The future for cycling after the Pandemic

Posted on 10 June 2021 by Roger

Many types of bike left by travellers at Oxford Railway Station`

As we gradually emerge from this latest lockdown, we are seeing Oxford’s roads getting much busier. But they are busy not only with motor traffic, but also with people on bikes.   

Since March 2020 when the first lockdown started Oxford and Oxfordshire saw a huge increase in people riding bikes because motor traffic was greatly reduced and  roads became safer for bike riders. People realised that crowded public transport was too risky and stopped travelling by bus. Indeed one of the many sadnesses of the pandemic has been to see buses almost empty of people travelling around the city and county roads. 

By contrast one of the few positives of the pandemic has been that riding bikes became more and more popular, with many people riding for exercise and to get to work. Cyclox’s own Bikes for Keyworkers project, where 350 bikes were donated and refurbished and given free to keyworkers  showed just how valuable cycling was perceived to be.  

During the lockdowns bike shops were amongst those businesses that were classified as essential and most Oxford bike shops stayed open.  Such was the demand for new bikes the shops rapidly sold out. Bike manufacturers, mostly in the Far East, were not able to increase production fast enough. There was also a demand for spare parts with many bikes being brought out of sheds and garages and give a new lease of life. 

With the advent of Brexit, bikes can move tariff free between the EU and UK only if the value of components from outside the EU or UK amount to less than 45% of the total value. If the value exceeds 45%, bikes attract a 14% tariff. Most bikes would not make this cut, given that many components originate in the Far East. With the changes in trading relationships with Europe post Brexit, and with the pandemic leading to shortages in supplies because of its impact on manufacture it has looked like the “perfect storm” for the cycle industry.

The verdict from the bike industry in the short term is that there will be difficulties with cost and supply, but in the longer term there is optimism, given the ongoing demand for bikes for exercise, commuting and leisure. 

Now that the vaccination scheme is in full swing we are gradually being able to be in contact with friends and family. Whether we want to get “back to normal” or whether we want to “build forward better” is a crucial question. To get more people on bikes the key issue is to make roads quieter. We hope that our new county administration will support the creation of more low traffic neighbourhoods, where through traffic is restricted, and the implementation of Connecting Oxford aimed at reducing traffic volumes across the city. 

*This article was first published in the Oxford Mail under the Cyclox banner on Saturday 29th May 2021

 

 

 

 

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Are Oxford’s Roads Dangerous?

Posted on 3 December 2020 by Roger

According to figures from the national road traffic accident database (reported recently in the Times), over the past 3 years the “top ten” roads in the country, outside of London, for crashes involving people riding bikes, included several in Oxford and Cambridge. Both these cities have the highest rate of cycling in the country, with 25% and 40% respectively of commuter trips by bike, so at first glance being top of the league table of crashes would seem to be contradictory.

The roads in Oxford with poor collision records are Iffley Road, Cowley Road and The Plain. The two roads are the main access from East Oxford into the city centre, both converging at the roundabout on the Plain. But are they really that dangerous? In Oxford the success of getting more people on bikes should be considered as part of these figures. If there were fewer people riding bikes there would be fewer accidents.

But any injury is one injury too many. Cycling campaigners across the country have tried to influence councils to invest in better cycling infrastructure. While infrastructure is still far below the standards we wish for, there is a glimmer of light. We are lucky in Oxford to have an excellent and comprehensive Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) which aims to double cycle journeys in Oxford by 2031.

Central Government has provided funding for local authorities to spend on cycling infrastructure, as a result of Covid-19 – the Emergency Active Travel Fund. The good news is that Oxfordshire has been successful in getting some of this cash, so the opportunity is there for some of the policies in the LCWIP to be realised.

We know what needs to be done to improve cycling rates. Reducing motorised traffic on our roads is top of the list, and implementing the plans for bus gates should make a big difference. But even bus gates won’t be sufficient to encourage those less confident onto their bikes unless there is good cycling infrastructure, which physically separates bikes from motor vehicles. Just painting white lines on roads is not enough to protect people on bikes. We would also like to see 20mph speed limits across the city.

Oxfordshire active travel campaigners ran a “pop up shop” in Ship Street in July to set out a vision of what the streets of Oxford could look like if there were fewer cars and safer roads. Imagine Iffley Road with no cars parked along it, and safe cycleways along its length.

If cycling safety is improved through better infrastructure there is no reason why the County Council’s target of increasing the levels of cycling to 50% should not be achieved.

The opportunity and incentive is there for the County Council to take action now, after achieving nearly £3m Covid-19 fundingfrom government, on how to take Oxford roads off the list of top 10 “hotspots” and make people on bikes safer on our roads, whilst at the same time moving Oxford towards the aims set out in the Local Cycling and Walking infrastructure Plan.

Photo: Iffley Road as it could be. Designed by Andy Coram.
Article first published in “Onyerbike”, the Cyclox column in the Oxford Mail.

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A Great Opportunity to Increase Cycling in Oxford

Posted on 15 July 2020 by Roger

Cycle lane in Oxford – much too narrow

So now we know! Oxfordshire County Council have been successful in bidding for Government funds to enable people to safely socially distance in our towns and cities as lock down is relaxed. We now also know where the money will be spent through a press release issued by the County Council on 5th June 2020. £600,000 to be spent in the next 8 weeks, as part of £2.9 million allocated to Oxfordshire “to  improve cycling infrastructure, parts of the roadwork network and footpaths”.

This Government funding is specifically to improve travel and make it safer during the continuing Covid19 crisis. The £600,000 will be “spent equally across  Oxfordshire”. This decision, no doubt to satisfy out of town councillors appears to me to be unfair. Surely the funds should be allocated where there is greatest need? This would appear to be in the City, where there are most people (pop.155,000) in addition to people going into Oxford to work. 

It will be impossible in many cases for people to socially distance on the narrow Oxford pavements. They will have to step into the road. Given the increase in sales of bicycles during this period there are likely to be more people cycling along inadequate cycle lanes. This will all be compounded by an increase in motor traffic given that people will be reluctant to use public transport, given the risks of catching the virus. If people are to be encouraged to continue riding bikes and to walk, more space for these means of travel must be provided, or do we really want to go back to the polluted streets of pre-Covid?

The two sentences that would have the greatest impact on Oxford from the County’s press release are as follows:

  • Creation of additional road space for cyclists and pedestrians
  • Temporary traffic measures or restrictions to prioritise cyclists and pedestrians.

And yet no further details are given. Surely there must be some plans?

Throughout the Country cities are already making alterations to assist in getting workers back to work and to restart their economies. 

Some of the measures being put into place elsewhere are:

  • Closing roads to vehicular traffic
  • Widening pavements and cycle lanes, using temporary bollards for segregation
  • Removing on-street parking on access roads into cities and in city centres
  • Allowing catering businesses to expand onto pavements

It would be good to know what action, if any is to be taken to assist Oxford’s economy and to move towards the increase in cycling envisaged by the recently completed Oxford Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan, where the 25% of journeys taken by bicycle, before Covid 19 would go to 38% by 2031.

The figures in this report should be looked at again to take into account the increase in cycling that there has been during Covid19.

Surely the opportunity to take a massive step towards providing the infrastructure to enable the aims of this plan to be achieved must not be missed.

 

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Which bike?

Posted on 5 May 2020 by Roger

Many types of bike left by travellers at Oxford Railway Station

We have speculated in past columns about what happens to people who have started riding bikes during the present pandemic, but surveys find that a majority do not wish to go back to how the world was before the Virus. One of the big changes we have seen is in an improvement in air quality. Government in the UK has made it easier and cheaper for Councils to remove cars from streets by making Traffic Regulation Orders unnecessary.  A move towards riding bikes is already helping to improve air quality. This will enable councils to allocate more road space to bicycles. 

Perhaps that old dusted off bike from the shed is not really good for longer term regular use? There is a bewildering number of differing models of bicycle in bike shops. If you are  new to bike riding and you want to continue to ride a bike more suitable to your needs, how do you decide which bike to buy?

First of all decide where you want to ride and what is the main use for the bike. There are bikes for all different uses and for different abilities. If the bike is mainly for getting to work in Oxford, an urban bike will be best; an upright model easy to get on and off, with few gears. Comfort is an important aspect for commuting. A simple “sit-up and beg” bike, like those used in the Netherlands will suffice. 

If the intention is to ride longer distances taking in a few hills, then more gears will be needed and possibly a “hybrid” bike will be better. Hybrids are usually straight handlebar bikes, but you will need a low gear to get up hills. These bikes are robust and cover most uses, ideal for shopping or carrying work papers or a laptop in the detachable panniers. The riding position is comfortable and if you want to use the bike for touring it will be suitable. These bikes are usually made of aluminium or steel. Folding bikes are good if you are travelling long distances on public transport. The Brompton folder is probably the best known.

In cities, where air quality is important, Cargo Bikes are becoming more popular for deliveries and if the habit of ordering goods and getting them delivered during “lock down” continues after Covid19, there will be even more deliveries needed by bike. 

Of course if you wish to use a bike for fitness or competitive cycling in a cycling club, you will need a road bike, which will be lighter than a hybrid, have dropped handlebars and be built more for speed than for comfort. A road bike will hinder and lighter wheels. It is also possible to use it for commuting, but this is not ideal. 

There is an old saying “the number of bikes you need is always one more than you have”. So perhaps the old bike in the shed is only the start. 

 Published in On Yer Bike, the Cyclox column in the Oxford Mail                                                                           

                                                                            

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What happens to cycling after Covid 19?

Posted on 15 April 2020 by Roger

Brompton bikes, waiting for a train.

At the time of writing, we have been in lockdown for three weeks. People have permission to exercise once a day. A maximum of two people – if they are in the same household – can ride together, but group rides are not allowed. Bike shops are counted among those that can remain open, but, of course, this could change.

Riding bikes is less risky than using public transport, which could increase your risk of catching COVID-19. There are signs that more people are taking up riding bikes, and in Oxford, where there are a large number of people riding bikes anyway, it is sensible that cycling is still permitted. Even if this permission is withdrawn, cycling on an indoor ‘turbo trainer’, or – if lucky enough – in a garden on a pair of ‘rollers’ – can still work for individuals. I find static cycling is much less fun though.

At the end of March, the Chief Executive at Brompton Bikes, Will Butler-Adams, has been quotedas saying that he thinks ‘sales in the UK across the industry are probably up around 15%’. Although it is worth pointing out that since this time, Butler-Adams has reported that Brompton has seen its revenue tumble, like many other businesses, as a result of lockdown. The company wants to provide 1,000 Brompton folding bikes for NHS workers and is crowd–funding to enable them to do this.

In our towns and cities during this lockdown period, many streets are deserted, leading to an improvement in air quality, less congestion, and more room for people on bikes. It appears that the use of bikes is becoming more attractive during this crisis. It is likely that there are many people dusting off old bikes left neglected in garden sheds. However, those still driving on our roads are going faster.

In some countries temporary cycle lanes have been set up. What happens on our roads when the present crisis has run its course? Will we revert to using motor vehicles in the same way as before the virus? Will we return to poor air quality? Or, will travel to work decrease as workers experience the benefits of home–working? Bicycles could retain – and improve – their popularity as a method of transport for leisure and business. There would be an opportunity to encourage new riders by providing the necessary infrastructure to enable people to ride short distances to work.

Before the virus took hold in the UK, the Government produced a report, released in March, called ‘Decarbonising Transport’. The report highlights how ‘active travel’ can play a huge part in reaching net zero transport emissions by 2050: ‘The Government plans to undertake further research to estimate the impact of delivery of the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy aims for 2025 and 2040 on carbon emissions for cycling and walking and through a shift to cycling and walking from private vehicles’ (p. 235, section 2.67).

The report suggests a shift, which could lead to a reduction of cars on our roads.

Maybe the present crisis will make people and governments across the globe realise that when this is over, we may not want everything in our life to go back to what it was before.

 

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Cyclists or people on bikes?

Posted on 18 March 2020 by Roger

I am not a cyclist. As Mikael Coalville-Anderson, author of Copenhagenize said:

 “I am just a modern city dweller, who happens to use a bicycle to get around because it is safe and efficient”.

I suspect that different countries and groups have differing terms to describe people who ride bikes. In the USA and to a lesser extent in parts of the UK, both with a dominant motor vehicle culture, “cyclist” is the term used; often conjuring up an image of an aggressive male rider dressed in Lycra. In Oxford the Copenhagenize description seems to fit better. 

The sad part is that when applying the term cyclist, this lumps together all people who ride bikes, most of whom are considerate of other road users and not at all aggressive.  That’s not to deny that there are some uncooperative and aggressive people who ride bikes. These are a small  minority. 

All “cyclists” are people, many of whom walk, drive and use public transport in addition to riding. Pejorative descriptions lumping people together under one heading are unhelpful. All are people, on foot and on bikes, people on buses and people driving cars; much the better terminology. It also emphasises that all are people and many of them are at one time or another may use all these modes of transport. 

The most vulnerable of these groups, people on foot and on bikes are frequently forced to share the same space allowing the potential for conflict. The paths created by Sustrans often are based on these groups sharing and, given the length of the National Cycle Network, by and large few problems arise.  Indeed the title, Sustrans, means sustainable transport for all, so most off-road paths are shared by people on foot and on bikes, people in wheelchairs, people on horses and little people being pushed in buggies. In Oxford, river and canal towpaths and some pavements are shared. Although often the space is too narrow for both groups to operate properly. It is only through goodwill and consideration that these paths work. 

Walkers and bike riders prefer when they are allocated separate spaces. This is not always possible, because motor vehicles are given the highest priority when it comes to space. Looking at countries like the Netherlands and Denmark we can see what can be achieved when people on foot and on bikes are given the highest priority. In Oxford there are some areas given over entirely to people riding bikes, such as the segregated cycle ways at the side of the ring road and on Donnington Bridge. The County and District Councils should construct more of these segregated spaces and push ahead with Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, where in residential areas “rat running” motor traffic is prevented, making it safer for residents, whatever their mode of transport.  

Perhaps the future of Oxford can be similar to Denmark, where all people on bikes fit Coalville-Anderson’s description of bike riders in the first paragraph.  

Roger Symonds 

Blog: www.twowheelsgood.org.uk

Published in the Oxford Mail on Tuesday 17th March 2020 – Cyclox’ column, On “Yer Bike”

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Should wearing cycle helmets be compulsory?

Posted on 28 February 2020 by Roger

I have noticed that many people cycling in Oxford do not wear helmets. Is this because people feel safe on Oxford roads? Or is the demographic predominantly young and less worried about crashes?

Whether or not to wear helmets has been a hot topic over the past few years, with Chris Boardman (former Olympic cycling Champion, now Cycling and Walking Commissioner for Greater Manchester and founder of Boardman Bikes), arguing for better infrastructure to protect people on bikes, rather than putting individual responsibility for safety on the victims of poor driving. 

Contrary to Boardman’s view, the Journal for the Royal Society of Medicine in 2004 published an article in favour of compulsion, citing a reduction in head injuries when people wear helmets. In Australia and New Zealand there has been a huge reduction in people cycling as a result of compulsory helmet wearing. Chris Boardman and others argue that far more people would die prematurely as a result of giving up cycling if helmets were made compulsory. Boardman quotes a study by Glasgow University showing that people who commute by bike almost halve their chances of dying from heart disease. 

Dr Ian Walker, a traffic psychologist at the University of Bath, using a bike fitted with an ultrasonic distance sensor to record data from 2500 overtaking motorists in 2006, found that “close passes” increased when he was wearing a helmet. He was even hit by a bus and a truck.

At present in the UK wearing helmets is optional. My partner and I always wear our helmets, a personal choice, which began on a number of bike touring holidays in Italy. Perhaps there is more of a case for children wearing helmets, but in my view the safest way to protect people on bikes is to build segregated cycle lanes, where people are physically separated from motor vehicles.  It should not be left to vulnerable road users to take precautions against careless  drivers.

Segregation will become even more important with the advent of “autonomous vehicles”,where problems may occur, not because of AVs, but because of the actions of human drivers of cars and bikes. Here in Oxfordshire, a centre for the development of AVs segregation will become even more important. In the Netherlands few people wear helmets because vehicles and cyclists are separated. 

The roads are safer in Oxford for cyclists than they are in many other cities, but there is plenty of opportunity to make Oxford into an even better city for people riding bikes and a UK leader in good cycling infrastructure. The aim should be to build infrastructure so that people can continue to choose whether or not to wear a helmet or not. In the Netherlands few people wear cycle helmets because people on bikes and motor vehicles are segregated.

I believe that the best way to keep people who ride bikes safe is for both local and National Governments to invest in segregated bike infrastructure, rather than make wearing cycle helmets compulsory. Better cycling infrastructure that encourages more people to ride bikes more safely (one of Cyclox’ strategic aims) would also improve air quality, benefitting the population as a whole.

A similar article was published in Cyclox’ column, “On yer bike” in the Oxford Mail.

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Bike Tourism – An opportunity missed in Oxford

Posted on 14 February 2020 by Roger

My partner and I are recent Oxford residents and we love the city. We moved from Bath at the beginning of August 2019. One of the main reasons for the move was that Oxford is flat. Also we were impressed by the number of people riding bikes and the bike infrastructure. In fact Oxford is second of UK cities with 24% of journeys by bike. Cambridge is first with 38%.

Therefore it was disappointing to find that bikes did not get a mention in the Council’s Scrutiny Committee Review of Tourism in May 2019. Much was made of the lack of overnight visitors, yet nothing was said about encouraging visitors on bikes, despite the fact that they carry little with them, consequently will spend more here, are more likely to stay overnight and make no adverse impact on the environment. 

There was no encouragement to use Oxford as a base to tour the area. The many quiet roads and timeless little villages with cafes and pubs are a great attraction for bike tourers. For those who prefer hills to flat rolling countryside the Chilterns are close. 

Oxford has more to offer than beautiful buildings and museums.  The ethnic restaurants on the Cowley Road, the Covered Market, the Botanical Gardens, river and canal walks/rides, villages, such as Thrupp, Woodstock and Brill in the Chilterns with its windmill, (admittedly just over the border in Bucks) are within easy reach for bikes. However I have yet to see any sign of bicycle tourists in the City.

Bike tourism. Bikes in bags, with panniers, waiting for the train.

The report has missed an opportunity to promote Oxford as a bike friendly city for people to use as a base for touring. A small booklet, with basic circular routes might help. All interested agencies in the city and county, including the Universities and business must be brought together to provide a vision for the development of Oxford attractions if the city is to retain and improve its place as one of the premier visitor Cities in the UK. 

Public transport connections and therefore numbers of visitors, are good from London and from the west of England. Most trains from Bristol and beyond, since the recent timetable changes stop at Didcot, but from South Wales nearly all the trains to Oxford involve 2 changes. There used to be a direct service between Bristol and Oxford, so perhaps the councils should lobby First Great Western to restore this service and improve the connection with the west of England and South Wales.

I wonder what has happened to the scrutiny report, after it was presented to the council cabinet on 29th May 2019? How much progress has been made on the implementing the recommendations?

Oxford can promote itself as a sustainable city. Already many people accessing Oxford walk and ride bikes, use public transport and the Park&Rides. Future development and visitor strategies and action plans should aim to embrace and enhance this sustainable accessibility.

This was an article written by me for Cyclox’ in their weekly column in the Oxford Mail “On yer bike”.

 

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Riding a bike in Oxford

Posted on 14 October 2019 by Roger
 My partner and I moved to Iffley in Oxford nearly three months ago. We had lived in Combe Down in Bath for the past 25 years. We had a number of reasons for moving to Oxford, not least among them was because Oxford is flat and there is a critical mass of people riding bikes, so this is a normal mode of transport for all ages. In our experience so far, most drivers are used to being considerate and careful around the many people on bikes. For us this has meant that riding our bikes has become a regular, every day activity.

This was not the case in Bath, where Combe Down is about 200 metres above sea level, so climbing this entire height occurred in the kilometre long hill (Ralph Allen Drive) every time that we went home on our bikes, often loaded with shopping. We both have low gears on our bikes, but this climb had become harder recently. I had restricted myself to climbing the hill once a week. Climbing in the Drive had never appealed to Nic anyway. Once off the hills in the City of Bath you have to take your chances on the busy roads with drivers not used to having to adjust to people riding bikes. Many of whom feel that people on bikes should not be on the road, and behave accordingly.

This attitude seems to be endorsed by officers in B&NES Council’s highways department, who do not see the point of taking road space from motor vehicles and building infrastructure for people riding bikes. Yet off road cycle ways are common, with the Two Tunnels path (mainly built by the cycling community and Sustrans the cycle charity whose offices are in the Bristol) ) on the old Somerset and Dorset Railway connecting with the Bristol/Bath cycle path (mainly built by Bristol City Council and Sustrans 30 years ago, being their“jewel in the crown”).

Old Combe Down Tunnel. Over 1 mile long. On the Two Tunnels path

These off road leisure routes are shared by people walking and on bikes, with few problems. There are other shared routes along the Kennet and Avon canal, but until officers and councillors change the attitude of putting “traffic flow” before all else, people riding bikes will never be able to use bikes for everyday shopping and commuting. CycleBath, the cycle campaigning group is very active in lobbying councillors and some of the present new Cabinet members are keen to develop cycling in the City, so there is more hope of cycling improvements than ever before.

In Oxford we have noticed that there is some infrastructure for people riding bikes. In particular at Donnington Bridge, where there is access to the Thames Path, in itself a shared path running into the heart of Oxford. On the bridge, road space has been taken to provide a double width segregated cycle way on one side of the bridge, with physical barriers, and a single white broken line painted on the other side of the road.

Donnington Bridge segregated cycle lane

Throughout the city there are cycle lanes on many roads. They are mostly just markings on roads, but space has been given to people riding bikes with space for two vehicles and no more, the resultant space gain making it possible to have cycle lanes.
Sadly the cycle lanes are mostly marked  with broken white lines, meaning that they are not enforceable, so drivers regularly park across them. Although even with a wide cycle lane on one side of the road, On Donnington Bridge and on the approaches to the bridge, there is another cycle lane on the other side. It is only a broken white line, but still a useful

Not such a good Lane,but still something on the bridge

piece of infrastructure for people on bikes going towards the railway station or towards the ring road.

This is not a route we often use because we live very close to the Thames at Iffley Lock to the south of Donnington Bridge. The Thames path, accessed at Iffley Lock is shared and is quite wide enough for Bikes and people. By the path it is about 20 minutes to the Railway Station.

Leaving bikes at the Railway Station is easy,as there are masses of cycle stands there. In fact there are stands across the city, so bikes can usually be locked to a cycle stand unless they are full up, which sometimes happens, following the mantra from Field of Dreams of “if you build them, they will come.” Many people have cycle stands in their front gardens too. It is also usual to see parking spaces on roads taken to provide space for bike stands as shown in the photo below.

Bikes at Oxford Station

Although we recognise that there is more to be done here, we are not disappointed with our ability to cycle in Oxford. Getting on our bikes for shopping, for eating out, visiting friends and for entertainment has become normal. It was never so in Bath. There is of course much more to be done for bikes in Oxford and

Road space taken for bike parking

consultation has just ended on a new a Transport Strategy for Oxford. A quick easy win would be for the County Council to change all cycle lane markings to continuous lines, which could then be enforced.

In Oxford, as in Bath there is a campaign group to promote bike riding. In Bath the group is CycleBath and in Oxford, Cyclox. We have taken up membership of Cyclox.

Perhaps the time has come for riding bikes to be given its rightful place as a sustainable transport method in these days when there is great concern about Air Quality in cities.

Our verdict on cycling in Oxford, where there is a critical mass of people riding, is good, but with 24% of commuter trips by bike, still lagging 14% behind Cambridge so there is still room for improvement.

 

 

 

 

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Chew Valley Lake Recreational Trail

Posted on 20 June 2018 by Roger

Lovely view across Chew Valley Lake from the Sailing Club

In October 2013 I published a highly critical blog post about Bristol Water’s (BW) attitude towards constructing a shared path round the perimeter of Chew Valley Lake, available to people on foot and on bikes.

I had been taken on a tour of the lake by Bill Blyth, the chair of the Chew Valley Recreational Trail Association (CVRTA).  Bill showed me how it would be possible to build a path around the lake. The resulting blog post was picked up by BW’s Publicity Department and a meeting followed between BW, Bill and myself at Woodford Lodge.

We found the people we met, quite new to BW’s staff, to be positive about getting better access to a path around the lake, but communication fizzled out after a while without any further progress.

However, just this week Bill rang me to say that there has been a partnership set up between Bristol Water, B&NES Council, MendipHills AONB, West of England Rural Network and Sustrans to deliver a Recreational Trail. A planning application is at present out for consultation.  The Project went to the Chew Valley Area Forum in May and an application for funding will be made to the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund in September.

I have no doubt that Margaret Wilson, Bill Blyth and various committee members of CVRTA who kept the idea of the Recreational Trail alive since Margaret thought of it in 1999 are very pleased.

It now seems that Bristol Water’s management is sufficiently supportive for this trail to be put in place.

The trail will be  a great attraction to many people and Bristol Water should be commended on its changed attitude to making a lake path available to the public.

There is a community consultation drop in on the plan at the Children’s Centre, Chew Valley School from 4pm to 7pm on Thursday 28th June 2018.

To take part in a survey go to : https://sustrans.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/chew-valley-lake-recreational-trail-survey

The results of the survey will go into the Planning Consultation.

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