Now closed – read our response here
What’s happening and what are ‘Mini-hollands’?
Gloucestershire County Council is in the early stages of consulting on a mini-Holland proposal in some of the Cheltenham neighbourhoods around the Honeybourne Line, aiming to lower motor vehicle traffic levels, and improve walking and cycling conditions.
The council successfully bid for Department for Transport money to develop a proposal, and this engagement exercise is the first part of this process.
The mini-Holland guidance sets a high standard for councils, expecting significant decreases in motor vehicle traffic and improvements in cycle and walking connectivity. The future bid will be assessed with multiple tools, testing;
A mini-holland aims to make an area as cycle friendly as their Dutch equivalents.
Department for Transport, London Mini Hollands case study
- Quality of the network developed
- Porosity (how easy to get around)
- Mesh density (number of routes available)
- Permeability (how motor traffic can get in/out)
- Rat running resolution
- Perimeter treatment design (eg crossings of sidearms of strategic roads)
- Internal treatment design (how traffic is calmed within the area)
- Placemaking
- Engagement practice
This is the first major scheme we have seen that doesn’t focus on a single long distance route, the perils of which we have previously highlighted. As such, we are watching with interest and hope to contribute in due course as plans develop.
At this stage, the council is testing whether there is support for such interventions, and for the study area, what the particular challenges are.
Get involved in the mini-Holland consultation
We encourage everyone to respond in two ways;
Actions to take by 16 November
- Complete the general engagement survey
- Visit the area map and mark any particular concerns you have.
We will be responding as a campaign, and hope there will be opportunities for us to be involved in detailed planning as the process continues.
