Neighbours win rethink on cycle route proposal
COUNCIL TO REDESIGN LINK AFTER RESIDENTS’ PROTEST
NEIGHBOURS opposed to a cycle path cutting through land they hope to turn into a community garden have won a rethink.
Robert Bateman, special projects manager for Leicester City Council, said the protest organised by the residents of North Avenue showed him the depth of feeling and resulted in the work being put on hold for now in a bid to take residents’ ideas on board.
The proposed cycle lane would have been part of wider plans in Clarendon Park.
Work, including root pruning, installing bollards and resurfacing parts of the road, was due to start on Monday on the North Avenue section.
However, a group of residents met Mr Bateman to discuss their concerns and their ideas for turning the space into a green, community area.
Jane Whiting, who organised the protest, said: “I was delighted because we’d arranged this peaceful protest, we thought at least if we’re here we can stop the workmen getting started.
“I was going to park my campervan sideways if necessary, but it wasn’t.
“We discussed the various options for the space and Mr Bateman agreed to pause the plans for the space and reconsider what’s going to happen.
“He came up with the brilliant idea that it may even be possible not just to do the planting of a wild garden or community garden, whatever it may be, but even extend it a little bit so then maybe we can incorporate a cycle path without losing the garden space.
“I also quite fancied a little pond, which I thought the council might go ‘health and safety, there’s a school nearby,’ but actually they were really up for it.
“We’ve got a lot of hedgehogs in this area, even though it’s quite urban. Because of the cul-de-sacs, there’s not a lot of traffic.
“There are foxes as well. So a little pond with newts and that sort of thing, somewhere for hedgehogs to drink, would be amazing. They seemed up for that.”
She said there are problems with flooding, so the residents were hoping for a soil area at ground level, rather than planters, to help drain in heavy rain.
Other ideas for the space included a community allotment, with a couple of people saying they would like to grow carrots there.
Ms Whiting said: “I really want seats because there are a whole lot of people who all walk to Queen’s Road and I see them sit on these bollards, so it would just be really nice if we had a proper seating area.
“I think if we had a little beehive tucked out of the way with quite a big notice on it saying ‘bees don’t like smoke, please be careful’ that might be enough to deter the abuse of the seating area at night.”
Nick Jukes, who lives in the next street over, said he would like to see cycling still be part of the revised scheme.
He said: “At the moment, cycling here is quite awkward because you have to come on up on to the pavement because there isn’t a way through.
“There needs to be a small cycle path at the side, that doesn’t get in the way of a garden and doesn’t get in the way of pedestrians, that would be the way forward.
“I think a community garden, some veg and flower growing and some fixed seating would be really nice. It would make a nice gathering space.”
Mr Bateman said the scheme would still be going ahead, but the council would work with residents.
He said: “People had come out and set up on the roadway, which is unusual and showed the depth of feeling. So you’ve got to respect that.
“They put their views very well. There was nothing confrontational about it, they were simply making their point and making it quite well, I thought.
“We’ll do a new design which will take on board some of what they were saying.
“So they want more environmental features and less emphasis on cycling, so we’re looking to put some more trees in, possibly a pollinator, and see what we can come up with.”