Ham and High 26th October 2006

Front page photo of the school childrens ride orgainsed by Bob Spellar and some unfriendly letters. (Not on their website yet).

Children ride to school across the Heath 18th October 2006

Read about Bob Spellar's latest ride across the Heath:

Illustrated report

Jenny Jones Press Release 10 October 2006

CCC Report 10th October 2006

The Potential of the heath for safer routes to school

We have taken catchment data from ten schools that are situated near to the Heath and plotted it on a series of maps. On each map we've drawn in desire lines for journeys between home and school. From the desire lines we have inferred how a safe route to each school might be tailored from the existing cycleways and a small number of new links on the Heath.

Ham and High 18th August

Letters from Paul Braithwaite and CCC in favour and quite a mix of others for and against.

Letters Ham and High 25th August 2006

Ham and High 18th August

The Ham and High is continuing to write about the Heath Campaign. See Page 4 for a fill page spread including a copy of our map of the Heath (above) and a photo from Bob Spellar's recent ride. Heath Cycling debate splits public opinion

The paper also contains numerous letters including a one from Tony Hillier chair of the Heath and Hampstead Society as well as a pro-cycling one from M McCauley. Letters about cycling on the Heath

Ham and High 11th August

Digital Version

The main front page article in the Ham and High was on the Heath issue, as was the editorial.

The letters page included a letter from CCC stating response from CCC clearly the aims of their campaign.

This letter was written in response to a letter from Helen Marcus the Vice President of Heath and Hampstead Society in Ham and High on 4th August

CCC deputation to Camden Council 21st July 2006

CCC's deputation text was read by Bob Spellar. CCC's deputation text

The Heath and Hampstead Society came with an opposing deputation. Mike Green, chair of environment committee summed up as in the followong extract from the minutes of the meeting on Camden Council website:

Councillor Mike Greene, Executive Member for Environment, thanked both Mr Wright and Mr Spellar for their deputations. He expressed his view that both arguments had some justification and that the Council was committed to encouraging people to use more environmentally friendly forms of transport and, in particular, ways that helped ease the congestion caused by the school run. He expressed the benefits of safer cycle routes particularly in relation to children but also acknowledged that increased cycling on the Heath could be detrimental to pedestrians. He advised that he could commit the Council to helping develop a constructive plan to see if a compromise could be reached between the two sides.

Local papers reported the event in a fairly balanced manner.

CNJ Article 27th July 2006

Childrens protest Ride 8th July 2006

Illustrated account of the ride on CCC website

This was reported in both the Ham and High and the CNJ and followed up by many letters for and against cycling on the Heath.

Ham and High Article, 14th July 2006

CNJ Article 13th July 2006

Letter from Maya de Souza 20 July

Meeting with Bob Hall and Simon Lee 30th June

Simon Lee (Superintendant of the Heath) and Bob Hall (new Chair of Management Committee) met with representative of CCC. This meeting was set up by CCC member Ines Newman who has been campaigning for several years for more paths on the Heath. Jean Dollimore represented the CCC committee.

Bob Hall told us that the Heath Management Plan is currently being renewed and that this is an opportunity to look again at the cycle routes with an open mind. He expects a draft will be ready in 5-6 weeks time. There will be a consultation in autumn 2006 and CCC will be included.

They asked us to specify cycle parking requirements in our submission in addition to our request for new paths.

Bob Hall told us about the structure of the Management Committee (up to 18 members from City of London, 6 or more from Camden, Barnet, Kenwood Estates plus Heath and Hampstead Society, English nature and Ramblers. He also chairs tthe Consultative Committee. These committees were set up in 1989 when City of London took over from the London Residuary Body.

Bob Hall pointed out that the Camden appointee who had been John Thane needs replacement.

We broached the idea of a path (no 3 on the map) that would be used by parents and children for going to and from school. Simon Lee was strongly against that - said impossible to enforce.

The report on cycling in 2001 was written by JMP. We urged them to use Sustrans for a new report. But they said Sustrans would not appear to be even-handed.

We left them with a copy of the above map and of our Notes on the New Paths (similar to the above).

Finally we mentioned that we feel that "Cycleway" is a poor name - 'Shared use Path" being more appropriate. We also mentioned that the signs state "Pedestrians have right of Way" whereas "Cyclists give way to pedestrians" would be more appropriate. Simon Lee said he agreed - others had criticised the signs and he had only recently loked at them carefully

June 12th

Members meeting at Hampstead Parochial School with talk by Matt Seaton. During the following discussions, Bob Spellar speaks about the problem of cycling on the Heath. School parent describes her fraught ride with her children on Lime Avenue where she has to watch out for the constabulary. Bob suggests a protest ride on Lime Avenue (or walk if ride forbidden). Illustrated report

June 2nd 2006

Ham and High reporter Katie Davies interviews David Scollan about fines. Article in Ham and High

June 1st 2006

Stefano on BBC London, 31 May 2006 This program also containde an interview with Bob Hall, the new Chair of the Heath Management Committee. He did admit cycling is an issue and that he wants to discuss it further at the end of the year. He said (twice) that there should be no north-south commuter route.

May 28th 2006

We had heard that the Heath Constabulary are stopping and fining cyclist who ride on paths other than the official ones.

But this week, the police released details to the local papers of cyclists fined at Highbury Corner magistrates Court. Further details are on City of London website.

• cycling near Highgate Ponds on two occasions: £300 + £250 costs, totalling £550;
• two people cycling near the Lido were each fined £100 + £125 costs;
• another who admitted cycling on the wrong path was fined £70 + £126 costs.

Corporation of Londonaccount.

For a sympathetic newspaper report, see

Article in Ham and High, 26 May 2006

CCC has been in touch with the cyclist who received the highest penalty. He has provided us with a useful summary of arguments:

· I’ve been stopped by cops in a van. Why can you drive a van somewhere you can’t cycle?

· Cyclists are not a danger to anyone.

· There is an 8mph speed limit for cyclists on the heath cycle routes, that’s sufficient to ensure safety.

· The fine for cycling on the pavement in a fixed £30, no court appearance. Why then is my fine £550 for basically the same offence in the Heath?

· The cycling survey ( Results of 2001 survey)) was 62% in favour of new routes but the Heath committee refused to implement any new cycle routes.

· Cycling is promoted by the government, mayor, BMA etc but mainly in words, not with actions.

· Fining cyclists large sums of money is nothing to brag about (there was a police press release with my details in it). It would be better to brag about the number of drug dealers and muggers arrested.

Earlier Campaigns

CCC under the leadership of Paul Gasson campaigned for several years for an addition to the number of cycle paths on the Heath.

For an account of this campaign, see Heath Campaign 2001