Residents "outraged by having to walk an extra few yards from their car" accused of "trying to stoke fear and opposition" against major cycle lane project

A major active travel project in the West Yorkshire market town of Todmorden has divided opinion, Facebook comments sections, online petitions and fundraisers all part of the now-familiar controversy that often appears when councils make plans to change communities to improve walking and cycling access.

Active Todmorden cycle lanes project is one of eight proposals that make up a £17.5m Town Deal of investment, the scheme to be funded by central government and overseen by the town's board backed by Calderdale Council. However, while many have expressed positivity at the investment in the area, the plans aiming to "improve access for all", there has been criticism from an outspoken section of the community angered at the loss of parking spaces and the claimed effect on business.

A cycle route along a main road into the town is proposed, alongside improvement to "provide an accessible, attractive, legible pedestrian environment in the town centre". The organiser of a fundraiser, which has so far raised £1,280, with "all funds to be spent opposing the unpopular initiatives" argues the cycle lane "will cause months of disruption to the middle of town, discouraging residents and tourists from visiting and affecting retail and hospitality businesses in town".

That, added to the potential loss of the town centre's main car park and some street parking elsewhere, has caused noticeable anger online, with those donations and numerous posts and comments on Facebook highlighting the discontent of some.

"The cycle lane is the next biggest waste of money," one resident wrote. "Nobody will use it, just like all the new crossing that money got spent on. Whoever is in charge of spending and the passing of ideas to throw money at needs sacking. Todmorden is being turning into nothing more than a congestion nightmare. I've lived here all my life and I'm getting to the point that I really dislike the mess it's turning into."

However, another commenter suggested "a lot of folk are basically spreading misinformation about the project", a scroll further up the same post on Facebook showing a bizarre comment from someone claiming to live in New Zealand spouting conspiracy theories about cycle lanes and 15-minute cities being "all part of the UN Agenda — get people out of their cars, reduce road widths and parking areas".

"Those trying to stoke fear and opposition to the proposed cycle lane"

A petition has been set up in response to much of the online noise about the projects, with residents signing to state that they support the cycle infrastructure proposals. At the time of writing it had a little over 900 signatures.

Its organiser explained: "This petition is to counter those trying to stoke fear and opposition to the proposed cycle lane in Todmorden, which during consultation showed significant support. We support this scheme and the roll out of more cycling and mobility projects across Calderdale. 

"Lots more people would like to cycle more to get around Calderdale but feel there are blockers in both infrastructure and road safety that prevent them from doing so. Reallocating road space is part of the solution. We need to show there continues to be strong support locally for such measures. Please support our petition to ask Calderdale to deliver on active travel schemes. Despite some localised and vocal opposition, the support is there."

Chris, who has signed the petition, added: "I think there are just as many people who want people to be able to choose their own safe means of transport as there are people who are so outraged by having to walk an extra few yards from their car they feel the need to put up a load of banners claiming to represent everyone."

Likewise, another wrote: "Providing safer cycling routes benefits us all. It encourages more of us to consider whether car is the best choice for today's journey, it takes traffic off the roads, it improves air quality, and in many cases it means that more people shop and eat locally."

Amid the noise, Calderdale Council has pledged to hold public sessions at the market next month, Councillor Sarah Courtney telling the BBC: "It's really important that we get the right scheme for Todmorden.

"We know some people have concerns about the scheme in its current form [and] as the project lead we will now review how this particular section fits with the other parts of the scheme and explore alternative options for that particular location so we can deliver a scheme that works for the programme and for Todmorden."

[Todmorden Town Deal]

According to the project's website, active travel works were expected to begin this autumn, with the upgrades to be completed by next summer, and it is to be funded by £3.2m of the overall £17.5m Town Deal to provide an "accessible and attractive pedestrian environment in the town centre and on the routes into the town, improve pedestrian access and strengthen links between the rail station to the town centre, establish a spine walking and cycling network, using the Burnley Road corridor for connections north/south."