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Cyclist fined almost £600 for ignoring Mansfield’s bike ban

Message that “people on bikes aren’t welcome in Mansfield” is reinforced by the fine, says Cycling UK

A cyclist caught riding his bike in Mansfield town centre, where cycling is banned under a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), has been ordered by a court to pay almost £600 in fines and costs, with Cycling UK saying that it reinforces the perception that “people on bikes aren’t welcome” there.

Christopher Cobb, aged 22, was spotted by a council neighbourhood warden heading on his mountain bike from Market Place to the Nottinghamshire town’s library, reports the Mansfield Chad.

He got off his bike after being told to do so, but 10 minutes later the same warden saw him riding on West Gate and given a fixed penalty notice in the sum of £100.

After failing to pay it, Cobb was summonsed to appear at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court but failed to appear and, with no plea entered, was fined £440 plus £100 costs and a victim surcharge of £44.

Mansfield District Council’s portfolio holder for safer communities, Councillor Bill Drewett, commented: “Cycling has been prohibited in the pedestrianised area of Mansfield town centre to protect pedestrians.

“There are alternative routes around the town centre or cyclists can act in a responsible fashion and get off and push their bicycles through the town centre.

“This cyclist had the opportunity to pay a much lower fixed penalty of £100 but chose to ignore it which is why he is now facing a much higher penalty as a result of the case having to go to court.”

Introduced last year in a bid to combat anti-social cycling, Mansfield’s PSPO received national attention in August after road.cc reported that Stage 4 of last month’s Tour of Britain was scheduled to start in the part of the town where cyclists are banned, with BBC News among the outlets that subsequently reported on it.

> Council that bans cyclists from town centre … hosts Tour of Britain stage start in town centre

Last year, Cycling UK, acting through the cyclists’ defence fund, said it was supporting an appeal by six cyclists against the PSPO in what is believed to be the only legal challenge yet brought against a local authority in connection with the controversial legislation.

That appeal has not yet been heard, with the charity telling road.cc that the case has been adjourned since the Home Office were revising their guidance on PSPOs, and the circumstances in which they should be made, and because Mansfield Council were prepared to consult again, with a view to varying the PSPO.

That consultation has now been launched in response to the revised Home Office guidelines. It remains open until 25 October and Cycling UK is currently drawing up its response.

The council proposes changing the times the PSPO is in effect from 24 hours a day to between 6pm and 7am, as well as reducing the area to which it applies.

 Duncan Dollimore, head of campaigns at Cycling UK, told road.cc: “A fine of nearly £600 for cycling in the town centre sends a very simple message: people on bikes aren’t welcome in Mansfield, unless of course the Tour of Britain’s coming to town for a stage start, when all of sudden cyclists aren’t a menace and a danger to pedestrians, but can be welcomed with open arms.

 “Hopefully Mansfield Council will reflect on the reputation they’ve created for themselves as the town that doesn’t like cyclists, and consider the revised Home Office guidance on PSPOs during its new consultation on proposed variations to the existing bicycle ban,” he continued.

“They might like to ask themselves whether they’re really tackling anti-social behaviour, or just imposing a ban because they think they can.”

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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81 comments

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Deeferdonk | 6 years ago
3 likes

"One has a moral obligation to disobey unjust laws" MLK said that. He was always riding his bike in town centres I reckon.
Anyway do these neighbourhood warden chaps have the power to detain, or to order you to identify yourself?

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ClubSmed replied to Helmut D. Bate | 6 years ago
1 like

Helmut D. Bate wrote:
ClubSmed wrote:

Helmut D. Bate wrote:
ClubSmed wrote:

schlepcycling wrote:

Why did he even bother to stop, should have just kept going or refused to give the cockwomble warden any details.  I suspect the wardens don't have the power to detain.  Stop for the police but not for these numpties.

What exactly did this Warden do to deserve you calling them a "cockwomble" and a "numpty"?

1) They are a jobsworth warden 2) enforcing a stupid rule. They probably have other attributes, but cockwombliness and numptiness can be assumed with some confidence.

There is no indication that this warden was a jobsworth, in fact he did not fine initially which would actually indicate that they were not a jobsworth.

As for the rule itself, I do not agree with it but equally having never lived in the area and have not researched it so I do not know what sort of issues they were having to deal with that led to this order being put in place. Until either of these 2 criteria are met then I will try and keep an open mind. If, for example, they had issues with bag snatchers on bikes operating in the area then it would make as much sense as installing bollards at each end of a pedestrianised area to stop ram raiders. If they were just doing it because they are all backward and have issues because they feel children should hibernate between the ages of 12-20 and not be seen hanging out in public space on their skateboards and bikes it is another matter....

 

It's always for that latter reason, miserable misperception of 'yoof' - same as the moaning about kids pulling wheelies. Plenty of posts about it being nonsense. I'm confident it's a bullshit rule implemented for bullshit reasons. And we have someone who has taken a job to uphold nonsense like this, who has actually upheld this rule. I'm confident they're a jobsworth.

Why on earth would you think that Wardens should be able to pick and chose what restrictions to enforce?
I for one do not want a Warden deciding not to enforce parking fines for cars parking on double yellows in a cycle lane because they believe it's "a bullshit rule implemented for bullshit reasons"

I have a lot of respect for Wardens, they do a job in very bad circumstances and get no recognition for it. I would like to see more Wardens out there enforcing traffic regulations and making it harder for drivers (and other road users) to ignore the rules that are there for a reason.

 

*Edit

I may be confusing Neighbourhood Wardens with Traffic Wardens (as I am not sure what the difference is or if there even is one)

 

*Edit part II

I was confusing the roles as a Neighbourhood Warden seems to deal with community wellbeing and issues fixed penalty notices for antisocial  behaviour such as dropping litter, graffiti and dog fouling. So a better analogy would be, should a Neighbourhood Warden be allowed to not enforce graffiti laws because he is a Banksy fan? My opinion is no, because it is not their role to pick and chose which rules to enforce, it is their role to enforce them. If anyone has issue with this then they should take it up with the relevent authority and not bully the person trying to make a difference to the community.

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Sir Wobbly | 6 years ago
2 likes

Having been to Mansfield a few times I've always thought it was an unfriendly dump. This confirms it.

I'll do my best to avoid it in future. There are much nicer places to visit and spend my hard-earned.

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BarryBianchi | 6 years ago
0 likes

Pretty silly to be cycling in a toilet anyway.

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don simon fbpe replied to simonmb | 6 years ago
3 likes

simonmb wrote:

rdmp2 wrote:

Misleading- there was initially no penalty for cycling where not permitted. For the second offense within minutes he was fined £100. The larger fine was only for not appearing at the magistrates court

This.

There are areas we can't ride, we can't drive, we can't walk. Fact. He was warned.

He clearly has no respect for the laws and deserves the fine. 

Because the law is ALWAYS right, as Mrs Pankhurst used to say.

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Helmut D. Bate replied to ClubSmed | 6 years ago
1 like
ClubSmed wrote:

Why on earth would you think that Wardens should be able to pick and chose what restrictions to enforce?

I don't.

I'm second-guessing the type of unemployable little Hitler that applies to be a warden in the first place, then continues in the job, unquestioningly enforcing the rules that other social deviants in the local council have come up with.

The rule is horseshit. The warden is a genital.

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Joden replied to don simon fbpe | 6 years ago
0 likes

don simon wrote:

Quote:

Mansfield District Council’s portfolio holder for safer communities, Councillor Bill Drewett, commented: “Cycling has been prohibited in the pedestrianised area of Mansfield town centre to protect pedestrians.

“There are alternative routes around the town centre or cyclists can act in a responsible fashion and get off and push their bicycles through the town centre.

Would I be correct in thinking that these alternative routes are likely to roads? Those very roads that appear on a daily basis in Road.cc's close pass articles.

But hey, we're only cyclists until election time.

The alternative route is the inner ring built back in the 70's when the idea of getting around on a bike had no place in the modern world of the Austin Allegro.

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JonD replied to Crippledbiker | 6 years ago
3 likes

Crippledbiker wrote:

I've had this discussion with a warden in Guildford, who basically told me that they didn't care about careful cycling on the (pedestrianised) highstreet and only went after cyclists who were acting like tits. .

Which is sensible, and actually follows the (home office ?) guidance brought in a decade or more ago.

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JonD replied to jaysa | 6 years ago
2 likes

jaysa wrote:

And we wonder why cycling is getting a bad rap at the moment!

In my view, he disregarded a law he found inconvenient, then ignored the legal process that follows. What an idiot.

Motorists are not going to treat us with respect if some of us behave so irresponsibly.

New around here are you ?  4

Look, as much as RLJer's annoy me to a minor degree for the same reason, the fact remains that the same usual twats will find the same usual shite to throw at cyclists despite how few offenders there are. Likewise the same old 'road' tax, insurance, blah fecking blah. I've had arguments on my local area forum with these same sort of knobbers and all they see is 'arrogant' cylsts for daring to be cluttering up 'their' road.

*sigh*

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JonD replied to oozaveared | 6 years ago
3 likes

oozaveared wrote:

 

 

I don't agree with this rule,  but it is the rule and legally and properly in place.  He was warned. He was given a FPN then he played more silly buggers.   Since we are vulnerable road users I think it would be better if all road users obeyed the rules and the laws.

 

 

Home office guidance. Helps if you read it, it was released when fixed penalty fines for riding on the pavement were brought in.

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Spike64 | 6 years ago
4 likes

The reasoning behind the introduction of the PSPO was to remove a minority of individuals intent on causing trouble whilst in possession of a bike from a shared user space . The PSPO cycling restriction banned cyclists from this area 24 hours per day 7 days per week

The effect was to force responsible commuter cyclists onto a busy ring road with little or no cycling provision whilst pedestrian areas at commuter times remained deserted. Induviduals  intent on causing trouble whilst in possession of a bike ignored the PSPO.

Mansfield District council are currently out to consultation proposing the no cycling restriction is relaxed to allow cycling before 6.00am and after 7.00 pm.  Not sure how this will benefit the average commuter?

The ironies:-

a) Vehicle access for loading and unloading is permitted Sunday to Monday  all day and before 10.00am and after 4.00pm Thursday to Saturday.

b) Vehicle access for persons with mobility difficulties is still allowed

c) The PSPO was recently withdrawn when the Tour of Britain stage was started within the PSPO  area. This means that cyclists are welcome in a Mansfield but you must be a member of a professional cycling team to be welcomed!

d) Mansfield has recently been awarded the title of the most obesee area in Nottinghamshire and is regularly in the top 5 areas in the country for adult obesity.

 

The facts!!!

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beezus fufoon replied to Spike64 | 6 years ago
1 like

Spike64 wrote:

Mansfield District council are currently out to consultation proposing the no cycling restriction is relaxed to allow cycling before 6.00am and after 7.00 pm.  Not sure how this will benefit the average commuter?

 

are you sure? - the above article says, "The council proposes changing the times the PSPO is in effect from 24 hours a day to between 6pm and 7am..." which makes more sense, even though it's some unsociable hours for those wardens to work through

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Spike64 replied to beezus fufoon | 6 years ago
1 like

beezus fufoon wrote:

Spike64 wrote:

Mansfield District council are currently out to consultation proposing the no cycling restriction is relaxed to allow cycling before 6.00am and after 7.00 pm.  Not sure how this will benefit the average commuter?

 

are you sure? - the above article says, "The council proposes changing the times the PSPO is in effect from 24 hours a day to between 6pm and 7am..." which makes more sense, even though it's some unsociable hours for those wardens to work through

the article is wrong. The PSPO restriction would prevent cycling between 6.00am and 7.00 pm. The councils opinion is that there is busy pedestrian traffic in the 13 hours between 6.00am and 7.00pm.

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tonyleatham replied to dafyddp | 6 years ago
1 like

dafyddp wrote:

Mansfield - about 4 miles from Sherwood Pines MTB trails and a million miles away from welcoming cyclists.

In Leicester, just down the road, all our main city-centre shopping streets are either shared use or have purpose built cycle lanes. We have a few moaners, but I doubt very much that the accident rate is any higher. It just feels like a modern European city.

Leicester may be a modern city, but it has a disinterested police force.

I have exchanged several letters with Lord Bach, Leicestershire Police and Crime Commissioner to try and figure out how I can submit footage of close passes. During this exchange, I was told I could report online. This is not true as when I tried, I was told "this is not classified as a crime under National Crime Recording Standards" so they ignored the report.

I was also told that the close pass initiative was carried out during the summer because there are more cyclists on the road. They seemed to have missed the point that it's not cyclists but traffic that carry out close passes, and during the summer traffic levels drop significantly. They didn't find a single instance of a close pass so have concluded that there isn't a close pass problem in Leicester and so won't allocate any resources to policing the problem.

So the videos I have of motorists getting too close, going on the right-hand side of keep left bollards to overtake me, emerging from junctions into my path, and swearing at me for simply existing (many of whom drive without MOT and/or Tax) must be a figment of my imagination then

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Morgoth985 replied to tonyleatham | 6 years ago
2 likes

tonyleatham wrote:

Leicester may be a modern city, but it has a disinterested police force.

 

Uninterested.   Having a disinterested police force is pretty important.

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BarryBianchi replied to Morgoth985 | 6 years ago
0 likes

 

Uninterested.   Having a disinterested police force is pretty important.

 

 

Really?

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ClubSmed replied to Helmut D. Bate | 6 years ago
1 like

Helmut D. Bate wrote:
ClubSmed wrote:

Why on earth would you think that Wardens should be able to pick and chose what restrictions to enforce?

I don't. I'm second-guessing the type of unemployable little Hitler that applies to be a warden in the first place, then continues in the job, unquestioningly enforcing the rules that other social deviants in the local council have come up with. The rule is horseshit. The warden is a genital.

They did not reach for the fine book straight away which would indicate that they are not some little Hitler. Another part of their job according to the .gov website is "telling the council and other authorities about environmental problems" so it would seem that questioning the rules and status quo is actually a part of their role.

You appear from all your comments that you are just being a closed minded, self opinionated bully.

 

*Also, if he is unemployable how can he be employed in this role????

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Morgoth985 replied to BarryBianchi | 6 years ago
1 like

BarryBianchi]</p>

<p>[quote=Morgoth985 wrote:

 

Uninterested.   Having a disinterested police force is pretty important.

 

 

 

Really?

 

Yes, really.  Roughly speaking:

Uninterested = don't care. 

Disinterested = making decisions unbiased by the prospect of personal gain.

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BarryBianchi replied to Morgoth985 | 6 years ago
1 like

Morgoth985 wrote:

Yes, really.  Roughly speaking:

Uninterested = don't care. 

Disinterested = making decisions unbiased by the prospect of personal gain.

 

You have fallen into the common misconception trap. As the OED will reveal, Distinterestd also means "Having or feeling no interest in something; uninterested."

Not good.

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Morgoth985 replied to BarryBianchi | 6 years ago
1 like

BarryBianchi wrote:

Morgoth985 wrote:

Yes, really.  Roughly speaking:

Uninterested = don't care. 

Disinterested = making decisions unbiased by the prospect of personal gain.

 

You have fallen into the common misconception trap. As the OED will reveal, Distinterestd also means "Having or feeling no interest in something; uninterested."

Not good.

 

Well well well.  Interesting, if you'll pardon the slightly weak pun.  I didn't know that.  I was of course writing originally without the benefit of the OED in front of me, but I just went and looked it up and you are indeed correct.  

However, my copy (it's the Shorter OED, but that will have to do) also has a footnote pointing out that the meaning you have given is now (ie in modern times, not historically) commonly regarded as incorrect.  I think in light of this I'll stick to having it my way.  But amusing to know that nothing is ever as clear cut as you think.

Have a nice day.

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andyp | 6 years ago
0 likes

What a twonk.

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STiG911 | 6 years ago
0 likes

Leaving aside the fact that this guy was an utter cockwomble for not doing as he was told in the first place, I'm assuming that the fines for cyclists aren't anywhere near in proportion for parking fines in Mansfield?

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BarryBianchi replied to Morgoth985 | 6 years ago
0 likes

Morgoth985 wrote:

  But amusing to know that nothing is ever as clear cut as you think.

Have a nice day.

 

I find the "NFI" generally covers all angles of the Dibble.

 

U2

Avatar
brooksby replied to Helmut D. Bate | 6 years ago
2 likes

Helmut D. Bate wrote:
ClubSmed wrote:

Why on earth would you think that Wardens should be able to pick and chose what restrictions to enforce?

I don't. I'm second-guessing the type of unemployable little Hitler that applies to be a warden in the first place, then continues in the job, unquestioningly enforcing the rules that other social deviants in the local council have come up with. The rule is horseshit. The warden is a genital.

I don't think that issuing fines is what Hitler was most well known for...

Avatar
BarryBianchi replied to brooksby | 6 years ago
2 likes

brooksby wrote:

I don't think that issuing fines is what Hitler was most well known for...

Indeed, his lightness of foot in a foxtrot and his mastery of watercolour brushwork are still talked about to this very day.

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severs1966 | 6 years ago
4 likes

I am amused by contributors who write expressions like "motorists aren't going to treat us with respect unless x, y and z".

This misses the truth. Motorists aren't going to treat people on bikes with respect. They just aren't. The behaviour of anyone under any circumstance has no impact on this fact.

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whobiggs replied to jaysa | 6 years ago
1 like

jaysa]</p>

<p>[quote=schlepcycling wrote:

What an idiot.

Motorists are not going to treat us with respect if some of us behave so irresponsibly.

 

Whereas if we rode around like drivers do ie speeding/tailgating/using phones etc/and jumping red lights they would?

 

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kingleo | 6 years ago
0 likes

It is ok to cycle through the pedestrianized center of one of the most prosperous shopping towns in the UK - Kingston.

Avatar
Helmut D. Bate replied to ClubSmed | 6 years ago
2 likes
ClubSmed wrote:

Helmut D. Bate wrote:
ClubSmed wrote:

Why on earth would you think that Wardens should be able to pick and chose what restrictions to enforce?

I don't. I'm second-guessing the type of unemployable little Hitler that applies to be a warden in the first place, then continues in the job, unquestioningly enforcing the rules that other social deviants in the local council have come up with. The rule is horseshit. The warden is a genital.

They did not reach for the fine book straight away which would indicate that they are not some little Hitler. Another part of their job according to the .gov website is "telling the council and other authorities about environmental problems" so it would seem that questioning the rules and status quo is actually a part of their role.

You appear from all your comments that you are just being a closed minded, self opinionated bully.

 

*Also, if he is unemployable how can he be employed in this role????

Unemployable in a proper job where you're paid to use judgement and not just follow rules belched up by fat, jealous motons.

We disagree. You've been personal. I haven't. And I'm closed-minded, self-opinionated and a bully?

You're a warden, aren't you...

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