To receive the above report.

Gordon Oliver, Principal Transport Planner, explained the Cycling Action Plan sought to encourage residents, commuters and visitors to cycle and set out the aspirations of the Council for improvements to cycling infrastructure. The plan was developed with the Cycle Forum and other stakeholders and was a robust and comprehensive document. that It acknowledged the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group recommendation to raise the provision for cycling to £10 per head per year. The Borough had received funding from the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) which would provide parking for 300 bikes at Maidenhead Station and improve the crossing between the station and town centre. Additional money had been secured from the LEP for the Maidenhead Missing Links scheme will improve cycle links to and through the town centre from North Maidenhead.

The Chairman said the Action Plan had been presented to Panel a number of times previously and asked why the Plan had been brought back again. The Principal Transport Planner stated there had been no significant changes to the plan since the last time, there were just minor tweaks and an update to the figures. Having the recommendations endorsed at Panel gave the Plan greater weight when approved at Cabinet.

The Chairman stated the Maidenhead Missing Links scheme was now included in the Plan. The Principal Transport Planner confirmed that the Missing Links Scheme connected Maidenhead Station to the bridge by Holmanleaze which would be replaced with a wider bridge.

The Principal Transport Planner stated some schemes within the Cycling Action Plan were already being implemented and the Maidenhead Station scheme was due to start the week commencing 28 January 2019 with the Missing Links scheme due to begin next financial year.

Councillor Story stated the report referred to the Windsor Great Park and asked if cyclists were restricted. The Principal Transport Officer confirmed that cyclists were restricted as it was a private park. Only certain roads could be used in the park and the Crown Estate did not like signage to be installed. The Cycle Forum had previously looked at routes between Ascot and Windsor but, they could not find a route that did not go through Crown Estate land and the Council had not received permission to implement a cycle route. The Crown Estate would not give up any land for the Council to build a cycle lane. It is in a  Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and therefore ecologically sensitive. There was a compromise when the Crown Estate allowed cyclists to use routes through the park after dark but, recently, a Bracknell resident was challenged by a ranger who said cycling through the park after dark was no longer permitted. Councillor Story said a high level meeting with the Crown Estate was needed. The Leader and Lead Member for Highways and Transport should meet with the Crown Estate to go over the issues.

Councillor Shelim stated Royal Windsor Way had a 60mph speed limit and there were cyclists on that road traveling from Windsor to Slough. He asked if there was an alternative route they could use and if there was a need to publicise it. The Principal Transport Planner said he would not recommend cycling on that road, there were alternative routes through Eton and a leisure route alongside the railway viaduct. He added the Council was looking at improving cycle wayfinding as part of the Cycling Action Plan. Councillor Shelim asked why there was a tiny stretch of cycle lane at the end of the relief road. The Principal Transport Planner confirmed it was so that cyclists could join the Thames Path. The Chairman stated there was a cycle route from the Eton Bridge to Slough.

Councillor Quick praised the amount of work done by Councillors, Officers and residents. she asked when developers contribute CIL and S106 funds, was there any way to leverage funding from them for cycling schemes. The Principal Transport Planner responded one of the challenges was the rules around contributions from developers had changed and criteria were much tighter now. The Council had received contributions in areas where it could and expected developers to build in cycle paths to their schemes and include cycling facilities.

Councillor E. Wilson said one criticism the Council received was where the strategic thinking was and the Cycling Action Plan was a good part of that. It was a good 10 year strategy to help people cycle. He wanted to see three simple diagrams on how someone could cycle from Windsor to Ascot, Windsor to Maidenhead and Maidenhead to Ascot and that would improve cycling for residents and visitors. He added Dedworth Road did not need cycle parking. That line needed to be removed from the report.

The Chairman said the Cycling Action Plan and cycle routes should be publicised in the Around the Royal Borough publication.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Highways, Transport and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Panel considered the Cabinet report and endorsed the recommendations within the report, and requested a meeting be set up between the Crown Estate, the Leader of the Council and the Lead Member for Highways and Transport to propose a cycling route between Ascot and Windsor that may include Crown Estate Land.