Norwich Cycling Campaign has slammed the council’s suggestion that cyclists avoid a busy junction which is not “designated as a pedalway” and instead stick to other routes, after it ignored cyclists’ plea for additional infrastructure in the wake of a new bus scheme, with fears that cycling is being made “more dangerous by design”.

A major change has been proposed by the Conservative-controlled Norfolk County Council on the junction of Dereham Road and Grapes Hill in Norwich, which will see existing lanes altered and kerbs moved to help the flow of traffic, with the council also hoping to improve bus journey times through this scheme.

However, cyclists have pointed out that this would mean that cyclists are left even more unprotected than before, as the cycle lane along Dereham Road is disjointed, stopping and starting at random without any connectivity.

Peter Silburn from the Norwich Cycling Campaign told road.cc: “A number of schemes have gone out to consultation, all of which have been to the detriment of cycling. We have raised this with council officers but they have said that since they are bus schemes they do not need to take cycling into account.”

He raised a question to the Infrastructure and Development committee last week, asking if the council can ensure that the scheme also improves the roads for cycling, in line with LTN 1/20, the government’s guidance on building cycle infrastructure.

However, he was told by the chair of the committee that “spatial constraints exist when implementing schemes on existing highway corridors.”

Silburn told road.cc that the reference to ‘spatial constraints’ is “clearly a misnomer”. “Gear Change clearly states: ‘If it is necessary to reallocate road space from parking or motoring to achieve this, it should be done.’,” he said.

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“There are schools and shops on this section of the road. Should people not cycle to these?”

At a Cabinet meeting earlier this month, Green councillor Jamie Osborn also questioned if the proposals would make an “already dangerous” junction worse for cyclists, highlighting issues with the existing cycle lane in Dereham Road ending “abruptly”.

Graham Plant, the cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport, replied: “This section of Dereham Road is not promoted as a cycle route and does not have any designation as a pedalway.

“For those cycling into the city from the west of Norwich, the green pedalway provides an alternative route using West Pottergate, and there is a Neighbourhood route using Orchard Street and Heigham Street, both of which avoid this busy junction.”

He added: “Unfortunately, there is insufficient space to provide additional cycle infrastructure without significantly reducing the capacity of the junction, which would introduce unacceptable levels of congestion and delay for all users.”

In September last year, Plant had taken the decision to disband a committee of councillors which met publicly to discuss highways projects, replacing it instead with a steering group that will hold meetings in private, as meetings of the Transport for Norwich joint committee were all too often mired in controversy.

Cyclists had slammed the decision, calling it “outrageous” and that the perceived lack of transparency will “erode public trust”.

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Following Cllr Plant’s recent statements, Silburn questioned if he was suggesting that the junction was a “no-go area” for cyclists. He said: “Dereham Road is a well-used route for people on bikes precisely because it’s the quickest way to the places people want to get to. There are schools and shops on this section of the road. Should people not cycle to these?

“Mr Plant suggests cyclists instead use the Green Pedalway. The Pedalways cycle network is not intended to be the only streets that you can cycle on. Its aim is to provide a coherent network of safe cycle routes that are especially useful for newcomers and beginners.

“There is nothing special about Dereham Road, it’s a normal road that the County Council has a responsibility to ensure that it is safe for all users. We are therefore concerned that by design cycling is being made more dangerous.”

road.cc has contacted Norfolk County Council for comment.