It’s been very quiet on the LCWIP front since we last posted an update in August last year. Finally, we have some movement from the County and District Council who are spearheading this initiative. This in the form of an invitation to provide community feedback on the next stage of their draft proposals. We’ve detailed below the full information release. The BSDFA as a ‘local stakeholder’ will be joining the planned ‘interactive workshop’ later this month. If you are interested in joining the workshop details are included in the information release. Otherwise, if you have any thoughts that you would like us to share on your behalf then please let us have them.
The following information is from the East Herts LCWIP project team.
As a local stakeholder in the East Herts community, we would value your feedback on the next stage of our draft proposals to make walking and cycling safer for everyone in our local area. Please join us for this interactive workshop at 16:00 on Wednesday 26 February when we will be presenting the draft Infrastructure Plans for the East Herts LCWIP (Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan).
This workshop will include a one hour presentation on the draft Infrastructure Plans across the district and guidance on how to use the online platform to submit feedback, followed by an optional one hour Q&A and workshop session in which you are welcome to start submitting feedback and/or ask questions directly with the project team.
Following this workshop, you will have two weeks to review the draft Infrastructure Plans and provide your feedback through our online platform. The feedback you submit will be used to inform the finalisation of the plans before they are published as part of a much wider public consultation of the whole draft LCWIP document later in 2025.
What is an LCWIP? An LCWIP is a plan that will identify important local routes for people walking, cycling or using a wheelchair. Once these important routes are identified, the latest guidance is used to suggest ways to improve them and make them safer. LCWIPs aim to give communities more options for how they travel, so that you and your families can go to work, school, go shopping or carry out other everyday journeys on foot or by bike and feel safe.
In the summer of 2024 we held a public engagement period, where residents, members and stakeholders of East Herts were asked to give feedback and suggestions to our draft walking and cycling maps. Just under 1,300 comments were made and a full review of feedback on the network plans then fed into the development of the next stage. This is where the proposed routes were then assessed and scored, with those likely to bring the most benefits in allowing people to access key services and facilities being prioritised for auditing.
After the prioritised walking and cycling routes were audited, both by foot and by bike, we then identified the key issues currently faced in these areas and have looked at ways to improve them.
What kind of infrastructure will we be proposing?
Infrastructure improvements to improve walking and cycling could include (but not be limited to) measures such as:
· New or improved cycleways so people cycling are better protected from vehicles;
· New pedestrian crossings and/or cycle crossings;
· Changes to junctions such as roundabouts or crossroads;
· Footway improvements such as wider footways, better surfaces or tactile paving;
· ‘Traffic calming’ to help slow vehicles.
All of the suggested improvements will be very high-level at this stage.The LCWIP itself does not include any drawings or designs, but does suggest mechanisms that could be utilised to improve conditions for walkers, cyclists and wheelers. Proposed schemes will need to go through further analysis and public engagement (where appropriate) in the future before they are implemented.
We do hope that you will be able to join us for this key event to help shape walking and cycling improvements in the district.
You can find out more about the East Herts LCWIP on the project website:
http://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/EastHertsLCWIP
Joining Instructions
The Workshop is being held on Microsoft Teams. On the day, please use the link below or use the Meeting ID and Passcode.
Microsoft Teams Need help?
Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 388 324 917 936
Passcode: Zk6DM77U
