On Tuesday evening, Sefton Council’s Overview & Scruitiny Committee met to consider the results of the cycle lane consultation, which was published earlier this month.

The consultation results showed overwhelming opposition from Southport residents, with not one of the dozens of questions receiving more than 50% support.

Following the publication of the results, Southport Conservatives and local MP Damien Moore have demanded that Cllr John Fairclough, the council Cabinet Member who will make the final decision on the scheme, announce that the plans will not be going forward.

The committee meeting took place for members to share their views with Cllr Fairclough prior to the final decision being made, however the cabinet member pulled out of the meeting last-minute as he was ‘occupied elsewhere’.

The committee has 11 members – one Conservative, one Liberal Democrat, and nine Labour.

Speaking following the meeting, Conservative Councillor Sinclair d’Albuquerque said:

‘I made clear at the meeting that the council failed at their core aim – to secure broad public support for their plans.

‘Southport Conservatives are the only party who have consistently been opposed to the cycle lane scheme since the ‘temporary’ lanes were added last year.

‘I am disappointed that Cllr Fairclough decided not to show up, considering the whole point of the meeting was to share our views with him. I have asked for a further meeting with him and all 21 councillors who represent Southport – rather than just the four who sit on the committee – so that he can understand just how strongly we feel about this issue.

‘Residents in Southport can be reassured that the local Conservative team will continue to fight against these plans.’

The smallest party in Southport are in no position to make demands or accuse others of a lack of support.

If there was some degree of logic to the Conservatives anti-bike stance, articles like this might even start making sense......

But here we are, on the brink of tipping the planet into runaway #Global Warming, with our only hope being to drastically cut CO2 emissions. Desperate for solutions, our Council attempt in all good faith to encourage the people of the Borough to cycle more and drive less. And what happens? Some anti-bike numbskull pops up and tries to put his spanner in the works - duh!

Originally Posted by The PNP

If there was some degree of logic to the Conservatives anti-bike stance, articles like this might even start making sense......

But here we are, on the brink of tipping the planet into runaway #Global Warming, with our only hope being to drastically cut CO2 emissions. Desperate for solutions, our Council attempt in all good faith to encourage the people of the Borough to cycle more and drive less. And what happens? Some anti-bike numbskull pops up and tries to put his spanner in the works - duh!

And the same councillors will regularly trot out the line that Bootle Labour underfunds Southport, yet when the Council get money from the Conservative government to spend on walking and cycling improvements in Southport the Southport Conservatives simply state no improvements are needed and offer no alternatives to the current proposals.

Originally Posted by salus.populi

The smallest party in Southport are in no position to make demands or accuse others of a lack of support.

Maybe not, but the majority of people in Southport are, and as such have made their views clear.

Originally Posted by Billd

Maybe not, but the majority of people in Southport are, and as such have made their views clear.

Where have over 45,000 people expressed a view on the subject?
All I've seen is a small consultation response , a rabid Facebook group with a few hundred members where those who disagree with the Tories who run it are banned, plus the usual entrenched suspects here.
Nowhere near the majority of Southport.

Originally Posted by salus.populi

Where have over 45,000 people expressed a view on the subject?
All I've seen is a small consultation response , a rabid Facebook group with a few hundred members where those who disagree with the Tories who run it are banned, plus the usual entrenched suspects here.
Nowhere near the majority of Southport.

Of those that expressed a view, the MAJORITY don’t want these proposals to go ahead. That doesn’t mean that anyone who didn’t respond is in favour. You’re as deluded at the forum nutcase.

Originally Posted by justbecause

Of those that expressed a view, the MAJORITY don’t want these proposals to go ahead. That doesn’t mean that anyone who didn’t respond is in favour. You’re as deluded at the forum nutcase.

The majority expressed the view that they wanted less traffic in their area.
But the fact many of them are prepared to do absolutely nothing to reduce their own car usage means inconvenience will be imposed on them.

Originally Posted by justbecause

Of those that expressed a view, the MAJORITY don’t want these proposals to go ahead. That doesn’t mean that anyone who didn’t respond is in favour.

Those who didn't respond were obviously not against, or they would have said so. In other words, there was very little opposition voiced by the population as a whole. And on that basis, the plans should go ahead imo.

Originally Posted by The PNP

Those who didn't respond were obviously not against, or they would have said so. In other words, there was very little opposition voiced by the population as a whole. And on that basis, the plans should go ahead imo.

And there was even less support voiced by the population as a whole.

Originally Posted by justbecause

And there was even less support voiced by the population as a whole.

This is going round in circles....So, lets try putting it this way: If the scheme were to be implemented, there would be no great outcry from the population as a whole.

Originally Posted by The PNP

This is going round in circles....So, lets try putting it this way: If the scheme were to be implemented, there would be no great outcry from the population as a whole.

And while anyone may have the audacity to have an opinion that differs from yours, it always will.

Originally Posted by justbecause

And while anyone may have the audacity to have an opinion that differs from yours, it always will.

Ditto right back at you.

Originally Posted by salus.populi

The majority expressed the view that they wanted less traffic in their area.
But the fact many of them are prepared to do absolutely nothing to reduce their own car usage means inconvenience will be imposed on them.

Is this the same logic that Blair used to justify a war in the Middle East based on manufactured evidence? "If 1,000,000 people protested against going to war, then, by failing to protest, more than 50,000,000 were for it".

looking at the plans how will coaches be able to access the parking at both the Prince of Wales or the Talbot hotel ? Both fetch revinue into the town. I occasionally exit Part St onto Eastbank St . A pain waiting for a gap sometimes, putting more traffic onto Eastbank St will cause me to put more pollution into the air as I wait for a gap in the traffic. Its been thought up by over educated under knowledged people who have never visited Southport.