Southport Lib Dem councillors are calling on colleagues on Sefton Council to make clear their opposition to any proposal to introduce Cycle Lanes in Birkdale Village.

At next week's Council meeting being held on Thursday 4th March, Birkdale Lib Dem councillor Simon Shaw has submitted a motion on the issue. It points out that, despite repeated claims made in recent months, the Council has put forward no proposals whatsoever for Cycle Lanes to be installed in Birkdale Village.

Councillor Shaw's motion https://modgov.sefton.gov.uk/documen...le%20Lanes.pdf goes on to set out the arguments against any such plan and ends by calling on the Council to state its opposition to the idea.

"As Lib Dems we are keen to see safer cycle routes through Southport including Birkdale, but that doesn't have to mean more of the Hoghton Street-style Cycle Lanes," commented Cllr Shaw.

"There have been lots of highly misleading claims going round suggesting that the Council is planning to instal Cycle Lanes in Birkdale Village but there are simply no plans at present to do so. Furthermore I can see no way that council officers would put forward such a proposal."

The Lib Dem motion brands the idea of Cycle Lanes as being "wrong for a number of reasons including them being unnecessary, dangerous and damaging."

"We say they are unnecessary because motor traffic speeds are quite low already; they would be dangerous because of the increased risk of cyclist/pedestrian collisions; and damaging because of the loss of parking and its impact on a thriving retail centre."

The Birkdale Village cycle proposal was always a Tory electioneering construct. A deliberately emotive fantasy scheme, specifically designed to get peoples backs up against cycling and win votes at the forthcoming local elections......Just like the shameful tactics used by the 'leave' campaign during the Brexit referendum - scaremongering with false facts, to win undeserved votes!

Agreed, PNP.

When the Tories were challenged repeatedly over recent months to produce some evidence to support their allegations off Sefton's supposed dastardly plan to drive cycle lanes through Birkdale Village or Churchtown etc, they never came up with the goods.

Originally Posted by SalusPopuli

Agreed, PNP.

When the Tories were challenged repeatedly over recent months to produce some evidence to support their allegations off Sefton's supposed dastardly plan to drive cycle lanes through Birkdale Village or Churchtown etc, they never came up with the goods.

yes they did! they showed the councils document which Cllr shaw is now highlighting to back up his question .

Originally Posted by town36

yes they did! they showed the councils document which Cllr shaw is now highlighting to back up his question .

Only problem is that the council document DOESN'T show what the Tories were claiming. In fact it clearly said something else.

As PNP said, the Tories deliberately distorted what was written in this council document to pretend that was some dastardly council plan to drive cycle lanes through Birkdale Village.

Are Cllr. Shaw and other LibDems trying to have it all ways, here?
Cllr. Shaw appears to be proposing a motion disowning non-existent Cycle Lane proposals.
PROPOSED BY: Councillor Shaw:

That this Council:
(1) notes that there have been repeated recent claims made in the local Southport media that Sefton Council plans to introduce Cycle Lanes in Birkdale Village …
…
(3) notes, however, that paragraph 4.8 referred to does not refer to Cycle Lanes (as opposed to "safer cycling routes"), …
etc.

Cllr. Shaw's motion goes on to say "Cycle Lanes" are "(a) unnecessary, (b) dangerous and (c) damaging."

1. Unnecessary because motor traffic speeds in Birkdale Village are already low because of driver awareness of the high number of pedestrians crossing at multiple points from one pavement to the other.
2. Dangerous because the introduction of Cycle Lanes in Birkdale Village would significantly increase the risk of cyclist/pedestrian collisions as pedestrians crossing the road would have no alternative but to also cross the Cycle Lane(s).
3. Damaging because such Cycle Lanes within Birkdale Village could not be introduced without having profound adverse effects on parking provision.

In the light of the above, this Council states its opposition to any proposal to introduce Cycle Lanes in Birkdale Village.

Cyclists in Birkdale have the unusual good fortune that Birkdale drivers are aware of cyclists [owing to] pedestrians crossing roads back and forth. However less fortunately, those same pedestrians pose a risk of collision with cyclists (in the event Cycle Lanes were, in fact, installed!) So, pedestrians and motor vehicles can mix; cyclists are fine mixing with vehicles; but take away street parking and carnage ensues!

Go figure?

Originally Posted by SalusPopuli

Only problem is that the council document DOESN'T show what the Tories were claiming. In fact it clearly said something else.

As PNP said, the Tories deliberately distorted what was written in this council document to pretend that was some dastardly council plan to drive cycle lanes through Birkdale Village.

In effect, 'much ado about nothing'!

Originally Posted by sandGroundZero

Are Cllr. Shaw and other LibDems trying to have it all ways, here?
Cllr. Shaw appears to be proposing a motion disowning non-existent Cycle Lane proposals.
PROPOSED BY: Councillor Shaw:
Cllr. Shaw's motion goes on to say "Cycle Lanes" are "(a) unnecessary, (b) dangerous and (c) damaging."

1. Unnecessary because motor traffic speeds in Birkdale Village are already low because of driver awareness of the high number of pedestrians crossing at multiple points from one pavement to the other.
2. Dangerous because the introduction of Cycle Lanes in Birkdale Village would significantly increase the risk of cyclist/pedestrian collisions as pedestrians crossing the road would have no alternative but to also cross the Cycle Lane(s).
3. Damaging because such Cycle Lanes within Birkdale Village could not be introduced without having profound adverse effects on parking provision.

Cyclists in Birkdale have the unusual good fortune that Birkdale drivers are aware of cyclists [owing to] pedestrians crossing roads back and forth. However less fortunately, those same pedestrians pose a risk of collision with cyclists (in the event Cycle Lanes were, in fact, installed!) So, pedestrians and motor vehicles can mix; cyclists are fine mixing with vehicles; but take away street parking and carnage ensues!

Go figure?

Reading your posts is like an opthalmic test are there no more fonts you can use if you are striving for some sort of record.