Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration

The report sets out progress on proposals to expand the Car Club and MoBike bike share schemes in Stockport Town Centre.

The Area Committee is recommended to:-

·         note the report and endorse the ongoing work to improve sustainable and active travel options in Stockport Town Centre.

·         agree that a further report is presented to the Area Committee later in the year to update on progress with both schemes.

Officer Contact: Sue Stevenson on 0161 474 4351 or email: sue.stevenson@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) regarding progress on a number of Council initiatives designed to reduce congestion in Stockport Town Centre and encourage more active and sustainable travel, including the MoBike bike share scheme and expansion of the Car Club.

At the meeting held on 3 October 2017 the Cabinet had considered a report  entitled ‘Walking and Cycling Update’ and had resolved that Officers be authorised to further investigate, in partnership with MoBike, the feasibility of extending the Manchester/Salford Pilot scheme into Stockport, and that authority be delegated to the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration, in consultation with the Cabinet Members for Communities & Housing, and Economy & Regeneration, to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with MoBike should the expansion be found to be feasible

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         The Council had pro-actively engaged with the operators of the MoBike bike share scheme from the outset as it had no control over the operation of MoBikes as they were unregulated. Concern was expressed by Members that the MoBike bike share scheme, and other such similar schemes, were unregulated by the Government.

·         A request was made for the report to the Area Committee later in the year to include a greater analysis of how the MoBike scheme had operated in Manchester and Salford, and how the Council had learnt, and was learning, from those experiences.

·         The report to the Area Committee later in the year should also include reference to the operation of the free bus in Stockport town centre.

·         A Member requested the current usage statistics for the Car Club.

·         An analysis of how the Car Club had helped to reduce congestion was important.

·         Key objectives of both schemes were to make them both inclusive and accessible to people.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report and the ongoing work to improve sustainable and active travel options in Stockport Town Centre be noted.

(2) That a further report be submitted to a meeting of the Area Committee later in the year to update on progress with both schemes.