Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

 

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

 

·             To update Members on the progress of the Active Travel Enablers projects supported under the DfI Green and Blue Infrastructure Fund that includes covered cycle stands, cycle repair kits and secured cycle parking provision

·              

·             To note the ongoing engagement with the Department for Infrastructure on future funding for active travel projects

 

2.0       Recommendations

 

The Members of the Committee are asked to:

 

·             Approve the proposed covered cycle stand locations and repair kits as outlined within this report to enable delivery within the timeframes of the Letter of Offer;

 

·             Approve the recommendation to provide funding to deliver secure cycle stands as identified within this paper

 

·             Approve the further development and submission of further funding bids to support the delivery of additional secure cycle provision. 

 

3.0       Main report

 

3.1       Background

 

As previously reported to Members, on 2nd February 2022 Council received a Letter of Offer from DfI for capital funding to support Active Travel Enabling Projects in line with the Business Case submitted to the Department. The Letter of Offer for £207,500 of capital funding includes covered cycle parking, secure cycle parking and cycle repair stands.  Originally DfI required spend by the end of March, however, Council Officers secured agreement from DfI that the funding could be drawn down prior to 31 March and spend to be completed by 30 September 2022. These Active Travel Enablers are aligned to the Bolder Vision as early interventions to bring forward improvements in the active travel provision and infrastructure across the city, utilising our own assets and expanding the capacity of key delivery partners to promote and install enabling infrastructure to increase active travel provision and to address the dominance of car-based infrastructure and usage across the city.

 

3.2       Covered Cycle Stands

 

Committee had previously agreed the allocation of £100k from the Covid-19 Revitalisation Programme for the provision of covered cycle stands. Sustrans was appointed by the Council to identify appropriate locations for cycle parking across the city, identifying key attractors and locations aligned with the DfI Belfast Cycle Network. Based on their developed criteria and type of cycle stands, locations were identified and approved for installation as a first phase within this programme. Following a competitive procurement competition, Council appointed Externiture to produce ten covered cycle stands. These units are currently under production and will be installed later this summer in the following locations as agreed by this Committee in September 2021:

 

·             Gasworks

·             St George’s Market

·             Grosvenor Community Centre

·             Shankill Leisure Centre

·             Belmont Park

·             Inverary Community Centre

·             Belfast Zoo

·             Waterworks

·             Belvoir Activity Centre

·             Mark Peters Track

 

3.3       Members received an update on the DfI funding for the Active Travel Enabling Projects in March 2022 that outlined the projects, budget and timeframe for delivery by 30th September 2022.  In terms of the covered cycle stands, Officers drew upon priority locations areas as identified by Sustrans, and these locations were also assessed in terms of the deliverability within the timeframe as well as the key criteria aligned to cycle infrastructure provision. On approval of the locations Officers (via the City Regeneration & Physical Programmes teams) will commence the procurement process.

 

3.4       Based on identified priority recommendations from the Sustrans report and additional applied criteria such as need and demand and timeframe for expenditure, we are seeking approval for the following locations for the next phase of delivery.  In terms of deliverability within the expenditure timeframe there has been a focus on utilising Council owned sites where possible.  Reflecting on experience from the first phase and delays for implementing the stands in certain locations, we suggest that Members approve additional locations as a fall-back position in case some of the first set locations become difficult to implement. Additionally, it is proposed that there are five repair kits to go alongside some of the covered cycle units and Officers are seeking flexibility in terms of the location of these due to the need to engage with 3rd party landowners and ensure a spread across the city. If there is additional DfI funding this year, further repair kits could form part of an overall request for funding.

 

Proposed locations for approval (including backup locations)
Avoniel Leisure Centre	Ligoneil/Wolfhill Centre
Botanic Gardens	Brook Leisure Centre
New Park Colin	Cherryvale Park
Lisnasharragh Leisure Centre	Crumlin Road Gaol
Ormeau Park	Templemore
Andersonstown Leisure Centre	Writer’s Square
Belfast Castle	Connswater Community Greenway
Linen Quarter	Shaftesbury Centre
Four Corners	Musgrave Park
Sailortown	Grove Leisure Centre

 

3.5         Depending on the outcome of the procurement exercise it is envisaged that this funding will provide between 13 & 16 covered cycle stands at the locations identified above with Officers working across the list as above in terms of deliverability and funding within the time period of September 2022 in accordance with the Letter of Offer.

 

 

Secure Cycle Parking Provision

 

3.6         As part of theDfI funding to support the Active Travel Enabling Projects the CG&R Committee approved an Expression of Interest for the provision of secure cycle parking within the city centre. The provision of funding of up to £20k capital funding for secure cycle infrastructure provision was proposed to bring forward publicly accessible, secure cycle parking that would be installed and operated by a competent supplier that could deliver the units within the funding period of September 2022.

 

3.7         The Expression of Interest (EoI), which closed on 16 May 2022 was brought forward to test the market and identify suitable delivery partners for this project, potential locations, and interest in the concept. In addition to utilising the Councils normal advertising channels Officers also engaged directly with delivery partners including the BIDs, the Chamber, Translink and Multi-Story Car Park Operators to promote the scheme throughout the EoI period, targeting operators that can utilise and repurpose existing physical assets and provide strategically located, publicly accessible, and maintained and operated locations that could deliver out additional secure cycle parking as pilot projects for this type of provision

             

3.8         Delivery partners were assessed by a panel of Council Officers based on the criteria as established within the EoI and as previously agreed by this Committee. These criteria included the proposed location in relation to key trip attractors, as well as their operating model and ability to adequately deliver a publicly accessible model within the timeframe. In total four applicants responded to the EOI with details and recommendations within the summary table below;

 

Applicant	Location	Recommendation	Reason
Savilles	Murrays Exchange	Not recommended	Proposal to provide employee bike parking within a building frontage within the Murrays Exchange. Not publicly accessible and for employee use only
Castlecourt	Castlecourt	Recommended	Meets the agreed scheme criteria. Located within the Castlecourt Car Park to provide 24 secure cycle stands beside the security office with lighting & CCTV coverage and included within an established facility management system. Accessible from Berry St and Gresham St during normal car parking hours with overnight parking available.
Linen Qtr Bid	Linenhall Street	Not recommended	Proposal to place a secure cycle cage onto existing on-street parking bays within the Linenhall area. Accessible via a keyfob issued on a first come first served basis and proposed to include within the BID area cleansing team and StreetBeat Officer patrols. Delivery not achievable within the delivery timeframe given landowner consent & statutory approval requirements
Victoria Sq Q Park	Victoria Sq	Recommended	Meets the scheme criteria. Proposed to deliver in conjunction with Spokesafe as a pilot project in Belfast. Located within the Multi-storey car park provided a cycle hub on existing parking spaces. Provided 30-35 bike parking spaces (including e-cargo), bike repair and locker provision. Facilitated online customer booking process including PAYG, weekly and monthly booking options and incorporated within the structure’s facilities management.

 

3.0       The EoI has enabled the Council to recommend two successful applications from CastleCourt Shopping Centre and Spokesafe Ltd in partnership with Q-Park Victoria Square Shopping Centre to deliver and maintain safe and secure cycle parking provision within their existing assets, and to provide a self-sustaining operating model for the ongoing use of the facility. This model aligns with one of the emerging actions of the Bolder Vision Action Plan in terms of re-purposing existing assets to create multi-model locations at key locations across the city centre and aligned to the DfI Belfast Cycle Network. Pending approval, a Letter of Offer for £20k capital funding will be sent to the successful applicants, enabling the implementation of grant funding for the secure cycle parking to commence June 2022 and to ensure the project is completed September 2022. This Letter of Funding will stipulate the conditions of the provision of publicly accessible and secure cycle parking aligned with the terms of the submission received from the successful operators. The Letter of Offer will transfer all risk, liability and operation and maintenance to the successful applicant and will also include provision for a clawback of funding should the offer be removed at any stage during the agreed period of two years as per the Letter of Offer.

 

3.10     It should also be noted that during the EoI period Officers received direct interest from a total of twelve groups/businesses who would be interested in bringing forward secure cycle provision but who were however unable to commit to the timeframes of this Letter of Offer in terms of delivery.

 

3.11     The responses received have helped guide decision making around the next steps of this process and highlighted that there is a growing appetite in the market and the potential to support its growth by also expanding the scheme outside the existing city centre boundary, looking at different operating models and by including stakeholders such as private sector employers and the BIDs via a potential second tranche of funding from DfI. This approach would also support the growing number of Cycle to Work schemes and provide security for those using e-bikes.  The EoI has demonstrated that there is a demand for secure cycle parking (subject to appropriate delivery models and funding) and Officers feel there is an opportunity to work with stakeholders and help stimulate the market further and bring forward other options and models. As a result of this Members are asked to approve the development and submission of an additional funding request to DfI to support secure cycle infrastructure through future potential funding streams. 

 

4.0       Finance and Resource Implications

 

            The capital costs associated within this report will be covered from within the DfI Green and Blue Infrastructure Fund. 

 

5.0       Equality or Good Relations Implications/

Rural Needs Assessment

 

            Equality of opportunity and good relations, and disability duties screening is complete on the overall programme with mitigating actions agreed and implemented. The screening of the programme is currently undergoing a review and the appropriate actions will be picked up by officers.”

 

            During subsequent discussion, a number of Members stated that city centre locations for secure cycle parking should be explored and considered as a priority, as part of the Active Travel Enablers projects.

 

The Committee:

 

·        Approved the proposed covered cycle stand locations and repair kits, to enable delivery within the timeframes of the Letter of Offer;

·        Approved the recommendation to provide funding to deliver secure cycle stands;

·        Agreed that a covered cycle stand location at the Kennedy Centre, be considered as an additional proposed location; and

·        Approved the further development and submission of further funding bids to support the delivery of additional secure cycle provision.