Cycle lane decision called in as hundreds call for ‘disgraceful’ initiative to be ripped up

Furious residents have described the controversial Southport cycle lanes as ‘disgraceful’ while politicians are fighting each other over if they should stay or go.

Councillors are set for a heated debate tonight after it was revealed the council will be keeping the Hoghton Street cycle lanes despite widespread criticism.

One angry resident said “ Typical didactic and disgraceful behaviour from the Sefton council.

“It’s such a shame we can’t go back to having our own town council.”

The decision by Sefton Council to retain the cycle lanes installed without consultation under Covid has been ‘called in’ by the Liberal Democrats. The route from Queens Rd along Houghton St across town to Talbot St was introduced with government money and without consultation at the insistence of Boris Johnson’s government.

Council officers and the Labour administration will be obliged to defend or change their decision at a specially arranged Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

“What we need “, says Lib Dem leader, John Pugh, “is commonsense and evidence-led policy. What we appear to be getting so far from the Council is self-justificatory propaganda and the misuse of statistics and we need to put a spotlight on that and not have council members led by the nose.”

Whether the lanes go or stay should rest on whether there is good evidence that policy objectives are met. What is not helpful is Sefton’s lack of clarity on its objectives and seeming reluctance to measure impacts that don’t justify its actions.