The row over a cycling infrastructure project in Gloucester — which has attracted criticism for the way parts of the city centre’s historic paving stones have been resurfaced — is rumbling on.

Last year, Lib Dem councillor Rebecca Trimnell took on her own party, which runs Gloucestershire County Council, and called out the “disgraceful” plans for a newly paved cycle lane (part of a wider county-crossing ‘cycle spine’ project) and active travel improvements which she said would see “historic” paving stones resurfaced with tarmac “mess” to facilitate the cycling and walking routes.

Gloucester cycle route plans
Gloucester cycle route plans (Image Credit: Gloucestershire County Council)

Now, with the construction underway, Cllr Trimnell is back in the local press raising concerns with the impact the active travel infrastructure will have on the city’s aesthetics.

“No consideration has been given to the historic nature of the city,” she told the Gloucester News Centre. “It has changed the whole ambience of this area of the city and certainly not in a good way.

“I have been getting a lot of complaints from residents and rightly so, anyone who remembers what this area was like prior to these works would say that it has simply been wrecked. I went for a walkabout with officers from the county who tried to reassure me that it would look okay, after the last time I objected to the York stone being taken up outside the church on Northgate Street. Personally, I wasn’t convinced then and I am even less convinced now.”

Comments on social media suggested some in the community agree with the councillor, others suggesting it has made the road layout more confusing too. However, there was also a local resident arguing parts of the city centre’s cobbled paving need “sorting” due to trip hazards, and another saying the new cycle route is “the least of the city centre’s concerns”.

In response to the criticism and concerns, Gloucestershire County Council has insisted the construction phase remains ongoing and a contractor will apply an imprinted asphalt finish to some sections on footways.

“This process involves heating the asphalt and pressing a patterned template into the surface to replicate the appearance of hand-laid paving stones,” a spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

“The surface is then coated in a colour specifically chosen to complement the surrounding environment. This method not only maintains the visual integrity of the area but also offers practical benefits, being more flexible and quicker to install, resulting in much less disruptions to businesses in the area.”