Dear DCG member,
Much has happened in the world of cycling since our last Newsletter in September and so our December Newsletter is rather longer than usual. We anticipate the next edition coming out sometime in February.  Meanwhile, the DCG editorial team would like to wish everyone happy and safe cycling over the festive season and on into 2006.  Here below, for your Yuletide reading, is the Newsletter!

Derby Cycling Group Newsletter, December 2005
 (http://www.derbycyclinggroup.org.uk)

1)      DERBY IS NOW A CYCLE DEMONSTRATION TOWN!

Come and hear all about it at a public meeting on:

Tuesday 17th January 2006

The Voice Box, Kensington Mews, Forman Street, Derby DE1 1JQ
Location: http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?pc=DE11JQ&scale=10000 

Start 7pm

Light refreshments available

All welcome

The cycling officers from Derby City Council who between them put together the successful bid are going to present the plans for increasing the levels of cycling in Derby over  the next three years.  This will also be a golden opportunity for members of the Derby Cycling Group to find out how they can help the City Council in bringing about this much needed increase in cycling.  For further details on what all this means for cycling in  Derby, read David Clasby's report: http://www.derbycyclinggroup.org.uk/documents/Derby_to_be_a_Cycle_Development_Town.doc 

As made clear in David Clasby's article, Derby will need many more part time cycle trainers and cycle coaches. If you think you could be one please contact Andrew Culshaw Tel 01332 715146, e-mail: andy.culshaw@derby.gov.uk.  Meanwhile training courses are already being offered in Leicester in January. If interested contact Andrew Salkeld  Tel 0116 2232114,  e-mail:  andy.salkeld@leicester.gov.uk. 

Finally, but by no means least, do come along to the regular meetings of the Derby Cycle Group meetings to hear about the progress and the disappointments (there will be many frustrations). See below under Contact the Derby Cycling Group for details of meetings.

2)      Derby's Joint Local Transport Plan (LTP) 2006-2011
This document covers not only the period 2006-2011 but also contains the long term transportation strategy for Derby until 2021.  Derby City Council submitted its provisional LTP to the Department for Transport in July 2005.  It now has until March 2006 to make any amendments and submit the definitive LTP.  The Derby Cycling Group has had chance to comment on the document and, apart from a few reservations, we are very encouraged by it for its emphasis on promoting walking, cycling and public transport usage while at the same time making efforts to constrain car use. Please read our full report on LTP at: 
http://www.derbycyclinggroup.org.uk/documents/campaign_docs/DCG_response_to_provisional_LTP2.doc 

3)      Accessibility Planning and Cycling
Still on the subject of the LTP, Accessibility Planning is a key feature of it and this involves identifying and removing barriers that exist to cycling, as well as walking and public transport usage. The Derby Cycling Group has long campaigned for such items as dropped kerbs, cycle paths, and safe crossings at junctions  for improving cycle safety and  accessibility.  The need for the removal of barriers to cycling has prompted one DCG member to wax poetical! We are indebted to Philip Goodman of Spondon for the following: 
http://www.derbycyclinggroup.org.uk/documents/Required_a_surfaced_path.rtf 

4)      Cycle Progress Meeting
The latest meeting  was convened on 5th October.  Progress was sought on long standing issues such as improvements to cycle paths outside the Derby Evening Telegraph and between Markeaton Street and Queensway (A38).  Cycle path developments around Sir Frank Whittle Way and Chester Green were also discussed.  Two new items raised.  One was the possibility of establishing  a regional Sustrans office in Derby and the other related to a request by the DCG  for the City Council to host on its web site electronic version of maps associated with consultation documents where cycling was concerned.  On line access to maps would greatly facilitate the group's ability to respond effectively to consultation documents. Read the full  minutes  at:
 http://www.derbycyclinggroup.org.uk/documents/cpm_minutes/CPM_minutes_October_2005.doc 

A meeting scheduled for Wednesday 7th December has been postponed due to pressures of work arising from the awarding of the Cycle Demonstration Town Status. It is anticipated that a meeting will be convened in the New Year.

5)      Riverside cycle path at Derby Silk Mill
At long last it would appear that progress is being made to have this path reopened and  remove a long standing source of frustration to Derby cyclists.  The cycle path has been closed at the Silk Mill for several years owing to the danger posed by an unsafe fire escape over hanging the path.  Its removal has been prevented due to it being part of  a Grade II listed building as designated by English Heritage.  However, recent  communication with Derby City Council has revealed that a contract to renovate the fire escape has already been awarded and the contractors started work on Monday 5th December.  The contract runs for 20 weeks and will involve detailed photographing of the fire escape, dismantling it, cleaning,  repairing and repainting it and then finally reassembling it.  The path will remain fenced off throughout this period but should be re-open for use in May/June 2006.  

6)      Derby City Centre Eastern Fringes Area Action Plan
As part of the city centre redevelopment, plans have been drawn up and put out to consultation for the area between Traffic Street and the Railway Station.  Currently this area is given over largely to car parking, car showrooms and some small industrial concerns.  The Area Action Plan envisages a much more mixed form of  land usage between residential, commercial, recreational and green space.  This the DCG welcomes this and our  full report on the proposed developments is at:
http://www.derbycyclinggroup.org.uk/documents/campaign_docs/City_Eastern_Fringes_Area_Action_Plan.doc 

7)      Strategic Integrated Transports Studies (SITS)
As part of  the city's transportation development,  Derby City Council is conducting area wide strategic studies on two major transport corridors: Osmaston Road and Uttoxeter road.  The Derby Cycling Group, along with Arriva Buses Derby, and Trent/Barton Buses  has been asked to represent the Local Transport Steering Committee on SITS.  The DCG was also asked to provide input into developing  the potential for cycling along Osmaston Road and Uttoxeter Road.  Our recommendations for improvements along Osmaston Road are at:
http://www.derbycyclinggroup.org.uk/documents/campaign_docs/DCG_report_on_Osmaston_Road_Corridor_SITS.doc  and along Uttoxeter Road at: 
http://www.derbycyclinggroup.org.uk/documents/campaign_docs/DCG_report_on_Uttoxeter_Road_Corridor_SITS.doc 

8)      Re-cycling cycles
In the last newsletter we made an appeal for assistance with sending unwanted bicycles out to Africa. While this still remains a goal of the DCG, it has come  to our attention that Amber Valley Rotary Club periodically sends unwanted bicycles out to Romania.  The contact person there is Keith Rogers, Tel 01332 662038 e-mail, krogers@talkgas.net.  So if you have an unwanted bicycle please give them a call. There is also a possibility that, with the funding following from Derby becoming a Demonstration Town, a dedicated bicycle re-cycling project may be established here in Derby.

9)      Choosing Cycling, Choosing Health!
This is the title of a one day conference being held at Nottingham University on Tuesday 4th April 2006. For anyone interested in attending, the conference brochure is at:  http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/sbe/confer/cycling/ 
 
10)     Streets Ahead National Conference
This conference, jointly organised by the CTC, CCN and the Warrington Cycle Campaign, was convened on 12th November in Warrington.   The rationale for the conference was to offer ways forward for cycling on the basis that for all the investment in cycling infrastructure over the years, cycling levels were not showing any increase.  Apart from citing the inappropriate design of much cycling infrastructure and the fragmented nature of cycle route networks, conference speakers advocated the need for making the urban road network itself safer for cycling as the way forward. To this end the need for a 20mph speed limit in all urban residential areas was advocated together with imaginative street design to 'calm traffic' (without resort to speed cameras) and urban planning so facilities were more readily accessible by foot or bike rather than being car dependent. The challenging and thought provoking presentations delivered at the conference are all to be found at: 
http://www.warringtoncyclecampaign.co.uk/streets-ahead/ (click on Presentations link)

11)     Eco-fest Markeaton Park 10th/11th September 2005
Martin Quarton writes: This large  week end event got off to a very wet start  which doubtless depressed the number of potential visitors.  Fortunately on  Sunday the weather turned out to be much better and the crowds came out. 'Pedal Express' from Nottingham gave rides on their Cycle Maximus' machine which proved very popular with people.  Equally popular was the bike try out show with visitors being invited to have a trail ride on all kinds of unusual bikes.  The regular Bike Park which the DCG runs was well utilised and  may well need enlarging for future events such is its popularity with visitors.  For the first  time the DCG gave out credit card sized information cards to anyone expressing interest in the group.  These cards gave the group's contact details and  web site address.  One very encouraging sign of changing attitudes to cycling was the number of police seen on bicycles. We can only hope this trend grows.  Finally the DCG would like to thank all its members who gave their time at EcoFest and to  Derby City Council for staging the event.  We certainly hope to be there next year. Martin Quarton,  October 2005

Join the Derby Cycling Group: 
Please support us in the work we do by joining us. Just click on the Join Us link on the homepage of,  www.derbycyclinggroup.org.uk, to download an application form.

Contact the Derby Cycling Group:
Monthly meetings: 1st Monday of every month, 19.30 (7.30pm) at The Brunswick Inn, Railway Terrace, Derby DE1 2RU.  Everyone Welcome. Contact  John Stubbs (contact details below) for further information.
Chair and Media Officer: John Stubbs, 65 Otter Street, Derby DE1 3FD. Tel 01332 345942. Email: chair@derbycyclingroup.org.uk 
Secretary (Membership): Barbara Rathbone, 5 Regency Close, Littleover, Derby DE23 1TR. Tel 01332 273532. Email: membership@derbycyclinggroup.org.uk 
Treasurer: John Palmer, 1 Dovedale Rise, Allestree DE22 2RF. Tel: 01332 559100. Email: treasurer@derbycyclinggroup.org.uk.
Webmaster: Alastair Johnson. Email: webmaster@derbycyclinggroup.org.uk