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Around the World in 80 days - York Theatre Royal

‘Intolerable and incredibly dangerous’: Anger at plan to route vehicles onto cycle path – and cyclists into traffic

Terry Avenue in York. Photograph © Allan Harris on Flickr
Mon 20 May, 2019 @ 8.11 pm Environment, Transport Chloe Laversuch - Local Democracy Reporter

A petition launched against plans to close a main route into York city centre while flood barrier work is carried out racked up more than 200 signatures in a few hours.

Part of Terry Avenue near Rowntree Park would be shut to cyclists as part of the Environment Agency’s 18-month flood alleviation construction programme in Clementhorpe.

But construction traffic would be routed along Terry Avenue, on what is now a cycle and pedestrian byway.

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Cycle campaigners say closing the route for that length of time would be “equivalent to closing Fulford Road” because it is a key link to the city centre for pedestrians and cyclists.

And residents have complained the plan is “intolerable” and “incredibly dangerous”.

Not enough thought

The York Cycle Campaign raising awareness near Terry Avenue. Photograph:
Kate Ravilious, from York Cycle Campaign, said:

  • We totally support the need for flood defences but we don’t feel there’s been enough thought put into alternative access arrangements and whether the path does have to be closed.

    It affects York city-wide, it’s an absolutely key transport link.

    On the alternative route we are being directed towards you are thrown out onto the Fishergate gyratory and Skeldergate Bridge – those do not feel safe to many people.

    We are asking the Environment Agency to think again and come up with something that’s less disruptive.

She added that many people were “shocked and horrified” to hear the route is due to close.

‘Proposals are farcical’

A number of residents have already objected to the traffic plan. Comments include…

Robert Dick
The additional traffic along the diversionary route would be intolerable. At present there is some conflict between
pedestrians and cyclists since the dividing line was removed on New Walk and the extra traffic would make it more dangerous.


Jane McLeod
Allowing road access to taxis, building site vehicles and camping park visitors through the top of the park and along the river would make this an incredibly dangerous area at all hours of the day.


Rebecca Dodgson
The traffic management proposals for this scheme are farcical. The use of the riverside road Terry Avenue, via Butcher Terrace, for all construction vehicles, Roomzz traffic, caravans for the caravan park has been ill thought out. It is not wide enough for two way traffic and I can see little options for passing places.


Abigail Gaines
Butcher Terrace is used by numerous children crossing to get the Knavesmire School and also children going to the
Steiner School across the bridge. Even now that road is difficult to cross at key times. Adding construction traffic, access for deliveries to the hotel, caravan club and park traffic will make this road even more problematic.


‘Most viable’ choice

An aerial view of the River Ouse and Rowntree Park showing Butcher Terrace and Terry Avenue. Photograph © Google Street View
A spokesman for the Environment Agency said the scheme is a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to better protect the community, but there is limited access to the site.

A traffic plan prepared by the organisation as part of the planning application says shutting the route could create “a significant level of disruption” and the cycle route should be diverted across Millennium Bridge on to the other side of the river “totally clear of the area”.

The Environment Agency spokesman said Clementhorpe and Terry Avenue are at high risk of flooding and, as access is limited, Butcher Terrace was chosen as the “most viable” route for works vehicles.

He added:

  • An allocation of funding to York following the flooding of winter 2015 has given us a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity to deliver a flood alleviation scheme in Clementhorpe and it remains a priority.

    Our aim is to better protect Clementhorpe, one of the city’s few undefended communities, from its existing flood risk and the future implications of climate change.

    We will continue to work with City of York Council’s highways department, and listen to the views of local groups and residents to ensure our work causes the least disruption possible, as well as minimising environmental impact.

Micklegate councillor Jonny Crawshaw added: “Any major building work will always have a negative impact during the period of construction and I completely understand the distress this can cause.

“I remain very keen to ensure that the Clementhorpe community is protected from flooding and at the same time we must ensure that cyclists and pedestrians have a safe and easy route into town.”


He said the cycle route around Skeldergate Bridge is “inadequate” and hopes there will be ways to improve the current diversion plan as well as permanently upgrading the route for cyclists.

All the planning application documents are online here.

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Mon 20 May, 2019

1 Comment
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Edgar
3 years ago

Extra cycle traffic along New Walk as a result? But I thought when you close roads the displaced traffic just went away? That’s what the cycle campaigners said when the Labour council closed Lendal Bridge. In fact – however dumb it sounds, and however untrue it turned out to be – that was supposedly one of the reasons for the plan in the first place. Apparently, like so many rules, it doesn’t apply to cyclists.

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