Contact: Patrick Hughes, tel 02380 285355 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report summarises the comments received to the consultation document `New Forest District Strategic Cycle Routes' undertaken in summer 2003 and sets out the working group's responses to them. Having regard to that response, the report also recommends changes to the proposals.

2. Consultation Exercise

2.1 On 28 October 2003 the former Panel received an interim report on the consultation exercise undertaken in summer 2003. Comments were being invited on a proposed network of strategic cycle routes linking settlements within the New Forest District, both with each other and with the Forest itself.

2.2 The proposals were devised by a working group comprising officers from:

Hampshire County Council;

New Forest District Council;

Forestry Commission;

English Nature;

together with representatives of the Verderers, CTC the national cyclists' organisation and cycling charity Sustrans. It is envisaged that the proposals would be implemented over a number of years using funds from the Hampshire Local Transport Plan, Sustrans (for the National Cycle Network) and other sources.

2.3 The consultation document, approved by the former Area Panel in March 2003, was sent to all county and district councillors within the district, to parish and town councils, neighbouring local authorities, other statutory bodies, transport operators and organisations representing cyclists, walkers, other road users, business, social, environmental and community interests. Copies were also made available at the New Forest Show.

3. Representations

3.1 Representations were received from 48 organisations and 40 individuals. The key points are listed in two schedules - those comments relating to general issues (Appendix 1) and those concerning specific locations or routes (Appendix 2). They have been considered by officers of the two Councils and by the working group.

4. Comment on the Representations

4.1 In each of the two schedules, the right-hand column lists the views of the working group on the issues raised.

4.2 Many of the representations express support for the proposals, or draw attention to problems which the proposed network should help to resolve. A number of other issues also have an impact and are discussed below.

5. General Issues

Safety of Cyclists on On-road Routes

5.1 A number of routes inevitably raise safety issues. Routes which have not already been the subject of a safety audit under established procedure will remain conditional upon the outcome of the audit. However the proposals are put forward in the expectation that they will meet requirements.

Impacts on Landscape and Wildlife

5.2 Similarly a number of routes affecting the New Forest Site of Special Scientific Interest, Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area and Ramsar Site are likely to need to undergo `appropriate assessment' under the Conservation (Natural Habitats etc) Regulations 1994 (`The Habitats Regulations'). Again, adoption of these proposals must be subject to audit, but they are put forward in the expectation that they will satisfy the assessment criteria.

5.3 The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and the Verderers of the New Forest have both argued for a strategic approach to the provision of cycle routes. The working group believes that it is putting forward a comprehensive package of proposals with both limited impacts on the environment and the prospect of environmental benefits through substitution of cycle journeys for some of those currently made by car. In this way, the proposals not only answer the call for a strategic approach but also are judged likely to achieve favourable assessment under the Habitats Regulations. Progress will also need to be made on complementary measures to discourage car use as set out in the New Forest Transport Strategy.

Impact on Horse-keeping and Riding, and of the Use of Bridleways Leading onto the Open Forest

5.4 Some concern has been expressed at the effects of increased cycling activity both on bridleways already heavily used by horse riders, and on those parts of the Forest where bridleways give directly onto lawns and may tempt cyclists to stray onto such areas despite the bylaws prohibiting them. This concern has been aroused by the inclusion on the consultation document, for information, of the great majority of existing bridleways. The working group appreciates that there is legally no bar to the use of bridleways by cyclists, and indeed the current proposals make use of them in places (notably on the National Cycle Network route through Roydon Woods). However the group has no intention of indiscriminately promoting their greater use for cycling, and a review of current levels of such use and any problems arising would seem to be appropriate.

Adequacy of Cycle Parking and Cycle Carriage on Public Transport

5.5 The adoption of a strategic network should give support to efforts already being made in these areas of concern.

6. Route-specific Issues

6.1 Some of these are specific examples of the problems identified as `general issues':

(i) safety concerns in crossing of major roads (Routes I, K, L, X);

(ii) safety concerns in use of busy roads (Routes B, Q, S, W);

(iii) impacts on landscape and/or wildlife (Routes B, E, R);

(iv) access to the Reptiliary at Holidays Hill (Route O); and

(v) unsuitability of Castle Hill Lane, Burley (Route X).

6.2 All are detailed in Appendix 2. It will be noted in relation to the first two points above that safety audits are expected to be carried out, especially on Routes B, F, Q, S, W, X and AA and the suggested additional route Lymington to Beaulieu. The remaining issues are dealt with fully in the Annex.

7. Further Consultation

7.1 Among the initial consultations the proposals were considered by the New Forest Consultative Panel in September last year. The Panel did not then give a formal view on the proposals but, in the interest of achieving some consensus over them if possible, the findings of this report were considered at its meeting on 4 March 2004. Any views emerging from that meeting will be reported orally. The Panel was broadly supportive of the proposals.

8. Conclusions

8.1 There has been a high degree of support for the New Forest District Strategic Cycle Routes document which will help to guide future strategy in the Forest. In summary, the following are the changes now recommended to the consultation proposals (other than minor corrections):

(i) Route R (Brockenhurst to eastern Forest) (National Cycle Network): remove detour across open forest at Beaulieu Road Station and keep route on-road with appropriate safety measures;

(ii) Route X (New Milton to Ringwood): re-route away from B3058 at Wootton to follow C11 and forest track to A35 at Holmsley;

(iii) Route X re-route away from Castle Hill Lane, Burley to Forest Road with appropriate safety measures;

(iv) add a new on-road route Lymington to Beaulieu via Bucklers Hard, largely following the Solent Way; and

(v) in addition, the following route sections described in the consultation document as `on-road' are to be clearly identified as likely to require new cycle track adjacent to the road:

Route B, Ashurst to Lyndhurst (about 3 kilometres);

Route L, short section at A337 crossing 2 kilometres north of Lyndhurst (about 200 metres);

Route O, beside A35 south-west of junction with U145 (about 500 metres);

Route Q, Lyndhurst to Brockenhurst (about 5 kilometres);

Route W, possible short sections in Hordle;

Route X, short section at A35 crossing (about 50 metres).

Recommendations

1. That the Panel:

(i) notes the results of the consultation and the comments made on the representations received;

(ii) agrees the changes to the proposed network recommended at paragraph 8.1 above;

(iii) commends the revised proposals to the County Council for incorporation into the 2006-11 Local Transport Plan;

(iv) commends the revised proposals to the New Forest District Council for incorporation into its planning policy framework at the next opportunity; and

(v) requests the County Council to review, with the Forestry Commission and Verderers, the need for management and control of cycling on the open Forest, on bridleways within the New Forest District, and in particular those bridleways which give access to the open Forest.

2. That the Executive Member for Spatial Strategy be informed that this Panel agrees the changes to the New Forest District Strategic Cycle Routes document for the New Forest.

8639/SB