Pedal Power

Please support Bike Week

The main focus of HOVIS National Bike Week in Loughborough will be "The Cycle Event" to be held outside "All Saints" Church on Saturday 17 June between 10am and 4pm. Whilst we believe we have sufficient committee members to give basic cover for the event we would welcome the presence of any members who can spare some time during the day.

We aim to provide a "Dr Bike" service, diagnosing bicycle ills although treatment will be left to the bike shops. We will also have on display a range of bikes with hopefully examples of folding bikes, tricycles, tandems, trailer bikes, child trailers and even a unicycle. There wll also be a skills competition for young riders.

Unfortunately, Mr. Dorrell had to cancel his ride between surgeries as he has important meetings to attend and won't be holding surgeries on either weekend.

Campaign infiltrates Council

Congratulation to Max Hunt and Ariadne Tampion both of whom have been elected councillors and even better are members of the controlling group. Max is chairing the Public Services Committee which is in part responsible for transport policy and Ariadne is a member of the Planning Commitee and chairing one of the Planning sub-committees.

Already the Council is beginning to insist that all new commercial developments include cycle parking provision to county standards and perhaps in due course we can hope to see employers seeking permission for increased car parking challenged and required to show what they are doing to encourage walking and cycling to work, together with details as to how they encourage employees moving to the area to choose housing within walking or cycling distance.

It is also to be hoped that the new council will take a more positive approach to the Sustrans proposal for the Dover Inverness route to pass through the district.

Letters to the press

These can be one of the most effective ways of bringing our views before the public so if you notice a good "hook" to hang a letter on, go for it. Remember to give a daytime telephone number, get your point in the first paragraph, keep you letter simple and short and avoid points scoring or "slagging off" another letter writer. Ed. "Hmm - perhaps I should follow my own advice.

What the Minister says: highlights from some of Dr Mawhinney's recent speeches

"A deteriorating environment , in the form of worsening air quality, degraded towns and cities and damaged landscapes would make the UK an unattractive location for investors and would cost us a great deal in economic terms as well as in our physical health and the quality of our lives."

"measures to change attitudes are going to be as important as measures to change infrastructure if we want to alter people's behaviour. We can look forward to a future where a responsible person would no more think of using a car for a half mile journey than he or she would consider smoking on the Underground."

"If we want a less-polluted countryside and cleaner air for all, should we accept that we cannot each drive everywhere we want?"

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