New Forest abandons rural 'Boris Bike' scheme

Clearly a significant number of people who live in the New Forest do not like cyclists.
To all you sad people may I say how wonderful you all are, how lovely, and do
keep on being absolutely splendid.

This just received from the NFNPA Cycling project manager:

My colleague passed on your phone request for more details regarding the extent to which the results of the community feedback survey influenced the task and finish group’s recommendation, which was supported by Members at Tuesday’s Extraordinary Authority Meeting.
Members were particularly concerned about the financial sustainability of the public bike system. They considered that the likelihood of the system receiving significant sponsorship had markedly reduced since it was originally conceived, given that similar recent schemes in Liverpool and Reading have launched without major sponsors.

The survey was one of several factors that set the context for the task and finish group’s recommendation, and members expressed concern about its mixed results, which showed a lack of strong support for the scheme amongst local residents. Additionally, the lack of support for the scheme from Lyndhurst and Brockenhurst parish council was noted by the group. It was felt that there was a real risk that suitable docking station sites would not be supported at key locations, making it difficult to set up a viable network.
We were working to a challenging delivery timetable for the project, by March 2015, and bearing this in mind Members felt there was insufficient time remaining to overcome these issues.

Draft minutes from Tuesday’s Authority meeting will soon be available on our website, the minutes will be subject to approval at the next Authority meeting on 25 September.

As regards your question about an appeals process for this decision, please see our website - http://www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/info/20015/your_views/57/comments_and_com...

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My reply:

I think we can agree the survey was a dismal failure if its objective was to correctly assess residents support or objection to the scheme. Out of a population of 34,400 you would need 380 respondents to give you 95% confidence that the result was within 5% of what the public wanted. Noting that those 380 respondents would have to be selected at random, not self-selected based on a marketing campaign.

So the survey should not have been considered in any way representative of the wishes of residents. You would have done as well to ask Facebook or Twitter for its opinion.

Which brings us to financial viability: What work was done surveying actual or potential visitors to the park, to assess their desire to use a hire scheme?

It is highly unlikely any resident would use the scheme, as they would either have their own bicycle, or car. Cycle hire schemes in major cities are predominantly used by tourists or commuters who are not able to bring their own bicycles into the city with them - such as London with its woeful train capacity for cycles. Another category of user is a city resident without the ability to store a bicycle, such as an apartment or halls of residence dweller. Very rare in the New Forest, I think you'll agree, as are commuters.

The lack of support from individual parish councils is understandable - their residents don't stand to gain, apart from those operating tourist businesses catering for people who like to cycle when on holiday. Noting that such a scheme would also take business from the existing firms operating private cycle hire such as that in burley which we have used in the past, although a public hire scheme would use a rather different category of cycle than those currently offered.

So I would like to know two things:

1. Does the NFNPA consider its survey methodology to be sound, and in keeping with its obligation to ensure "All business ... be conducted in accordance with the law and with regard to proper standards. "?

2. What work was done surveying actual or potential visitors to the park, to assess their desire to use a hire scheme?

There are serious ramifications from this decision. First of all they have reduced the chances of obtaining government grants in future. When we were awarded this grant to trial this scheme (it's first in the country) it meant another National Park lost. By not using the grant, it will be returned unless they can get alternative sustainable cycle provisions agreed and paid for before April 2015. Secondly the National backlash from cyclists is that many that holiday here with their families are now planning alternative destinations. You may not think that this is too much of a problem, but a lot of the NF is now dependant upon tourism, and the cycling fraternity is worth millions. One UKCE event last year brought £300,000 to the NF over one weekend. Other National Parks have realised this and are going out of their way to encourage cyclists, the Isle of Wight has it's own website to encourage them there. Yet here we turn free money down, and effectively put up a sign advertising that non-locals are not welcome.

Please write to the New Forest NPA and make your views heard....if they don't hear from folks they'll assume they were right...

The email address is :-

enquiries [at] newforestnpa.gov.uk

Please note that I have already down so and my letter is on my blog if you want to get an idea for writing:-

http://ezpcgoescycling.wordpress.com/2014/08/20/a-bad-decision/

EZPC

They say no to 250 bikes. Hope they enjoy 250 more cars.

Nobbers.

From the NFNPA website:

"As the Authority is financed by the public it has a statutory duty to ensure that this money is used economically, efficiently and effectively and is safeguarded and properly accounted for.

All business has to be conducted in accordance with the law and with regard to proper standards. The Authority also has to strive for continuous improvement in the way it runs its operation.

The main source of funding is a direct grant from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)."

I think using a clearly unrepresentative survey as an input to a multi-million-pound decision, and having some NPA members clearly displaying prejudicial views on the topic underconsideration breaches the NFNPA's obligation to ensure its business is 'conducted in accordance with the law and with regard to proper standards'.

So who leads the charge to get this decision reviewed? CTC?

Do we jump up and down and try to get the funding revoked instead of spent elsewhere on 'cycling'? Or will that be a bit nose/spite face?

Oh....this is priceless. What's the best childhood memory New Forest NPA chairman Oliver Crosthwaite-Eyre?

Summer days spent cycling with my brothers through the lanes in the north of the Forest.

http://www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/info/20012/our_people/79/members/3#.U_R0s...

I'm Speechless

I am from the New Forest originally and I am proud that it is a National Park. I do think however that if they are not going to act like a National Park and make the Forest easy to access and promote leisure activities, but instead act as a mouthpiece for carpetbagging nimbyism from the weekend second homers then that status should be put in jeopardy.

I think the MoT needs to put a financial shot across their bows.

139 people responded to the survey. Not sure what the population of the New Forest is but that is less than 5% of the population of Lyndhurst. The analysis doesn't bear scrutiny as they have taken averages of an ordinal rating scale and the margin of error is way above the detectable differences in opinion. Someone should take the National Park Authority to court for maladministration.

I love the New Forest. But stuff them. Take the money away and spend it somewhere else.

Really then, the New Forest NPA are nothing better than the smack head that walks round with a jerry can in their hand, giving you the bullshit story and pleading for money for petrol to get home only to go and squander it on something else.

If you look at @forestcyclist and @jimbrattley on twitter you can get more info on what happened yesterday, as they were at the meeting. They've also posted the results of the original local area vote. Apparently, at one point, one of the members of the NFNPA actually said he was voting against the scheme because he didn't cycle and didn't want to cycle. I.e. others, be damned. That's the mentality they're dealing with, here. I don't think you can say that's reasonable.

I know nothing about it but think the decision was reasonable but keeping the lolly is not.

On face value it would appear that many of the new forest residents and local organisations are a bunch of Car loving bungle cnuts.

I grew up in the New Forest, cycled nearly every day and can honestly not remember a single incident of "locals" being anything other than considerate to cyclists.

Fast forward 15 years and when I go to visit my parents and go out for a ride I can guarantee you that on every ride some low life will be shouting out of thier car, or blasting thier horn at you. Something really has changed in the area, there appears to be genuine resentment of cyclists. Hampshire county council does nothing to improve the situation, no cycle lanes to speak of, no signs warning motorists to consider cyclists, the only minority road user they ever consider are horse riders.

Don't get me started on the fact you can't mountain bike on most of the forest trails anymore due to all the "damage" mtb's do to the trails, yeah right, 500kg of horse and rider simply float across the surface...

Ask them to publicise full details of their supposed "local survey"
I live on edge of forest and not aware of any local survey.
This feels like yet another example of "un"democracy.

Not sure about this one; there are plenty of cycle hire firms catering for visitors who often want childrens ' bikes and trailers. Unfortunately said visitors often end up on busy and unsuitable roads as there is no joined up cycle route; was following a youngster on a road bike who simply jammed on the brakes and stopped when he came to a cattle grid leaving me with a car behind me having to take evasive action. Apart from Wiggle issue, forest residents in general aren't too bad. Money needs to be spent on roads and tracks.