Quick recap
The meeting began with attendance updates and technical difficulties, followed by discussions about recent website content and meeting note-taking methods. The group reviewed various action items including planning applications, cycling infrastructure projects, and upcoming meetings with the City Council, while also addressing concerns about funding and cycling provisions during events. The conversation ended with discussions about insurance coverage, membership communications, and a potential sister city relationship, with plans made for future meetings and events.
Actions
- Gavin: Pass Martin’s email address to Katie so she can chase him up about the critical mass ride in November being themed
- Gavin: Write to Fiona Robertson with quick bullet points about cycling infrastructure concerns related to Aberdeen Rapid Transit consultation
- Gavin: Point out to the Council that the proposed cyclist exemption lane is not the one Aberdeen Cycle Forum originally requested
- Gavin: Email Fraser to discuss what guidance would need to be followed for insurance coverage if Aberdeen Cycle Forum becomes an affiliate group
- Gavin: Send email to 70 members who have broadcast emails turned off, asking them to either change settings or unsubscribe
- Gavin: Reply to contact about Hebron sister city proposal in a non-committal way
- Gavin: Send list of topics/issues to Rachel, Katie, and Deema before the quarterly Council liaison meeting in November for them to potentially raise
- Katie, Deema, and Rachel: Attend quarterly Council liaison meeting on November 14th [post meeting note: this now postponed until 2 December]
- Christmas Village cycling access, and Spectra event cycling provision
- Aberdeen Cycle Forum: Plan a social meeting or ride in mid-December, possibly meeting at Duthie Park cafe
- Aberdeen Cycle Forum: Decide on insurance coverage by February when current policy expires
Attendance & apologies
Present: Gavin Clark (Chair), Rachel Martin, Deema Abrurizik, Katy Hardacre, Alan Irving, Francesco Sani
Apologies: Fiona McDonald, Michelle Short, Alastair Cassels
Spotlight Post and AI Notes
The group discussed the recent Spotlight post on the website featuring Alan’s cycling experiences in Norway. They also discussed the possibility of featuring Deema in a future Spotlight post. The meeting then moved on to discuss the use of the Zoom AI assistant for taking meeting notes, which had worked reasonably well in the previous session (with some manual editing). The group agreed to continue using this method for taking notes, with Rachel responsible for posting the final notes to the website.
Action Items and Council Meeting Prep
The group discussed several action items, including Gavin’s support letter for Sport Aberdeen’s planning application and the addition of Union Street to the National Cycle Network. They also prepared for an upcoming quarterly meeting with the City Council in November, where Rachel, Katy, and Deema will attend. The team considered alternative meeting times to accommodate different schedules and discussed the possibility of using Google Meet for future meetings so that we are not wholly reliant on Rachel’s zoom account.
Cycling Infrastructure and Event Planning
The group discussed upcoming meetings and events, including the liaison meeting where they plan to raise issues about cycling infrastructure and councillor engagement. They noted that despite extensive communication, no Councillors attended the recent Glow ride, and discussed plans to raise concerns about cycling provisions during the Christmas Village and other upcoming events. Gavin shared insights from the ACTUP meeting, where a lengthy discussion about Aberdeen Rapid Transit dominated the agenda, though no new information was presented.
Cycling Infrastructure Funding Concerns
The group discussed concerns about ART, with Katy expressing worry about limited funding and competition for national funding. Gavin noted that we had raised these points at a previous liaison meeting with Councillors and senior officers had given some reassurances, nothing is certain this far out and reassurances may not be worth much. The team considered responding to the council’s consultation, and it was agreed Gavin would send short comments to Fiona and/or Dave at Streets UK. They also reviewed a new traffic measures consultation, noting that while some of their requested changes were included, the proposed lane for cyclist exemptions was not the one they had asked for. Finally, they reflected on the success of the recent GlowRide event, which attracted nearly 70 participants.
Glow Ride Event Review
The group discussed the success of the Glow Ride event. Turnout was very good and it was well supported by local CTC/CUK members and also the CWAS volunteers. They considered organizing a themed Critical Mass ride in November and discussed the possibility of a December social meeting at Duthie Park cafe, acknowledging that attendance might be weather-dependent. Deema reported that the upcoming Cycling UK Scotland general meeting in Edinburgh was fully subscribed, with over 100 attendees confirmed for the event.
2026 Holyrood Election Planning
The group discussed plans for the 2026 Holyrood elections, considering options like organizing a hustings event or collaborating with other groups like Aberdeen Climate Action. They agreed to wait for a response from Climate Cafe before deciding on a course of action.
Insurance and Affiliation Renewal Discussion
The group discussed their financial situation and insurance coverage, noting they don’t have regular income but have had occasional donations and grants. Renewing their PLI cover costs almost £300. Taking out affiliate membership of CUK (costing £88) would provide cover but may come with more caveats, such as activities only being covered if they followed CUK guidance. Gavin mentioned he had contacted Fraser who may be able to expand on how that guidance would work for us (given that the types of activity we undertake are not quite the same as a typical ride-oriented CUK group). We will need to make a decision by February when the current policy expires.
Any other business
The meeting discussed two issues: membership communications and a potential sister city relationship. Gavin explained that 70 members had opted out of receiving communications, and Rachel demonstrated how to create a category for these members and send targeted emails. The group agreed to send a message to non-responsive members asking them to adjust their settings or unsubscribe. Regarding the sister city proposal with Hebron, Palestine, the group agreed not to get involved for the time being as it was outside their remit and could be politically sensitive
Date of next meeting
Tuesday 25 November at 19:30hrs
Meeting notes by Zoom AI assistant with manual editing
Aberdeen Cycle Forum 