"First-of-its-kind" cycling roundabout will improve safety and reduce congestion, council promises... but outraged residents claim it will "undoubtedly disrupt our lives in significant ways" and "cause carnage"

Work has begun on a new Dutch-style cycling roundabout in Hertfordshire, the council celebrating the scheme and promising improved safety and reduced congestion as more people are encouraged towards cycling — however, some residents have been outspoken in their opposition to the project, which they claim will "cause carnage" and "undoubtedly disrupt our lives in significant ways".

Hertfordshire County Council's highways contractor began work on Monday (6 January) to build a "first-of-its-kind" Dutch-style roundabout on Boundary Way in Hemel Hempstead. While it may be a first for the county, similar designs have been proposed and implemented elsewhere in the country in recent years.

The design, which is "safer for those walking and cycling" will see a dedicated space for people cycling to pass the whole way around the roundabout while protected from traffic, in theory removing the danger from the route. It also will include widened footways and new pedestrian crossings, the council's executive member for highways and transport telling the BBC it will "increase access, improve health and air quality, and help to reduce congestion".

> Dutch research finds cyclists increasingly at risk at roundabouts

"Our aim is to offer all residents a cleaner, greener, healthier Hertfordshire," he said. "The Dutch-style design will be a first-of-its-kind in Hertfordshire and offer residents more freedom and choice when travelling on foot or on their bike. By increasing access to walking and cycling initiatives, we'll improve health and air quality, as well as helping to reduce traffic congestion."

Construction is expected to be completed in the summer, the roundabout remaining open via temporary traffic lights for the first week of works, before it will be closed and a diversion route in place. A consultation was held in 2020/21 and following concerns from local residents and businesses, one-way access on Three Cherry Trees Lane will be maintained during the first few months of the scheme.

A petition has been launched by a portion of the community who have claimed the project will "dramatically affect a large proportion of Hemel Hempstead residents who utilise this key road daily for access" and the works will "undoubtedly disrupt our lives in significant ways for six months".

"Roadworks are essential, but the planning must consider the impact on the residents it is set to affect. According to the Department for Transport, in 2019 there were 4 million miles of roadworks in the UK, causing a total delay of 53.6 million hours — a colossal waste of time for the public. 

"Rather than closing Three Cherry Trees Lane entirely, we must find a solution that enables roadworks to happen and allows us to continue with our lives with minimal disruption. How? One possible solution is to carry out roadworks only during off-peak hours.

"Hemel Hempstead and Woodhall Farm residents cannot afford the time and anxiety wasted on diversion and disruption due to road closure. We respectfully petition for the proposed plan to be reconsidered urgently. Let us unite to keep Three Cherry Trees Lane open during these planned roadworks. Help ensure our concern is heard: Sign this petition!!"

Despite the change that Three Cherry Trees Lane is now to remain open in one direction, the petition's founder has still asked locals to "document the increase time to your journey and take photos of congestion".

> These controversial cycle lanes caused uproar — but what actually happened once infrastructure was installed?

"Please send these via Facebook," a petition update states. "This evidence will be passed onto the Hertfordshire Highways in the next few weeks to aid their review." 

The comments from those who have signed the petition take a similar stance, one claiming the roadworks will "cause carnage" and a second claiming they "won't be able to get my child from nursery".

Another wrote: "The length of time from the disruption is inconsistent with benefits, we have already seen the huge delays and environmental impact the four-week closure caused to thousands of road users. A six-month closure would be chaotic."

One commenter called the roundabout "a total waste of time and money" and said "nobody" had seen the consultation as it "was slipped into a lengthy local plan". "Why is the council run by idiots?" the comment ended.

The council's line is clear — that the roundabout will boost safety, reduce congestion in the long-term and improve air quality, all while linking other active travel projects.

"We are introducing a 'Dutch-style' roundabout at Boundary Way to make it safer for those walking and cycling," Hertfordshire County Council stated. "The improvements include a dedicated space for people cycling around the entire junction, separated from vehicle traffic, as well as pedestrian crossings and widened footways."

Similar designs have been introduced in Cambridge, Sheffield and other UK towns and cities in recent years. In 2023, a cycling campaign group in Harrogate bemoaned a "huge disappointment" as cycle lane and Dutch-style roundabout plans were scrapped from an £11.2m 'Station Gateway' project.

However, the Sheffield roundabout has, like the Hemel Hempstead plan, been subject to outspoken criticism from sections of the community. Last month it was branded an "expensive disaster area" by some drivers who bizarrely claimed it was "pandering to the few that don’t even pay to be on the roads".

> "Good to see those who don't pay road tax getting priority": New "unsafe" Dutch-style roundabout will add 45 minutes to journeys in hilly city where "most people can't cycle", confused drivers say 

Sheffield City County responded to the comments by insisting the roundabout will manage the speed of traffic and "increase safety for everyone".