Mansfield District Council, which bans cyclists from the Nottinghamshire town’s pedestrianised centre, has defended its decision to host a stage start at next month’s Tour of Britain.
It also says that cyclists coming to watch the race will be welcome to ride their bikes to the start in the Market Place – provided they do so responsibly.
As we reported earlier this month, Mansfield is hosting the start of Stage 4 of the race to Newark-on-Trent on Wednesday 6 September. despite using a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) last year to ban cyclists from the town centre.
> Council that bans cyclists from town centre … hosts Tour of Britain stage start in town centre
The introduction of the PSPO was aimed at curbing anti-social riding, but Cycling UK, which is supporting six cyclists opposing the ban, has likened its use as akin to that of an ASBO.
Commenting on Mansfield hosting the Tour of Britain, the charity’s Duncan Dollimore, quoted on BBC News, said: “They are marketing the town as cycle friendly, but not to people who want to shop there.
“We would never defend cycling anti-social behaviour, but why not deal with those being stupid and not responsible cyclists.
“They are effectively saying cycling is anti-social.”
However, the council insisted cyclists would be welcome to come and watch the race and while it would encourage people to dismount from their bikes, the PSPO would be suspended for the day.
In a statement, it said that “it wants to encourage as many people as possible to support the event.
“This is a controlled event with public safety barriers in place in the town centre and rolling road blocks along the rest of the route.
“As a responsible local authority the council will be encouraging people who are choosing to attend the event on their bikes to cycle with care and consideration.” the council added.
Kate Allsop, the town’s mayor, said: “This is about safety. This event will be properly monitored and managed.
“What we don’t want is people dashing through the town centre on their bikes frightening or upsetting people.”
She added: “This is a special event and it would have been a dreadful shame if we were so inflexible that we would not host this amazing opportunity.”
23 thoughts on “Nottinghamshire town that bans cyclists defends decision to host Tour of Britain stage”
Why suspend it for the day?
Why suspend it for the day? Either cycling for transportation is eevil and should be banned, or not: they surely can’t say it’s evil one day but OK the next (because that looks a bit disjointed and even a tad hypocritical). Oh, wait: money.
They’ll be kind enough to put
They’ll be kind enough to put up a list of what is deemed acceptable and unacceptable, won’t they?
Just to save confusion, like.
Personally I think cyclists
Personally I think cyclists should avoid the event. Let them host the ToB without receiving any financial benefit from visitors spending money in the town. Hypocrisy shouldn’t be rewarded.
Probably best tell any racers
Probably best tell any racers they aren’t actually heading to Burton on Trent, instead they ought to make their way to Newark on Trent, where a large crowd (including me) will be expecting them. And they will be most welcome.
Scope for some high profile
Scope for some high profile publicity. Lots of spectators with boards protesting? Something vivisible from a chopper maybe? Nowt council could do about it.
” it would have been a
” it would have been a dreadful shame if we were so inflexible that we would not host this amazing opportunity”
Weird turn-of-phrase… ‘hosting an opportunity’, think it conveys how they see the biggest domestic cycling race.
+1 for a boycott.
Mansfield council go fuck
Mansfield council go fuck yourself, two faced, hypocritical twats!
Please, please, please, every single person who rides a bike DO NOT attend this event in protest. The tour/riders are not harmed but the not turning up makes a point about the ridiculous and very likely unlawful stance to ban people on bikes.
Thank god CUK exists and is
Thank god CUK exists and is taking on these total hypocrites.
But on the plus side, any cyclist caught riding there will be able to escape punishment by claiming that they were engaged in a race, a race like the ToB, which the council has said is exempt from this rule.
Citizens of Nottinghamshire,
Citizens of Nottinghamshire, don’t worry !
The police force will be prepared to handle all those terrorists on wheels. They’ll be wearing their riot gear and ready to use their water cannon, newly acquired for the event, to disperse the hostile cyclists crowd after the event. The school gymnasium will temporarily be used to jail the ones misbehaving and their weapon (bicycle) will be confiscated and destroyed.
The city council is looking at the possibility to declare a state of war and suspend all civil liberties for the duration of the event.
We will not let those cyclists thugs ruin our presentation of the ToB and we will make Nottinghamshire great again !
Leave the scene a ghost town
Leave the scene a ghost town and go to the next town along. Write to the local paper saying how much you spent elsewhere as you weren’t sure if you’d be arrested.
Ghost town? [/quote] Have
Ghost town? [/quote] Have you been to Mansfield: it is a ghost-town. The market-square picture is extremely flattering. They’d be better off banning the fast food and chips that normally litter it.
Chris Hayes wrote:
Have you been to Mansfield: it is a ghost-town. The market-square picture is extremely flattering. They’d be better off banning the fast food and chips that normally litter it.
[/quote]
i thought half of the places in Notts it’s going thu were odd choices as most are in the deprived mining belt. Whilst the area needs help, it doesn’t show Britain in it’s best light.
Maybe one or two areas will get a clean up as a result
It isn’t like an ASBO at all
It isn’t like an ASBO at all. It would be if they imposed a town centre ban on anyone aged 12 to 21, an ASBO for all. “Teenagers are welcome to visit the town centre as long as they behave themselves”. Isn’t that the unwritten caveat written into all life in a civilised society? As a cyclist I would go out of my way not to support the start town f this stage. Shameful high-handed approach.
Everyone should turn up in
Everyone should turn up in Gap khaki pants, white T shirts and brandishing Tiki torches….I mean it’s YOUR right to protest, freedom of speech and all that…..
The _Kaner wrote:
it’s not far off std uniform in Mansfield anyway
Shouldn’t it be the ToB
Shouldn’t it be the ToB organisers explaining why they are promoting a town which bans cycling by brining thier event here? Do the ToB sponsors really want to be associated with such a place?
DaveT wrote:
THIS ^^ I suspect a keyboard protest may cause enough ruffled feathers to get our point across… How about we all send a tweet to the organisers and sponsors saying, boycott Mansfield, and it’s not too late to change the start of the stage… there’s probably a clever hashtag in here somewhere but I really must get some work done..
Organiser twitter accounts:
@SweetSpot_Group
@TourofBritain
@mickbennett2
Main Sponsors:
@OVOEnergy
@wigglebikeshop
@eisbergwine
@Adnams
@SKODAUK
The mayor.. @MayorKateAllsop and the council… @MDC_News
And Cycling UK.. @WeAreCyclingUK
Yeah, it’s like having a beer
Yeah, it’s like having a beer and sausage festival in Riyadh.
Perhaps the Council could explain where anyone cycling is supposed to park their bikes. No stands are marked on OSM CycleLayer/Cyclestreets. After a search on StreetView I found these, and look how close they are together.
https://goo.gl/maps/dzqPxN5X7rJ2
Also, and I think this was pointed out in a previous report, signs deliberately show access permitted for motor vehicles in certain time slots but no cycles at any time.
https://goo.gl/maps/U7fpWbvSrnp
Does any other town have this?
Taken together, I think these demonstrate a degree of anti-cycling sentiment that should preclude them hosting a cycling event.
#BoycottMansfield.
#BoycottMansfield.
Like it. Requires absolutely zero effort or change to my life choices for me to be righteously on it..
With outlets like the BBC
With outlets like the BBC picking the story up
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-40974380
it is highlighting the hypocritical and ridiculous acts of Mansfield District Council.
While it may not look like a sensible decision for the ToB to go to Mansfield, I like to think the MDC is paying to look ridiculous (I might feel different if I lived their and they were spending my money).
I hope that Cycling UK win their case.
I’d encourage people to
I’d encourage people to contact the spinsors of the ToB to ask them to rethink, from OVO Energy today
“Regarding the issue you refer to, we have spoken with the organisers of the Tour of Britain and understand that there is a localised ban on bicycles being used around the pedestrianised market square for safety reasons, but can clarify that Mansfield is not a town that ‘bans cycling’ as such. “
Let’s face it, they have only
Let’s face it, they have only asked to hold the ToB there for the publicity and potential money they may raise. In order to avoid poor publicity they agree to let cyclists in for the day, but then it backfires.
Local cyclists just need to make sure they get national news, but news they don’t want!
As a cyclist who lives in
As a cyclist who lives in Mansfield and is severely affected by the PSPO ban I am now forced to ride the congested ring road with no cycling provision rather than using the deserted pedestrian areas at 7.00am in the morning.
Mansfield Council have kindly produced a video on their website of a cyclist riding the route from the start to the outskirts of Mansfield. This video starts in the area in which the PSPO applies therefore I would assume this cyclist will be getting a PSPO!! http://www.mansfield.gov.uk/article/7972/The-route
i am in two minds wether to ban the start or to use it as an opportunity to protest in a media saturated environment.