Elections

Sadly my own cycling days are over due to mobility problems. However, I was a keen cyclist some years ago and used the local Sustrans route 14 cycle way. My eldest daughter & partner are both keen cyclists, but on occasion experience issues with motor vehicle drivers. I feel e-bikes are a brilliant innovation to encourage bike use and are appearing more and more in Durham. E-bikes obviously encourage leisure and fitness pursuits and don't leave a carbon footprint, great for the environment. People can see their locality whilst riding a bike, the flora and fauna around them! The main barriers that contribute to people being prevented from cycling in my area would be a lack of local authority investment regarding decent and safe cycle route infrastructure which leads to some fear of road traffic conditions in and around Durham. If elected to County Council, I would lobby Durham County Council to access central government funding pots to start installing decent and safe cycle lanes. Investment must be made to reopen Belmont Viaduct, located in Kepier Woods, as a cycle route (and footpath) to access the Durham Sustrans cycle route.

I tend to agree that sadly some of our local main roads are not very safe for children to cycle due to a lack of cycle lanes, decent crossing places and aggressive speeding drivers. Belmont Parish Lib Dems decided to look at this and introduced a 20 mph speed limit on all estates, despite opposition from Labour. We wanted to ensure motor vehicle drivers would slow down, therefore encouraging a confidence for children to play outside in the streets and to cycle to school or the local parks. We see some success with this scheme, however much more could be done by the Local Authority to introduce better cycle friendly infrastructure, like cycle lanes. I would encourage Durham County Council to do this. I would also encourage schools to get involved putting across the message that we must all help with addressing climate change. Children could do their part by cycling to school. If elected, I have the paperwork & will have the funding in place to introduce the 20mph speed limit in the Gilesgate area which will contribute to making the estate streets safer for children to cycle to school and the local parks.

I am chairman of two environmental groups, the Friends of Kepier Woods and Durham Road Block. I helped lead a successful campaign against two proposed relief roads that would have destroyed swathes of woodland in four local woodlands, disturbed wild life and destroyed social history. I helped organise a productive working party who worked with a County Councillor to look at the various issues around Durham and the villages regarding cycle journeys and the positive impact of increased cycle use on our local and world environment. The Friends of Kepier Woods group are now campaigning to reopen the Belmont Viaduct as a cycle route and footpath. We are lobbying Durham County Council to access central government Northern Transport funding to pay for repairs to the Viaduct and the infrastructure needed. If I am elected as County Councillor then I would continue this work. Reopening the Viaduct will help drive down carbon emissions as residents living in the communities both sides of the Viaduct have told me that they would commute to work by bicycle or even jog. The reopening the Viaduct would offer a safe route to commute to new employment opportunities. Government has large funding opportunities available for new footpaths or cycle ways to be introduced or existing ones to be repaired. I would urge Durham County Council to access these funds. Cycling plays a huge role in tackling the climate emergency, the more residents in County Durham that cycle the better, this would lead to reduce carbon emissions from motor vehicles. I feel education in schools or a local authority campaign to encourage bike use are crucial to our future environment, not only in our locality but internationally too.

As a Lib Dem Parish Councillor, I disagree with Durham County Councils timeline and target for carbon emissions reduction to address climate change. Durham County Council are saying by 2050, I firmly believe the target should be 2030, much earlier, as we are moving into a critical ten year period where radical change in our climate will happen, our society, the way we live could be badly changed with huge changes in our climate that may bring radical weather patterns. A quicker target to reduce carbon emissions would reduce air and noise pollution in our urban areas. Furthermore I would encourage Durham County Council and other stakeholders to invest in the new Metro or light passenger train extension along the mothballed Leamside Line. Once the Leamside Line was opened commuters would use this low carbon footprint transport system to get to work or to go shopping etc, therefore removing many thousands of cars from the roads, reducing the carbon emissions and road congestion. I would urge Durham County Council and business to look at maybe charging employees a parking fee in corporate car parking areas to discourage car use or car sharing, so employees could use public transport, therefore improving pollution levels in urban areas. I have looked at Newcastle City Council using a fleet of electric powered buses, Durham County Council must be urged to look into subsidies to roll this sort of project out. I would whole heartedly support a Car Free Day once a month, make it an event.

As a Belmont Parish Councillor, I have worked with the Highways Department to look at reducing speed limits in various locations in the Belmont Parish and on the A690 Gilesgate roundabout approach. I have to say it is very difficult and frustrating to get Highways to implement speed reductions due to national legislation restrictions in place. I would like to see road traffic calming measures put in place if my efforts were denied by Highways department in trying to get a speed reduction implemented. Moreover, the road is seemingly wide enough for cycle lanes to be introduced. Its something I would look at if elected.

As a Belmont Parish Councillor and member of the Parish Planning Committee, I attended the Banks developer presentation regarding the Bent House Lane development of 400 + houses. We did discuss footpaths and cycle paths, as well as the planting of thousands of trees, and the creation of pond areas. I personally asked them not to destroy the hedges that provide a habitat for wild life. The Banks group were actually very pleased to talk about the issues we raised and assured us that the points would be looked at be a part of their planning. I would be pleased to prioritise safe cycling routes in this area, as there will be a huge increase of road traffic from the new housing development and also the new Damson Way relief road opposite the new estate. In addition, there will be more road traffic from the new McDonalds 24 hour restaurant and Coffee retail unit just down the road from the housing development.