Update 12 02 2023
Campaigning > Cyclewight Latest Update
We hope that you are managing to keep warm and well!
As ever, we never stand (cycle) still, so here are a some items of news for
you.
We had a committee meeting this week and here are two bits of good news. It
would appear that the very bad section at Blackwater on the Cowes to
Sandown route is to be repaired. We are awaiting more detailed information.
Secondly, we have been given the go ahead from IWC for the ‘Think Bike’
signs mentioned in an earlier posting. We have been asked to seek a supplier
for the signs and a contractor to erect them.
The East Wight LCWIP has been published. Here This is excellent news and
we now hope that all of us can use it to improve the cycling and walking in
those areas. Thanks to Claire Franklin of the committee who attended the
meetings on our behalf. Where are East Cowes and Cowes LCWIPs? Please
write to your local Councillor if you live in one of these areas.
We were very disappointed to hear that IWC did not receive any grant from
Levelling Up Fund 2. The fund, among other things, was for the route out to
the West Wight. We have written to the key players, Bob Seely, the Leader
of the Council and Phil Jordan, (Cabinet Member for Roads and
Infrastructure) to ask how do we progress from here. We wrote over a week
ago and have had no contact from any party.
Active Travel England have announced a £200 million fund for walking and
cycling in 23/24. It would appear that there is only one scheme ready to be
submitted for this funding round. We are going to write to IWC to ask them to
work with us to identify 5 routes from the LCWIPs that can be worked on so
they are ready to present for the bidding process for 24/25
On the web site we have added a section on the ‘new’ Highway Code. It is
now one year on, but both the links are well worth looking at and forwarding
to friends.
We have commented on the planning application of the large solar farm off
Wilmingham Lane. The contractor's vehicles and works themselves cover
many of our favourite routes. We have asked for a reduction in speed limits
and for access for cyclists at all times.
Bikeability is what many of us knew as cycling proficiency. It has a new lease
of life with over 20 schools taking part. Alec Broome, who administers it, has
written a short piece. Please take a couple of minutes to read the attached
report.
In the last briefing we mentioned London to Paris Bike Ride - Mountbatten
Isle of Wight and now we have another based on the Randonnee. The Brain
Tumour Trust
We are continuing to plan for our 30th anniversary celebration. Do you have
any experience of doing press releases? Please contact us if you could help.
If you have any pictures of the last 30 years of CycleWight please send those
too.
By the way registration for this year’s Randonnee has been announced. Are
you already too late?
*Linked to the above news, do you have any pictures of the cycle path below
the bridge at Merstone from around 2013/14? Please send them to us