PL21 Transition Town initiative open meeting with talk on ‘Active Travel’ (eg walking/cycling) by Sustrans Regional Director

AGM of PL21 Transition Town Initiative and open meeting at 7pm at The Watermark, Ivybridge. Guest speaker James Cleeton, Regional Director South for Sustrans, the charity that makes it easier to walk and cycle, is one of the foremost speakers in the country on community engagement, street design and travel behaviour. His illustrated talk, ‘Active Travel’ will stimulate discussion and challenge current attitudes. In an era where people are becoming more health conscious as well as learning more how to care for our environment, active travel is possibly the least understood and the benefits offer so much. – Find out what communities can do to improve their streets This is in the context of Sustrans having just launched its national ‘Paths for Everyone’ strategy at the House of Commons, to review and upgrade the whole of the National Cycle Network (see https://www.sustrans.org.uk/pathsforeveryone). Current projects are helping local communities such as Ivybridge and South Brent link up. A recent meeting chaired by (Sir) Gary Streeter MP with principals of Ivybridge Community College (which with 2,500 students, is especially keen to reduce car dependency and encourage students to cycle or walk) and Dame Hannah Rogers School as well as SHDC and Ivybridge Town Council discussed the development of the ‘South Dartmoor Towns Project’ which aims to secure improved walking and cycling routes through Ivybridge including travel to work and place of study. The scope of the project includes proposed improvements to National Cycle Network Route 2 from Lee Mill to South Brent. Development of this section is moving to the next stage, with PL21 is seeking to employ Sustrans to carry out the design and community consultations. There will also be information and presentations from ‘Cycle South Dartmoor’ on the proposals for improving the connectivity of South Dartmoor Towns between Ivybridge, South Brent, Buckfastleigh and Ashburton and from the ‘Primrose Trail Working Group’ on progress with a safe, accessible, multi-purpose ‘Primrose Trail’ for walkers and cyclists between South Brent and Kingsbridge. FFI. see http://pl21.weebly.com/events.html or email Graham Wilson (grahamwilson200@gmail.com).