To receive and update on the above item.

Chris Joyce informed the Forum that council had already adopted the cycling action plan and that the team were now undertaking a process to convert that into the department for transports in terms of infrastructure plans for cycling and walking which was a local cycling and walking infrastructure plan. The borough were planning, as part of that process, a big conversation and engagement, to get everyone's input into how we developed the cycling action plan into a more detailed infrastructure plan for walking and cycling. The first phase of that had been meeting and offering meetings to all ward councillors to take their views and get an understanding of the issues in their areas and proposals that they had as well as parish councils. The second phase of that would be a public consultation that was due to take place over the summer so August and September and as part of that consultation, everyone would have the opportunity to comment on the ideas that had been put forward so far in the process and have an opportunity to give their views on different forms of improvements that may help people to walk and cycle more and be able to put forward their own proposals in terms of ideas for improving walking and cycling across the borough. Following the consultation, all the feedback would be reviewed and later in the autumn, a local cycling and walking infrastructure plan would be produced. This would then need to be approved by Cabinet.

Councillor Tisi asked if the consultation was related to the options that were presented about low traffic neighbourhoods and safer streets for those people rather for just car drivers. Chris Joyce commented that they would be presenting the concepts again in the consultation to help explain them to residents and to ask them if they thought those measures were good ideas and where they might work in the borough. There would be other ideas coming forward so we would be effectively presenting all the different types of options and things bought forward to help improve walking and cycling and give people the opportunity to give their views generically on those ideas but also specifically in terms of putting forward where they thought they might work in the borough. Specific proposals that had come out from the first phase of the engagement would also be included, where ward councillors and others had put forward ideas to seek residents views and community views on whether they thought those proposals were worth developing further and taking forward.

Councillor Cannon asked about one of the big disincentives to cycling in the borough which was the safety issue of the bikes, was any schemes being considered to provide some sort of cycle storage in the towns which would allow people to bring their bikes in and leave them secure or safe? Chris Joyce responded that cycle parking would be one of the measures that would be consulting on as part of that consultation. People would have the opportunity to suggest locations where we need better cycle parking and also the opportunity to bring forward as part of the infrastructure plan there would be a need for plans for where to enhance cycle parking and where to putt secure cycle parking. Councillor Cannon asked about a facility where you could actually put your bike into. Chris Joyce commented that this could be considered.

Councillor Price wanted to make sure an emphasis on walking was included, including identifying the alleyways, whether they were safe and whether they were lit at night, whether there are trip hazards and dropped curbs so that people who weren't 100 physically fit could actually get out and walk because they could use their wheelchairs or that parents could use the buggies.

Ed Wilson, resident, asked two quick questions. Firstly Mr Wilson asked about some suggestions that he had sent to both Chris Joyce and Councillor Gerry Clark about securing cycles. Mr Wilson asked for a response. Secondly a consultation the year before which was a disaster had been improved on and Mr Wilson asked what reassurance was being given that the consultation would be much better organised and would genuinely take account of resident views on walking and cycling.

The Chairman commented that Chris Joyce and his team were working on it to make sure it's was done as well as possible.

Councillor Davies commented that during the first phase, quite a lot of alleyways were identified that connected from one ward to another and that gave continuity across the boundaries. So it was really important to encourage all residents to participate.

Councillor Sharpe commented that there seemed to be a problem with the issue between parking cars on the side of the road and allowing people to be able to walk up pavements where people were having to park on the pavement, so the roads were usable for the motorists and if space was going to be made for people to use the pavements, the cars would be needed to be taken off the pavement and put them on the road and then that would make the roads less accessible.

Councillor Bateson sked about narrow roads and the fact that there wasn't a footpath on either side and lots of twists and bends. This also needed to be looked into.

Councillor Davey commented that a new law was I the process of being adopted about not parking on pavements. There was also the situation where hedges were overgrown so residents were having difficulty walking on pavements. There was currently an issue with the contractors, Tivoli which was also being discussed. There were lots of things that the council needed to make better but also lots of things that as residents and private citizens, needed to be thought about.

Councillor Knowles commented on the quality of the road surfaces and gave an example that if you were riding a bike on a standard road around the borough, it was like riding on a mountain bike across the middle of Windsor Great Park. The state of the surfaces were because of the various resurfacing measures which ended up quite uneven towards the actual curbside and this made it really difficult when riding a bike, particularly for younger people. As it has been said before, this needed to be a big strategic worldwide plan going forward. Councillor Knowles asked how could people be discouraged from making car journeys if there were no better options.

Councillor Davis asked if Chris Joyce could explain what the process would be after the consultation period ended and what would happen with all the data and ideas and how they would be prioritised. Chris Joyce explained that would depend on the volume of responses and these could be considered, developed and reviewed as they were coming in and the feasibility could be tested. All the ideas would then be collated and then there would be a prioritisation process to prepare a final draft and then a final version of the local cycling and walking infrastructure plan. The team would then re-engage with the councillors through the Infrastructure Overview and Scrutiny Panel and then the draft plan would be considered and approved by Cabinet.

Susy Shearer commented that this was a moment to thank many individuals. Firstly, the Chairman of the Panel chairman for enabling this item on the agenda, then David Scott for his comments, input and for all his support on a whole range of relevant matters to do with transport and infrastructure and to Chris Joyce for attending the meeting to update residents and answer questions. And finally, to the members of the Local Access Forum and the Windsor Town Forum who had been engaged in the process so far. It had been really valuable to have all the comments from the residents. The Chairman thanked Susy Shearer for all her work with the council.