groups or individuals to act as collection points for bikes and parts and for storage space. He had heard about Greenwich Cyclists through Sustrans and wondered if the group could help. PS explained that he was doing similar work in Islington to provide bikes to local people there. After some discussion the group agreed that Re-Cycle would be a worthwhile project to help. GE, LP, BH, NW and BM were interested on working on the project. It was pointed out that Greenwich was twinned with Tema in Ghana and that the Council may well be keen to help. It certainly has much underused storage. NW will cover the possibility of GC working with Re-Cycle in Pedal Power 9 and ask others to help too. BM will reply to MM within 2 weeks to let him know whether the project goes ahead on not. MM and PS then left. (BM: see www.re-cycle.org for more).
3. Sustrans Rangers: BM explained that David Wilson, lead Sustrans Ranger for the Cutty Sark to Deptford Bridge stretch of the National Cycle Route, was moving away from London soon. Discussions with Sustrans had led to them asking Greenwich Cyclists if the group wanted to take over as warden. BM thought there was huge sense in this with advantages to both organisations. We already do much work with Sustrans on route improvement plans etc. Individual members and organised rides often cover the route and report back to Sustrans London about snags etc happen already. GE and RA supported the idea and were already Sustrans Rangers. Other Greenwich Cyclists were too. GE was willing to be the liaison person with Sustrans London. After discussion it was agreed that GC should take over this role and that BM write to Sustrans HQ accordingly.
4. Greenwich Pride award: AB explained that he and Man Birdi had had an enjoyable evening on Friday 30 March at the Town Hall awards ceremony, as the picture of them with Nick Raynsford MP showed. There was good publicity about GC in the Mercury. Only one other group, the Forum@Greenwich, had got the maximum £1000 too. GE explained that we now needed to find matched funding for the local route maps. But no one was keen to take the project on, so BM agreed to progress it. We had hoped to get the first maps done in time for the Mayor’s ride on 29 April but the award had been made late and now there was hardly time.
5. Mayor’s charity ride 29 April: BM showed the artwork for the leaflet. It looked very good and Greenwich Graphics had done an excellent job with the brief and the Peter Kent artwork, but printing was now the holdup. The leaflets and posters should be ready by 9 April for fast distribution. BM asked all to call him at work on 020 8921 5075 for supplies of both. He also asked for all to try and recruit stewards for the day to help people along the route. GE, BM and others agreed to meet at 9am on the day to sign the tricky first few miles to the Woolwich Arsenal. As many GC members as possible were needed on the day to help distribute to all the special newsletter NW was preparing.
6. www.greenwichcyclists.org.uk: BM thanked Beth Park in her absence for setting up the website. A number present had seen it and it was agreed that we had made a good start but that content was needed. BM mentioned that Beth was soon to move to the continent. Doug volunteered to take on site maintenance, he looks after several others. BM would arrange a proper handover of passwords etc.
7.1 Greenwich Council Transport Scrutiny Committee: NW explained that the report of this new committee had not taken in the points made at the public meeting on transport and, for example, recommended river crossings when none had been mentioned. The formal submission and the verbal points made by Greenwich Cyclists had simply been ignored. This was not acceptable. The Council were now preparing a Green Transport Plan, this was not even referred to. It seems that a lot of old plans were simply being dusted off and re-presented after a cynical and farcical piece of "consultation".
7.2 Greenwich needed a proper Cycling Strategy and the Council cannot be allowed to simply get away with platitudes such as "we have made great strides in cycling provision recently" or "one shower and some bike racks are on the way" for 10,000 employees. BM agreed strongly. Lewisham, Camden, Southwark and Hackney Councils were now preparing what promised to be excellent Cycling Plans and this morning Transport For London were advertising for a Walking Officer at £35,000, a Cycling Centre of Excellence Manager at £45,000 and two assistants at about £35,000. Greenwich’s inaction was intolerable. Nothing is being done about the dangerous Woolwich Road and the Cutty Sark to Dome route is a joke. After discussion the group agreed that we use the May meeting to start work on a Cycling Plan for Greenwich. All were asked to research accordingly and bring examples of excellent policies to that meeting. BM would invite Greenwich’s next Green Transport person along. We would also be challenging the biased Scrutiny report.
8. Next meeting: Wednesday 4 April. 7.30pm.
The Forum@Greenwich
BAM
5 April 2001