A “Southport Against Cycle Lanes Expansion ” group has emerged on Facebook in response to a controversial cycle lane consultation being held by Sefton Council.
The group was launched in response to Sefton Council’s Your Streets, Your Say consultation and includes Conservative councillor for Cambridge Sinclair d’Albuquerque as a group administrator.
The consultation is seeking views from members of the public over a proposal to build 2 additional cycling routes from Birkdale to Ainsdale, and Hesketh Park to the Plough Roundabout, forming one single cycle route running the length of Southport towards Liverpool.
Additionally, mobility charity Sustrans is conducting a seperate public consultation over a ‘liveable neighbourhood area’ a 0.5 square mile area around the town centre where traffic calming measures would be introduced.
On the Your Streets, Your Say consultation, Sefton Council say: “The existing town centre route links Birkdale to Southport Town Centre and Hesketh Park. The two planned routes are Birkdale to Ainsdale, linking to Greenbank High School and Birkdale High School and Hesketh Park to the Plough Roundabout.
“This work is part of a Liverpool City Region Combined Authority bid for government funding to improve active travel routes across the UK.
“The Your Streets, Your Say consultation will run from the 21st May and invites opinion from across the borough.”
Residents can have their say on the “Your Streets, Your Say” consultation by CLICKING HERE.
The presence and construction of cycle lanes in Southport remains a controversial issue, and featured heavily in election material promoted by the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives ahead of last month’s local elections.
However, the government insists local authorities are under instruction to investigate new cycling measures.
As part of the government’s statutory guidance for the Traffic Management Act 2004, Secretary of State for transport Grant Shapps says: “The government therefore expects local authorities to make significant changes to their road layouts to give more space to cyclists and pedestrians.
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