Wandsworth Common Cyclists
WANDSWORTH COMMON PATHS TO BE OPEN TO CYCLISTS
New transport secretary quashes Stephen Byer's ruling that prevent cyclists from using the common
In
a major climb down by the Government, it looks like cyclists
will be able to use Wandsworth Common after all.
The new Transport Secretary Alistair Darling is not going to contest the council's application for a judicial review of Stephen Byers' decision that it is unlawful for newly-widened tracks on the commons to be used by cyclists on both Wandsworth and Tooting Commons.
Mr Darling has conceded that his predecessor's refusal to confirm the council's cycle tracks orders could not stand and should be quashed. He has also agreed to pay the council’s legal costs. The council's application for a judicial review was prompted by Mr Byers' announcement on May 13, that he would not grant the council permission to use the newly-built paths as cycle tracks.
The tracks were only built after the Government gave permission for footpaths on both commons to be widened to accommodate both cyclists and pedestrians in February 1996. The decision to allow this work to be carried out was taken after a public inquiry. In his ruling, Mr Byers had stated that even though the tracks had been built with Government permission, he was not going to allow cyclists to use them. His decision followed a second public inquiry last autumn.
The council will now be pressing Mr Darling to grant permission for the routes to be formally accepted as public highway so they can be used for the purpose for which they were built.
Wandsworth's cabinet member for regeneration and transport Cllr Kathy Tracey said: "We welcome the Government's admission that Mr Byers' got it wrong. His decision was particularly surprising because it was the Government which gave us permission to widen these pathways for cycle routes in the first place. It was also extraordinary that a Transport Secretary of all people would not support better facilities for cyclists."
"We hope the new Secretary of State will show some common sense and move quickly to allow local cyclists to legally use these routes across the commons.
She said any further delay or enquiry would be a "betrayal" of local people and a waste of time and money which would put cyclists at risk by forcing them to use some of London's busiest roads.
The 1996 public inquiry verdict gave the council permission to widen affected footpaths on both commons to three metres to allow cyclists and pedestrians enough room for both to safely use them. If the minister now gives permission, the asphalted pathways will be divided in two by a continuous raised white tactile segregation line denoting the separate routes for pedestrians and cyclists. Additional tactile paving will be laid at regular intervals along the pathways to assist blind and partially sighted people.
Signs, signposts and bollards denoting the new status of the paths have been designed to be as unobtrusive as possible. Signs would be as small as possible and most would be placed on existing lamp columns. Any additional posts used for signage would be made from timber and any new bollards painted green.
The Council say that the cycle routes have been designed to fit in sympathetically with their surroundings and not detract from the visual beauty of the commons. They have also been designed with the safety of both pedestrians and cyclists in mind and in particular blind or visually impaired visitors to the commons.
August 7, 2002