Conservative councillors from Southport have rubbished claims from Sefton Council that “hundreds of thousands of cycle journeys have been made on the town centre cycle scheme.”
Sefton Council made the claim yesterday in a press release detailing the start of refurbishment works for some of the town’s existing cycle lane measures.
But local campaigners and senior members of Southport Conservatives have questioned the data, with Cambridge councillor Mike Morris calling the figures “flawed” and “nonsense”.
Active Travel Route Monitoring figures published by Sefton Council suggest that there were 129,000 cycle journeys taken on Chapel Street and the ‘town end’ of Talbot Street between November 2020 and June 2021.
As of April this year, the data was being independently compiled by researchers from Liverpool John Moore’s University. The Council has previously confirmed this data is recorded by automatic sensor monitoring.
The Council also say that 1.62m pedestrian trips were recorded in the same time period.
Conservative Councillor, Mike Morris who represents Cambridge Ward said, “The data being put forward to support these claims is flawed. It includes pedestrians in the figures not just cyclists, doesn’t take into account the routes people take and doesn’t accurately measure usage on Hoghton Street and Queens Road. It’s nonsense.”
Thomas de Freitas, Meols Ward Conservative candidate, said, “Labour councillors based in Bootle are trying all kinds of methods to try and prove we need these cycle lanes and the proposed extensions. Residents and businesses across Southport don’t want them and it’s time those based in Bootle listened.”
The Sefton Labour Group has also been criticised for a failure to, as yet, publish the findings from the “Your Streets, Your Say” consultation that sought views from local residents on creating several new cycling routes through the town, which would create one long arterial route from Plough Roundabout up to Ainsdale, forming one major route with existing measures leading all the way to Crosby.
Cllr John Fairclough, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Locality Services, said of the plans in March: “The intention is to make it easier to move around and to improve links across the region and beyond, while also including active travel measures that support the health and wellbeing of our communities. It’s also vital that we maintain our commitment to taking positive actions in support of Sefton’s Climate Emergency objectives.”
Cllr Fairclough has also said that the plans were designed to coincide with Government policy and objectives. The Government’s Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy highlights a national objective to double the number of cycling journeys taken in the UK by 2025.
The plans have been regularly criticised by Sefton’s Conservative and Liberal Democrat groups.
Damien Moore has also previously spoken out against the plans.
Councillor Tony Brough, Conservative Leader on Sefton Council said, “Labour must release the results of the consultation sooner rather than later. The people of Southport expressed their opinion when asked and now we are being made to wait far too long for the outcome.
“What is the point in asking people for their views if you’re not going to listen and share the results. We will continue to push Labour to release the consultation results sooner rather than later and be honest with the people of Southport.”
Sefton Council’s main press office declined to comment, instead highlighting their original statement on refurbishment published yesterday.
OTS has also approached the Sefton Labour Group for a response.
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