Agenda item

This Council is honoured that double Olympic Gold medal winner Alistair Brownlee MBE has become Leeds’ first Active Travel Ambassador.

Council recognises the huge benefits Active Travel can bring to Leeds in terms of tackling climate change and improving public health, particularly for young people at risk of obesity.  Council commends the recent exemplary work by teams in Children’s Services and Public Health to help Leeds become the first UK city to successfully reduce rates of childhood obesity. 

Council welcomes recent local and national investment in infrastructure to support Active Travel measures in Leeds, including investment towards the ambition to expand the city’s cycle network from 107 miles to over 500 miles. Council also welcomes the support given to this by a range of outside organisation, including volunteers. Council calls for this approach to continue and urges the Government to provide further funding to help more people in Leeds incorporate walking and cycling as part of their day-to-day journeys.

It was moved by Councillor Charlwood, seconded by Councillor Groves that 

this Council is honoured that double Olympic Gold medal winner Alistair Brownlee MBE has become Leeds’ first Active Travel Ambassador.

Council recognises the huge benefits Active Travel can bring to Leeds in terms of tackling climate change and improving public health, particularly for young people at risk of obesity.  Council commends the recent exemplary work by teams in Children’s Services and Public Health to help Leeds become the first UK city to successfully reduce rates of childhood obesity. 

Council welcomes recent local and national investment in infrastructure to support Active Travel measures in Leeds, including investment towards the ambition to expand the city’s cycle network from 107 miles to over 500 miles. Council also welcomes the support given to this by a range of outside organisation, including volunteers. Council calls for this approach to continue and urges the Government to provide further funding to help more people in Leeds incorporate walking and cycling as part of their day-to-day journeys.

An amendment was moved by Councillor Forsaith, seconded by Councillor D Blackburn;

 Add a fourth paragraph:

Council also notes the low air quality in many parts of Leeds, caused directly by emissions from vehicles and the particular impact that this has on the health of children.  In view of Leeds being a Child Friendly City, and having declared a Climate Emergency in March 2019, Council commits to do everything within its power to encourage and enable Active Travel for children and young people travelling to and from their schools and colleges.

A second amendment was moved by Councillor Buckley, seconded by Councillor B Anderson;

Delete all after ‘approach to continue’ and replace with:

‘,whilst also recognising the need to invest in the upkeep and improvement of the city’s roads and footpaths, and welcomes the commitment made nationally to invest over £61bn in transport infrastructure up to 2021 and to Leeds through the £173.5m made available following the collapse of NGT.

Council commits to working with the Government to ensure further funding is delivered to help more people in Leeds incorporate walking and cycling as part of their day-to-day journeys.’

Motion will read:

This Council is honoured that double Olympic Gold medal winner Alistair Brownlee MBE has become Leeds’ first Active Travel Ambassador.

Council recognises the huge benefits Active Travel can bring to Leeds in terms of tackling climate change and improving public health, particularly for young people at risk of obesity.  Council commends the recent exemplary work by teams in Children’s Services and Public Health to help Leeds become the first UK city to successfully reduce rates of childhood obesity. 

Council welcomes recent local and national investment in infrastructure to support Active Travel measures in Leeds, including investment towards the ambition to expand the city’s cycle network from 107 miles to over 500 miles. Council also welcomes the support given to this by a range of outside organisation, including volunteers. Council calls for this approach to continue, whilst also recognising the need to invest in the upkeep and improvement of the city’s roads and footpaths, and welcomes the commitment made nationally to invest over £61bn in transport infrastructure up to 2021 and to Leeds through the £173.5m made available following the collapse of NGT.

Council commits to working with the Government to ensure further funding is delivered to help more people in Leeds incorporate walking and cycling as part of their day-to-day journeys.

The amendment in the name of Councillor B Anderson was declared lost, the amendment in the name of Councillor Forsaith was carried and upon being put to the vote it was

RESOLVED – That this Council is honoured that double Olympic Gold medal winner Alistair Brownlee MBE has become Leeds’ first Active Travel Ambassador.

Council recognises the huge benefits Active Travel can bring to Leeds in terms of tackling climate change and improving public health, particularly for young people at risk of obesity.  Council commends the recent exemplary work by teams in Children’s Services and Public Health to help Leeds become the first UK city to successfully reduce rates of childhood obesity. 

Council welcomes recent local and national investment in infrastructure to support Active Travel measures in Leeds, including investment towards the ambition to expand the city’s cycle network from 107 miles to over 500 miles. Council also welcomes the support given to this by a range of outside organisation, including volunteers. Council calls for this approach to continue and urges the Government to provide further funding to help more people in Leeds incorporate walking and cycling as part of their day-to-day journeys.

Council also notes the low air quality in many parts of Leeds, caused directly by emissions from vehicles and the particular impact that this has on the health of children.  In view of Leeds being a Child Friendly City, and having declared a Climate Emergency in March 2019, Council commits to do everything within its power to encourage and enable Active Travel for children and young people travelling to and from their schools and colleges.