CTC Scotland A part of the UK's National Cyclists' Organisation AGM January 2005

Almost all of the business was the formal stuff of approving minutes of the previous meeting, and the acceptance of reports. What may interest members is the list of who represents them on the Committee and who has been selected from the Committee to liaise with external organisations.

CTC Scotland – Report to AGM Jan 2005

CTC Scotland is the umbrella body representing and campaigning for CTC members in Scotland.

Representation

CTC Members are represented on the CTC Scotland Committee by representatives elected from DAs and Affiliated Clubs.

Liaison

CTCS is represented, formally or informally on many organisations which may be directly concerned with cycling e.g. Cycling Scotland or indirectly e.g. TRANSform Scotland. CTCS is consulted or makes comments on a wide range of topics varying from Access to Planning and Road Safety matters.

National Access Forum (off-road) - RtR
On-road issues - RtR
Paths for All
Right to Ride Co-ordinator
Cycling Scotland
Scottish Sports Association
TRANSform Scotland
Cross-Party Cycling Group
SYHA
RailFuture Cycle Group
Forthright Alliance
Local Access Forums
Local Cycle Campaign Groups

Meetings

Three Committee Meetings were held during the year (in Stirling, Glasgow and Edinburgh) plus one Special General Meeting to discuss and approve minor amendments to the Constitution. Among matters discussed or dealt with have been the CTC UK AGM held in Edinburgh in April 2004, some organisational problems concerned with the running of the KM Rally, plans for the Birthday Rides to be in Dumfries in 2006, the responsibilities of runs leaders, the National Access Forum, and inevitably finance – in that expenditure will exceed income this year.

Training

Try Cycling

Events

This year CTCS was involved in

• KM and Grampian Rallies
• DATC events
• Pedal for Scotland
• National Bike week
• the MSP’s Bike-to-Work

Consultation & Campaigning

CTCS has contributed to

• Local Access Forums
• Helmets Law campaign
• Paths for All
• SNH
• Forest Enterprise
• The Forthright Alliance
• Local Cycle Forums
• Road Developments
  

In many ways CTCS has been very active in promoting and defending cyclists’ rights.

Notes on other linked organisations

SSA

I was able to attend only the first half-hour of the AGM as it started 30 minutes late.

TRANSform Scotland

Has been very active recently. It continues to oppose the M74 extension. It has resurrected the Forthright Alliance to oppose the building of a new Forth Road Bridge at this time as a panacea for Fife’s economic problems and road bridge congestion. It is currently campaigning for Edinburgh’s Transport preferred strategy (a ‘Yes’ campaign), and for development of various rail projects. It worked with Living Streets in a Street Audit recently. Funding is now about to be received to assist with staff salaries.

RailFuture

A small group of members considers rail problems related to cycle provision, and of course a large number are concerned with TOCs which are cutting down of cycle carriage especially in the South. We in Scotland have a long-term concern with carriage of tourist cycles on infrequent trains. We contributed to the consultation on Cycle Policy of the SRA. CTC is now benefiting from the work being done by Dave Holladay for cyclists using public transport.

SYHA

(Verbal report given at the meeting)

RtR/ Paths for All/National Access Forum

The year was dominated again by the process of getting Scotland’s enviable new Access legislation into place. Despite the enacting of the Bill in February, various processes have delayed its enforcement date. At time of writing, the “Vesting Day” has still not been confirmed, though it is widely believed to be next month.

The hold-ups were due largely to not being able to finalise the all-important Scottish Outdoor Access Code and the Guidelines to Councils until the Act was passed. These required long consultation and gestation periods in their own right. CTC was the only cycling interest which consistently contributed to all these stages on behalf of cycling.

But, we are now at the climactic stage. Vesting Day will be mainly an official event. The celebrations are scheduled for a Spring Outdoor Access Festival on March 18-28. Sustrans is spearheading a na-tional event, which CTC and others will join, in the Central Belt. We hope that there will be local ones, but, since it is essential that proprietors be also involved and that we engender a spirit of cooperation, it is a daunting task to get them organised. I have to lament here the apparent lack of our own members who are enthusiastic about the whole process.

Apart from the brilliant right itself, which I will not elaborate on here, the two main processes that demand our attention are Access Forums and Core Path Networks. CTC secured the main representation for cycling on the National Access Forum, and is coordinating six other “corresponding” members. That coordination has lead to a potentially profitable liaison. Immediately, we decided to pursue the installation of a Cycling Access Officer and approached SNH for funding, the result of which is still awaited.

It is expected that Councils will invite specifically cycling representatives on to Local Access Forums, although they don’t have to. Clearly, CTC is best qualified to fulfil that representation; local members should be getting themselves invited!

Cycling being a minority interest, it is essential to see that Core Path Networks provide adequately for it. Local members should also be getting themselves involved in this process. For myself, I have com-piled a candidate route map for the whole of my Council area and presented it to them. There are sub-stantial impediments that must be addressed, busy roads presenting the worst and probably needing the most expenditure. It will be more than three years before we see substantial results.

Apropos of busy roads, in my local campaigning I have been addressing the opportunities for trunk road proposals to contribute to the implementation of the Act by incorporating visionary facilities to complete fine routes, and have taken this concept to higher circles.

Regretfully, I have never felt that Paths for All, of which CTC is a founder partner, despite prodding, achieved much for cycling in its initial phase of inspiring proposers of projects, including getting them to provide adequately for minority users. This phase, since the passing of the Act, is now superseded by an emphasis in its training, information gathering and practical guidance roles. Sustrans and, expectedly, CyclingScotland are now partners.

Once more, I am delighted to acknowledge that our representation would not have anywhere near as good without the help of RTR member, Diane Adams, previously of Dundee, but now studying planning in Edinburgh.

John Taylor

Cycling Scotland

There are 2 CTC memberships – UK and Scotland. The first AGM was held in October 2004. Full Annual Report is attached.

CTC UK

CTC & the Regions
The central organisation is changing. There will be two strands to the management and governance of CTC – one is to look at what we do well at present and look at ways of maintaining and improving these things. The other will look forward to investigate and promote new ventures.
Membership is not increasing, finances are stretched. Human resources (both paid staff and volunteers) are limited. DAs and regional groups cannot rely on hand-outs from HQ.

Summary Report of January Committee Meeting will be posted here shortly.