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New Forest National Park Authority member responds to concerns over spending of £3.75m DfT cash

District councillor broadly supportive of points raised by local campaigner - but seems in minority on authority

A member of New Forest District Council who also sits on the New Forest National Park Authority (NFNPA) has replied to an open letter to the Department for Transport (DfT) from a local cycle campaigner that was published on road.cc earlier this week. The reply is broadly supportive of the cylist’s concerns, and it’s pretty clear the NFNPA member who wrote it is expressing his own views and not those of the authority.

The campaigner, Twitter user @ForestCyclist, wrote his letter to transport ministers “as a last resort,” saying it had been “prompted by a comprehensive refusal by the NFNPA to engage in any meaningful and constructive way with the wider cycling community” over its plans for spending £3.75 million awarded to it by the DfT in August last year.

The letter, which you can read in full here, details how a planned cycle hire scheme had been shelved despite £84,000 already being spent on a feasibility study and procurement exercise. It also queried whether the NFNPA’s ‘Plan B,’ which among other things will see the DfT cash used for highway maintenance projects, was legitimate use of the money.

In his response, David Harrison, Liberal Democrat councillor for the Totton South ward of the Conservative-controlled council, expresses “deep regret” about the decision not to go ahead with the bike hire scheme, one that “has sent out entirely the wrong message, adding to a public perception that the New Forest is an unfriendly place for cyclists.”

He acknowledges that some of the projects money will be spent on under ‘Plan B’ will be of less benefit to cyclists than others, but says “it needs to be recognised that it is now very hard for officers to identify and progress projects that can be delivered in a timescale of months” due to issues such as planning, consultation and land acquisition.

On the issue of planned expenditure on those projects that appear to be more maintenance-related, the councillor notes that “re-surfacing roads and even existing cycle routes is something that the local highway authority, Hampshire County Council, should be doing as part of its responsibility and using highways budgets.”

Councillor Harrison concludes by observing that “any money that isn't used will go back to central government and I certainly hope will be used on cycling projects elsewhere.”

His reply is reproduced in full below. We have not yet received a reply to @ForestCyclist’s open letter from the NFNPA itself.

Thank you for your open letter about the failure of the New Forest National Park Authority to implement the rural bike hire scheme and for your thoughts on the “Plan B” proposals for spending the money elsewhere in the New Forest area.

I deeply regret the decision of my colleagues to abandon the rural bike hire scheme. It has wasted a great deal of officer time and £84,000 of public money. It has sent out entirely the wrong message, adding to a public perception that the New Forest is an unfriendly place for cyclists. It has passed up an opportunity, to show that such an innovative scheme can be made to work. It has also stifled potentially successful business opportunities and prevented visitors and local people from easily accessing and enjoying the recreational benefits of cycling in a beautiful National Park.

I think it is for other members, the ones one decided to abandon the project at the eleventh hour, to set out their reasons for doing so. Certainly, I have not yet heard a strong and convincing argument for taking the action they did.

As to the Plan B proposals, it needs to be recognised that it is now very hard for officers to identify and progress projects that can be delivered in a timescale of months. It takes several years for significant infrastructure improvements to be made, including all the consultations, planning permissions, acquiring the necessary land, drawing up legal agreements etc. In practice then, the only projects that can be progressed within such short timescales are “shovel-ready” ones, where all such work has been done.

I am very hopeful that at least some of the money now made available will go towards creating an off-road tarmac cycle and footpath linking my home town of Totton to Marchwood and that this will later link up with other safer ways of cycling out into the New Forest from the nearby urban areas. This is a good use of public money it will benefit cyclists and is consistent with the aims and objectives of the Park Authority.

Other proposed uses of the money will have a lesser benefit. For example, improving facilities for cyclists outside the New Forest Park boundaries (Moors Valley Country Park), will be a positive thing and will help ease some of the pressures in the more environmentally sensitive parts of the New Forest, but it is not exactly what the money was originally intended to do.

I can also see that there are concerns about other proposed projects which look very much like maintenance items. Re-surfacing roads and even existing cycle routes is something that the local highway authority, Hampshire County Council, should be doing as part of its responsibility and using highways budgets. It might be that Park Authority officers can convince the Department of Transport that the proposals amount to rather more than that and therefore qualify. It will be interesting to see which projects are accepted and which not. Any money that isn't used will go back to central government and I certainly hope will be used on cycling projects elsewhere,

Yours Sincerely

Councillor David Harrison
New Forest National Park Authority.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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12 comments

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jollygoodvelo | 9 years ago
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Good to see a politician engaging with the electorate. While not a resident I do know the NF area very well, it's a beautiful place that is perfect for cycling and the constant stream of NIMBY-generated bad press for the area saddens me.

I am concerned that the renegade member thinks that he can step out of the frame and level blame at all the rest of his colleagues - a committee must stand by all of its decisions. If you're not happy with a decision or the reasons for it then it must be challenged at the time, not later when someone outside starts pointing out the issues.

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29erKeith | 9 years ago
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I just had a quick look and found I did have access to the account I sent the email from, and found them, I emailed you (01/08/2013) and you did respond promptly and I take it back you did take some very limited action. You cc’d a council employee who has seemly completely ignored you and I.

The facts are, nothing has changed the problem is still there. I've personally never seen a parking warden there before or since, nor any ticketed vehicles.

I've tried asking people politely to move their cars and park them elsewhere and have been either walked away from or verbally abused in front of my young son in his buggy. One of which astoundingly was from a lady who seems to run a child minding service along that route who frequently has parents blocking the route completely. Another motorist told me I should simply find another route to cycle on, she simply wasn't going to move her car or stop parking there.

No I didn't follow it up with you again as I’d already tried with all the relevant authorities, yourself and one other Totton councillor and frankly I gave up. You and everybody else made it absolutely clear that nothing was going to happen and no matter who I spoke to or contacted it was always going to be somebody else’s problem.

Create all the cycle routes you like, if they are just blocked and treated like overflow parking for the lazy, what’s the point of any of them, bar a pointless box ticking exercise for the council\councillor.

Anyway, here are links to a pdf with both emails, and a number or example photos that I sent you at the time.

Regards
Keith

Emails:
http://tinyurl.com/np72emt
Photos:
http://tinyurl.com/mz8a6k6
http://tinyurl.com/n4asyvp
http://tinyurl.com/lx4984c
http://tinyurl.com/kv4s2y4
http://tinyurl.com/kgpuzgt
http://tinyurl.com/lsyjtpv
http://tinyurl.com/qdbesge

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29erKeith | 9 years ago
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Councillor Harrison, I am local and I have contacted you about persistent parking along the A35 spicers hill pavement/cycle route between rushington roundabout and colbury. I admit you did respond but in your response you said there was nothing you could do and that was that basicly. No action was taken and its still parked on daily in the same places and by same cars/drivers.

I don't have access at home at the moment to post my emails and your response but I will do that tomorrow including the dozen or so photos I sent you too. I could also take some up to date photos to showing the same problems still happening today with the same cars.

I do not appreciate being called a liar!

I don't know the exact proposed route of the matchwood-totton cycle route you propose as I've simply not seen the plan. I agree its a good idea I personally probably wouldn't use it (but i know others that would) because I don't live in totton anymore nor marchwood, we live in a small village a few miles up the road from totton in the New forest and I commute by bike via that route to my job in Southampton.

So if that means I'm not local enough for you to follow up on my case then that's a real shame.

As I said I will post my email, your response and example photos for you and others tomorrow. Regards Keith

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bikebot | 9 years ago
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Welcome to the site Mr Harrison.

This is for you  41

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goggy | 9 years ago
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The bad press about New Forest people in general has meant I am in no hurry to go there with my cash (yes, we drive too).

Local residents that are NOT anti-cyclist need to speak up ... that Anne woman (parish councillor or something) who I had an email debate with last year after she stuck signs onto trees with nails complaining about cyclists killing cows still annoys me, and is what I now assume the majority of residents there feel about me quietly cycling down the road.

Lots of places to go here in the UK - New Forest is faaaar down my list, and only because of bad press.

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wknight | 9 years ago
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Why do government depts when they get money feel they have to spend it. As I understood it the money was for a scheme which no longer had the go ahead. So send the money back so it can be spent on something useful. Too often taxpayers money is wasted on projects because people have to spend it.

I live in the are and its a shame how a few people spoil an event a couple of days of the year. There are no problems at any others times so please do bring your bikes to the new forest

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portec | 9 years ago
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It has sent out entirely the wrong message, adding to a public perception that the New Forest is an unfriendly place for cyclists.

He's right about that. All these articles have given me a very bad impression of the people of New Forest and I'm not in any hurry to visit the area again. Nor would I encourage anybody else to go. It may not be an accurate impression and I'm sure there are plenty of nice, normal people in New Forest but I still have no desire to go there.

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29erKeith | 9 years ago
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Although councillor Harrison makes all the right noises he is a lone voice in a crowd of bigoted cycle haters.

Also in my own personal experience he's all talk and no action! He did absolutely nothing with the issue I approached him with, which was persistent parking blocking an off road cycle route/ pavement. it's parked on and blocked daily! Still! I'd already tried the police, local council and county council, all a waste of time.

If he gets "his" cycle route for his local communities I bet any cars blocking it would get moved ASAP

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harrisond replied to 29erKeith | 9 years ago
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Hello Keith - Saw your post and am disturbed by your allegations of no action. Tell me where you have the problem of cars parked on a cycle route and I will pick it up. As a matter of fact, I always follow up case work and I am both the County & District Councillor for Totton South & Marchwood, so I'm somewhat puzzled by what you are saying.

It won't be "my" cycle route. It will be there for everyone. It won't get blocked by cars because it is off road. If you were local, you would know that !
Councillor David Harrison

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Luminosity | 9 years ago
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I have never know a Lib Dem to do anything but fence sit and then sidle -up to the side that looks like it'll win.

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Paul M replied to Luminosity | 9 years ago
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Luminosity wrote:

I have never know a Lib Dem to do anything but fence sit and then sidle -up to the side that looks like it'll win.

On this occasion, I think you will find, if you check it out, that you are wrong.

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Luminosity replied to Paul M | 9 years ago
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Paul M wrote:

On this occasion, I think you will find, if you check it out, that you are wrong.

I would hope to be proven wrong and that there is hope. Past experience with them shows otherwise, alas.

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