At Thursday’s Council meeting Councillor Mike Prendergast put forward a motion to have the cycle lanes along Queens Road, Hoghton Street and Talbot removed.

Most Southport councillors supported the motion. Only Southport’s Labour councillors opposed the motion with the Labour councillors for Birkdale, Kew, Norwood and Ainsdale all voting to keep the unpopular cycle lanes.

Councillor Prendergast said, “It is genuinely disappointing that all Southport councillors were not able to support the call to have the lanes removed. They have proven to be woefully ineffective in encouraging people to cycle, they’ve harmed local businesses and reduced accessibility to town centre services for those who rely on their cars.

The fact is that the way these lanes have been installed and imposed on areas that don’t want them has probably set the cause of active travel back significantly in Southport.

As I explained during the debate, we want to see safe cycling infrastructure in areas where people want it and will use it. We want to see measures taken to help us meet our climate change obligations; Hoghton Street could have been an ideal place to see the installation of EV charging points, for example.

What we are against, and have been from the start, is wasting public money on schemes that hardly anybody wanted. Simply spending a grant from central government because you can without thinking through the consequences is not a sensible way to use tax payer money.

The measures were described as an embarrassment during the meeting, and I agree. The continued refusal of the Sefton Labour Party and Southport’s Labour councillors to recognise this and simply dig their heels in just adds to the embarrassment.

Unlike Southport’s Labour councillors, we will continue to stand up for local residents.”

Originally Posted by editor

The fact is that the way these lanes have been installed and imposed on areas that don’t want them has probably set the cause of active travel back significantly in Southport.

As I explained during the debate, we want to see safe cycling infrastructure in areas where people want it and will use it. We want to see measures taken to help us meet our climate change obligations; Hoghton Street could have been an ideal place to see the installation of EV charging points, for example.

People 'want' i.e. need, at least one safe cycle route North to South from the Plough roundabout, via the town centre, to Woodvale lights.

Why? Because at present, apart from the relatively short central part of the route (from Queens Rd via Chapel St to Aughton Rd), our busy roads simply aren't safe for all ages and abilities to make their everyday trips by bike.

Scrapping what little safe bike infra there is, certainly won't persuade more car-users to switch to the bike. Neither for that matter, would installing charging-points on Hoghton St!

Originally Posted by The PNP

People 'want' i.e. need, at least one safe cycle route North to South from the Plough roundabout, via the town centre, to Woodvale lights.

Why? Because at present, apart from the relatively short central part of the route (from Queens Rd via Chapel St to Aughton Rd), our busy roads simply aren't safe for all ages and abilities to make their everyday trips by bike.

Scrapping what little safe bike infra there is, certainly won't persuade more car-users to switch to the bike. Neither for that matter, would installing charging-points on Hoghton St!

Coastal Road - Ainsdale - follow new road and turn in to woodvale.

or just after Plough Roundabout heading toward Churchtown, take right after garage left then right brings you out by golf linksm then on to coastal path,

Originally Posted by said

Coastal Road - Ainsdale - follow new road and turn in to woodvale.

or just after Plough Roundabout heading toward Churchtown, take right after garage left then right brings you out by golf linksm then on to coastal path,

What a load of bo***x. You’re assuming all cyclists merely want to bypass the town centre. The reality is they want to go from the plough into town, and from Ainsdale into town.
Your blinkered approach doesn’t address that. Do better or shut up.

Originally Posted by said

Coastal Road - Ainsdale - follow new road and turn in to woodvale.

or just after Plough Roundabout heading toward Churchtown, take right after garage left then right brings you out by golf linksm then on to coastal path,

Yes, that's pretty direct end-to-end and makes a good leisure ride, I've been along there myself a time or two.

But it is far less useful, if you happen to live on PNR and work on Eastbank St for example. Or want to get to school in Hillside from an address on Aughton Rd. The North-South route as proposed, serves thousands of addresses on the route itself, along with thousands more addresses located in the many safe 20mph zones to either side of it, a wide catchment area.

Originally Posted by The PNP

Yes, that's pretty direct end-to-end and makes a good leisure ride, I've been along there myself a time or two.

But it is far less useful, if you happen to live on PNR and work on Eastbank St for example. Or want to get to school in Hillside from an address on Aughton Rd. The North-South route as proposed, serves thousands of addresses on the route itself, along with thousands more addresses located in the many safe 20mph zones to either side of it, a wide catchment area.

You just don't get it, do you? Your delusional dreams of such routes is not wanted or supported by the vast majority of the town's population.

They are fed up of a tiny minority seeking to impose such schemes on the rest of us.

Originally Posted by Stuartli

You just don't get it, do you? Your delusional dreams of such routes is not wanted or supported by the vast majority of the town's population.

They are fed up of a tiny minority seeking to impose such schemes on the rest of us.

Saying something banaal like that, doesn't make it so. I could equally say that the vast majority want and support bike infra, but that wouldn't be so either. Reality however, lies somewhere in between.

There is though, on proven fact that is indisputable: Whenever a town or city has been given a decent network of usable, safe bike-infra, cycling's modal share has shot up. In many of the best examples to 30% or 40% of all trips made....No better way exists, of helping us meet our climate obligations!

What a sad little article. There was a democratic vote, the Luddites lost.

Originally Posted by The PNP

People 'want' i.e. need, at least one safe cycle route North to South from the Plough roundabout, via the town centre, to Woodvale lights.

Why? Because at present, apart from the relatively short central part of the route (from Queens Rd via Chapel St to Aughton Rd), our busy roads simply aren't safe for all ages and abilities to make their everyday trips by bike.

Scrapping what little safe bike infra there is, certainly won't persuade more car-users to switch to the bike. Neither for that matter, would installing charging-points on Hoghton St!

People DONT WANT OR NEED a cycle rote and they were NEVER asked as the figures were fiddled by the council to suit getting the funding for the installation of them .

Queens rd has become an BIG issue along with Houghton st with residents, businesses and MOST POSTS by genuine posters with only one account on social media against cycle lanes in these areas.
Portland st was rejected for this nonesense and Aughton rd is like most areas of the town not big enough to accommodate them .

You nor anyone else is going to convince car users to switch to bicycles that’s Just fantasy.

Originally Posted by The PNP

People 'want' i.e. need, at least one safe cycle route North to South from the Plough roundabout, via the town centre, to Woodvale lights.

Why? Because at present, apart from the relatively short central part of the route (from Queens Rd via Chapel St to Aughton Rd), our busy roads simply aren't safe for all ages and abilities to make their everyday trips by bike.

Scrapping what little safe bike infra there is, certainly won't persuade more car-users to switch to the bike. Neither for that matter, would installing charging-points on Hoghton St!

You keep harping on about this route, you know very well that the restrictions needed to create this route have already been proposed and shown to be disruptive and create far more problems and congestion than any benefit.

In your little world it seems to OK to impose problems on hundreds or more likely thousands of motorists merely to accommodate about half a dozen cyclists occasionally.

Have no problem with separated cycle ways , but the constant difficulty is where to put them, taking space and capacity from already overloaded roads, is a non starter and the product of an unthinking mind.

Originally Posted by Nash

What a sad little article. There was a democratic vote, the Luddites lost.

The figures were fiddled, locals were not asked or included and the WHOLE OF SEFTON was made to look like somekind of vote happened but it’s long been argued and shown that the Labour council manipulated the facs, figures and used existing lanes in SEFTON to pretend people agreed with those so we should have them here when it’s likely that was also a lie to blindside Southport and look for ANY claim that some sort of fair vote occurred. ( this is all hidden in the smallprint of the 90/100 page booklet to do with active Sefton that came out at the time) … but who actually reads that stuff………

Originally Posted by Nash

What a sad little article. There was a democratic vote, the Luddites lost.

How can it be a democratic vote, when Councillors based in different area go against the wishes of the local people. Southport deserves better.

Cycle lanes are here to stay, and more will be added.
The poor old motorist is always gonna whinge and moan, but it’s futile. Your salty tears will taste great as they flood down your angry faces….:-)

Originally Posted by lawed143

Cycle lanes are here to stay, and more will be added.
The poor old motorist is always gonna whinge and moan, but it’s futile. Your salty tears will taste great as they flood down your angry faces….:-)

Is this what the Labour councillors said at the cycle lane meeting PNP.

Originally Posted by MICK/GILLY

Is this what the Labour councillors said at the cycle lane meeting PNP.

Same old crap hey Michael Gilbert.? Record stuck is it.?