Agenda item

The Cabinet Member for Environment & Infrastructure, assisted by officers from Highways & Transportation, presented an overview of the statutory requirements of the Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013 and the various strands of work that make up Swansea Council’s active travel delivery programme.

Officers detailed the term ‘Active Travel’, how active travel schemes are identified, funded and developed, and how the Council monitors the uptake and impact of active travel in Swansea. The Committee was referred to Active Travel Network Maps (ATNM) that Councils are required to produce. Most recently, these Maps were developed in Swansea throughout 2021 with various consultation and engagement carried out in the process, and Swansea’s ATNM was approved in August 2022. ATNMs are to be revisited every 3 years.

Committee questioning and discussion focussed on the following:

·       Consultation & Engagement (the modifications to the consultation undertaken in 2021 compared to the consultation in 2017. Challenges associated with dealing with conflicting opinions/views during consultation were discussed).

·       Safety (the process and remedial action currently in place for monitoring accidents / incidents relating to Active Travel routes).

·       Community Benefits (the various locations benefitting from seating, placemaking and greenery were detailed).

·       Core Allocation Funding for Minor Works (the purpose of this funding was explained and how it could be used).

·       Tourism and Recreation (whilst there is a need to ensure connectivity between Active Travel and Tourism and Recreation, there were stringent parameters to be adhered too when applying for Active Travel funding – as recreation / leisure is secondary to the main objective of routes being used for purposeful journeys to a destination such as work, school or the shops, shifting away from car use)

·       Maintenance of Routes and Infrastructure (no specific funding was available for maintenance, though Welsh Government is continually lobbied on this point.  Any costs are to be met from existing revenue budgets within Highways & Transportation).

·       Active Travel Objectives (challenges associated with changing behavioural habits in terms of travel preferences - displacing car journeys with walking and cycling - and the evidence of success, and that active travel routes were being used in a variety of ways).

·       Monitoring & Evaluation (processes and emerging trends were detailed.  Officers confirmed that any available statistics about usage could be provided to the Committee).

·       Future Plans (Plan were detailed in Swansea’s ATNM and the Council was able to submit bids each year to Welsh Government for Schemes ready to be taken forward. Outcome would be reported to Cabinet usually around June / July for approval to proceed with expenditure on associated projects and add to the capital programme).

The Chair thanked the Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure and Officers for the information provided and response to questions.

Resolved that the Chair write to the Cabinet Member for Environment & Infrastructure reflecting the views of the Committee.