“Mickey Mouse” wiggly cycle lane branded “Balamory from hell” set to be removed next month – to be replaced by loading bays, car parking, and vehicle access

One of the more controversial active travel schemes of recent years is finally wobbling to its inevitable, costly conclusion, with work set to begin next month to reverse a much-derided seafront cycle lane and “wiggly” road layout which campaigners claimed made the town the “laughingstock of the nation”.

Throughout 2023, North Somerset Council’s changes to Clevedon’s seafront made national headlines, after the area’s sea-facing car parking and two lanes for motorists were removed to make way for two-way cycling infrastructure and a one-way system for drivers which featured an unusual, wavy design, described as one of the UK’s “most bizarre new road schemes” by the RAC.

Despite an initial consultation finding that a majority of residents supported the council’s redevelopment plans, the layout also caused uproar from certain sections of the seaside town, prompting campaigners to hold multiple headline-grabbing protests over what they deemed to be a “Mickey Mouse” design, which had turned Clevedon into “Balamory from hell”.

Soon after the scheme’s unveiling in January 2023, the ‘Save Our Seafront’ campaign – which led a high-profile campaign against the redevelopment and penned a petition to the council attracting over 6,000 signatures – organised a conga line protest demanding action, while a “flash mob” to block the bike lane with cars followed in April.

Faced with constant complaints about the “crazy” design, wavy lines, two-way cycle lane, and loss of parking, along with the protests and national media coverage, the council agreed to hold an independent review into the scheme, which reportedly cost over £1.3 million.

> Controversial wiggly cycle lane with "Mickey Mouse" layout recommended to be ripped out following independent review

The local authority had originally suggested the scheme would improve safety, encourage active travel, and reduce unwanted parking in the town. However, in November 2023, council leader Mike Bell apologised and admitted the project was a “big mistake”.

During the review, infrastructure consulting firm AECOM heard the views of thousands of people, concluding in its recommendations that the two-way cycle lane should be removed and replaced with a contraflow lane on the eastern side of The Beach, the town’s seafront road.

And now, the council has confirmed that this work will take place in mid-February, and is expected to last 12 weeks.

Along with removing the road’s controversial wavy markings and reducing the two-way cycle path to a one-way contraflow design, the work will also restore the previous sea-facing parking, and introduce a coach pick-up and drop-off point, loading bays, and vehicle access to the promenade for boats and food vans.

However, the one-way system for drivers and 20mph zone will be retained, and the council says pedestrian crossings will be improved and planters repositioned.

The roundabout installed at the junction of Alexandra Road and The Beach will also be adjusted to a standard mini roundabout, after it also attracted complaints for merely comprising a hollow circle.

The council says new road markings and signage will be installed to prevent drivers “falling foul” of the two-year-old one-way system.

“The updates taking place are in line with public feedback gathered over the last two years,” Hannah Young, North Somerset Council’s executive member for highways, said in a statement announcing the layout reversal, which is expected to cost a further £425,000.

Speaking following the review, council leader Bell said the local authority had “got it wrong” on the scheme, and admitted it was a “big mistake”.

“We’ll have to try to find the money, it’s not going to be easy, but we will try to do that,” he said in November 2023. “The big mistake was that we implemented a scheme that wasn’t supported by the community and I’m really sorry that happened.

“We didn’t get the consultation and engagement right, it took place during the Covid pandemic and, as a result, we’ve delivered a scheme that didn’t work for people. We’re under immense financial pressure, as are all councils. I would not wish to be in this position if we could have avoided it.

“But the right thing to do is to try to deliver some changes and deliver a scheme that works for the people of Clevedon and that’s what we’re going to try to do.”

> Senior RAC figure hails "common sense has prevailed" as "bizarre" wiggly cycle lane to be removed

Meanwhile, in the wake of the council’s decision to reverse the controversial road layout, the RAC’s Simon Williams said common sense had “prevailed over the bizarre Clevedon seafront road scheme” and that “locals will now be celebrating that more people will be able to park and enjoy looking at the seas and the historic pier as well as visiting hospitality businesses”.

“Many will also be thinking how so much tax-payers money could have been spent on such a simple scheme, let alone one which turned out to be so deeply unpopular,” Williams told GB News.

“There are also surely questions to be answered as to how this was ever classed as an ‘active travel’ scheme considering how short the cycle lane is. For this reason, we struggle to see how this would ever help to get people out of their cars, which was one of the stated aims of the project.”

However, one local cyclist explained at the time how the row had seen the town become “very anti-cyclist”, while another said the campaigners were “disproportionately vocal” and that their protest was “completely misplaced because people can’t see what the future could be”.

“It’s the car lobby that is ruling the roost and I think that’s wrong,” Howard Parker said. “They have to recognise that if they want parking they’re going to have to park round the corner and that’s not such a big imposition.”