Officials drive to walking and cycling meeting

Torfaen's active travel officer Donna Edwards (from left) and climate change chief Michele Mitchell and road safety officer Pat Bates

Four council officers have admitted driving to a meeting on how to encourage people to walk and cycle to work.

A Torfaen council strategy for the county to "transition from car to active travel" was discussed at the Civic Centre in Pontypool on Thursday.

Staff working on the plan said they "preferred" driving or that walking was not practical.

Another officer, who also drove, said the council was looking at ways to make cycling and walking "an attractive option for our employees".

Cycle storage, changing rooms and showers are being considered for core civic centres said Mark Thomas, the council's highways and climate change deputy.

He was asked if he and the other team members promoting active travel should themselves commute by walking or cycling, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

He said living outside of Torfaen meant he drove to the council offices "maybe twice a week" but worked remotely as much as he could.

"In a previous employment all my travel to work was either cycling or running and I’m really missing that at the moment as you can probably tell by the profile," said Mr Thomas rubbing his belly as he finished speaking.

Torfaen council is considering showers and cycling storage for employees a its civic centres, like this one one in Pontypool

The council’s dedicated active travel officer Donna Edwards confessed: "I came by car today but I do try and walk or cycle everywhere I possibly can."

Its group leader for highways and climate change, Michele Mitchell, said she "totally agreed" the team should be setting an example.

But for her walking or cycling was not always practical she said.

Irrelevant

"It’s a time constraint when you’ve got to be in a meeting by nine o’clock and get to another meeting," she said, adding there were "other challenges" for working parents.

Pat Bates, the council’s road safety strategy officer, called the question "irrelevant".

"I used my preferred method of driving by vehicle," he said. "We as active travel officers deliver Welsh government and council policy without fear of favour."

Mr Bates added he walks an hour a day and said: "I don’t need anyone telling me to do more."