Cycling path in upper Wivenhoe

Boertjie

I have often wondered, considering the danger and the amount of accidents that already happened, why the council has never made any effort to provide a cycle path along the road from One Stop to the university. Surely a lot of students and staff from the uni who live in Wivenhoe will find it really beneficial, let alone the rest of the cycling crowd who don't always want to go and harass the pedestrians along the Wivenhoe Trail. Personally I find it terrifying to cycle there and cannot blame those who take to the pavement. I am not really politically minded and always hate it when politicians knock on my door (voting time only, of course) and ask if I am going to vote for them. I have, however, decided that I will vote for whoever is willing to promote and really work for a cycle path in this area. I know a lot has been written on this Forum re. the speed of cars in this area. So far I have not found mention of the need for a cycle path. In the mean time, we'll just have to take to the Trail where we only seemed to be allowed by the grace of the dog walkers. Sorry.

Jason

It has long been the aim of Wivenhoe Town Council, and our local borough and county Cllr's to put in place a cycle path across the farmland that will link Wivenhoe to the University. Not surprisingly cost has been holding this back. £600,000 was the most recent figure that was put out by Wivenhoe Town Council. This covers compensating for the farmland, as well as the larger cost of re-routing utility services.

Cllr Julie Young put in a request to Essex County Council just before Christmas, asking if any of the £11m in unspent Section 106 money could be diverted for a Wivenhoe cycle path. The response wasn't very favourable - S106 is only to be spent in the wards that it was originally designated for. The tragedy is that if this £11m isn't spent, then it is lost to the public purse.

Cycling towards the University from The Avenue up is not a very pleasant experience.

Andrew

Boertie - I did mention this in the discussion headed "Incident" in December

"I would however see this a a sensible move given the number of Wivenhoe residents working or studying at the University who may feel that cycling or walking remain dangerous - perhaps a dedicated cycle path parallel to the road would also be of benefit. I know there is the Wivenhoe trail - but is this to be encouraged on safety grounds on dark nights?"

Certainly it does seem to be a prohibitive cost - must work out at about £1,000 per yard (or metre in new money...)

Maybe the farmers adjoining the road would like to comment on the compensation aspect if they are on this forum?

Jason

Ah - apt timing! A little movement on this issue: Cllr Young is meeting Rosemary Wilkins, the Cycling Officer at Essex County Council on Thursday to discuss plans for a cycle path from the Fire Station to the University. Still hope...

Biker

It's probably worth pointing out that there is a rather nice path across the fields from Jack Hatch Way (just off Chaney Road) to the University. It's a much nicer route if cycling or on foot.

I know there is the Wivenhoe trail - but is this to be encouraged on safety grounds on dark nights?"

I would suggest that either the Wiv trail or above footpath would be infinitely safer than dodging half asleep car drivers in the dark! The suggestion that one should fear crime on the footpaths is both statistically unjustified and only serves to heighten others unnecessary fear.

Andrew

I did not make any mention of crime so do not make that assumption - I said safety.

This was based upon discussions in other threads of the mix of pedestrians, animals and cyclists, with many of these, including cyclists, not always properly illuminated, together with danger from visibility of potholes, overhanging branches etc.

In addition, not all cycles are off road / hybrid even these days so for some cyclists, my self included, a proper road or paved cycle path is safer than what is basically an upgraded footpath.

For that reason I would also rule out the path across the fields and as far as I am aware that route is a footpath with no permissive right for cyclists.

Biker

I did not make any mention of crime so do not make that assumption - I said safety.

Ah, got you.
Although to be fair, I'm sure others might have used the same interpretation I did :o)

Jason

And here's the outcome from the site visit with Cllr Julie Young and Essex County Council Highways - seems that a reduced width path is now the aim, with funding coming from S106 money from the proposed University three tier car park.

It's all a game of compromise. Dragging the cycle path into the contentious University car park is a little... unfortunate.

Quotes from Cllr Young:

"ECC have started work on an amended scheme which differs by reducing the amount of land needed. This means for a stretch of amount 50 meters the cycle path will narrow below recommended width limits but will reduce cost by a substantial amount. I have given my blessing to proceed to draw up detailed plans which will be consulted upon.

Of course some people will object to this narrow section but there is a choice to be made. Stick with the original scheme, which may never be developed due to the large amount of money, needed or make some compromises to get a scheme which is more affordable. My preference is to get on with this and live with the narrow strip which is for a small section.

We briefly discussed the multi-story car park at the University and I have agreed with officers that Highways will ask for a Section 106 contribution from the development to fund the cycle path and intend to attend the planning meeting to support this proposal. I think this would be a very good compromise, the University increases parking provision but also puts money into improving cycling provision as well."

Simon

"I think this would be a very good compromise, the University increases parking provision but also puts money into improving cycling provision as well"

I don't believe this is a 'very good compromise' at all. The proposal to put a cycle path in place was around long before the car park application and if it was to go ahead then the money would have had to have been found from somewhere. Linking the two schemes like this is a dangerous game of facilitating the university to get its own way in return for throwing us a few scraps to stop us making a fuss.

Once again the university will no doubt get what it wants, whilst we get to look at a multi-storey car park on what used to be open space as we walk/cycle/drive up Colchester Road towards the junction with Boundary Road.

Marika

I agree it is a dangerous game and not much of a compromise -more a case of ' you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours' Cllr Young is fanciful in saying that "this way the university puts money into improving cycling facility..."; it does no such thing! S106 money would have to be paid on this (as yet unapproved!) scheme anyway and cannot, as far as I know, be reserved for any particular use by the payer.
[edited to add] Even if it were argued that, in a round about way this money contributes to the cycle path because it would augment the pot of available S106 money, that still begs the question how such a relatively paltry amount was needed to make the cycle path possible when the much talked about £11m in unspent S106 money is sitting around waiting to be used.

Dr_A

I use the footpath via Jack Hatch Way regularly, but after the slightest drop of rain the bottom of the hill, just past the small copse, turns into a quagmire (the cloying muddy kind - not the giggety kind...) - which means it's only truly useful during the summer, not when an extra cycle/foot path is really needed.

As for the obscene quote of £600k for a simple cycle-path. Surely this could be dramatically reduced by building a narrow footpath on the inside of the hedges surrounding the Colchester Road fields, and making the existing outer pavement into a legal cycle-path?

It would be far more pleasant for walkers, far cheaper, far less invasive for the farmer, and it would open up the possibility for dog walkers to use the inner path.

elmfoot

I'm not a regular cyclist, but must agree that the stretch of road in question is an accident waiting to happen.
The present illegal cyclist pedestrian mix is unacceptable.
This is not really why I stuck my nose in; I'd like to know what is considered 'narrow'. What would the cycle path width be normally?

Jason

A little more detail on the proposed cycle path compromise, via EADT.

Marika

"Councillor Julie Young said it would mean one 50-metre stretch of the route being so narrow there would not be room for two bikes to pass each other. Officers are now looking at a £245,000 cost for the path, which will run between The Flag pub in Wivenhoe and the university."

Costs originally quoted were £600k. I'd like to know how the 50m stretch alone, at its proper width, could have cost £355k?

Boertjie

I don't get to log in very often and was quite amazed at the amount of response to my post - certainly highlights the fact that this is a high priority for a lot of people. More amazing though is that it has been on various agendas for a long time and probably will remain there if it becomes part of Wivenhoe's ongoing wrestling with the Uni. Thank you for trying to get something off the ground, Coucillor Young. I'd much rather cycle on a narrow path than get run over by the cars.

Simon

"I'd much rather cycle on a narrow path than get run over by the cars"

I have never cycled along that stretch of road but have often sat behind cyclists in my car, or in a line of cars, waiting for the oncoming traffic to clear so I can pull out to get past. Whenever that happens I always think how intimidating and unnerving it must be for the cyclist. A cycle path is very much needed here.

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