New Forest National Park Authority member responds to concerns over spending of £3.75m DfT cash

Good to see a politician engaging with the electorate. While not a resident I do know the NF area very well, it's a beautiful place that is perfect for cycling and the constant stream of NIMBY-generated bad press for the area saddens me.

I am concerned that the renegade member thinks that he can step out of the frame and level blame at all the rest of his colleagues - a committee must stand by all of its decisions. If you're not happy with a decision or the reasons for it then it must be challenged at the time, not later when someone outside starts pointing out the issues.

I just had a quick look and found I did have access to the account I sent the email from, and found them, I emailed you (01/08/2013) and you did respond promptly and I take it back you did take some very limited action. You cc’d a council employee who has seemly completely ignored you and I.

The facts are, nothing has changed the problem is still there. I've personally never seen a parking warden there before or since, nor any ticketed vehicles.

I've tried asking people politely to move their cars and park them elsewhere and have been either walked away from or verbally abused in front of my young son in his buggy. One of which astoundingly was from a lady who seems to run a child minding service along that route who frequently has parents blocking the route completely. Another motorist told me I should simply find another route to cycle on, she simply wasn't going to move her car or stop parking there.

No I didn't follow it up with you again as I’d already tried with all the relevant authorities, yourself and one other Totton councillor and frankly I gave up. You and everybody else made it absolutely clear that nothing was going to happen and no matter who I spoke to or contacted it was always going to be somebody else’s problem.

Create all the cycle routes you like, if they are just blocked and treated like overflow parking for the lazy, what’s the point of any of them, bar a pointless box ticking exercise for the council\councillor.

Anyway, here are links to a pdf with both emails, and a number or example photos that I sent you at the time.

Regards
Keith

Emails:
http://tinyurl.com/np72emt
Photos:
http://tinyurl.com/mz8a6k6
http://tinyurl.com/n4asyvp
http://tinyurl.com/lx4984c
http://tinyurl.com/kv4s2y4
http://tinyurl.com/kgpuzgt
http://tinyurl.com/lsyjtpv
http://tinyurl.com/qdbesge

Councillor Harrison, I am local and I have contacted you about persistent parking along the A35 spicers hill pavement/cycle route between rushington roundabout and colbury. I admit you did respond but in your response you said there was nothing you could do and that was that basicly. No action was taken and its still parked on daily in the same places and by same cars/drivers.

I don't have access at home at the moment to post my emails and your response but I will do that tomorrow including the dozen or so photos I sent you too. I could also take some up to date photos to showing the same problems still happening today with the same cars.

I do not appreciate being called a liar!

I don't know the exact proposed route of the matchwood-totton cycle route you propose as I've simply not seen the plan. I agree its a good idea I personally probably wouldn't use it (but i know others that would) because I don't live in totton anymore nor marchwood, we live in a small village a few miles up the road from totton in the New forest and I commute by bike via that route to my job in Southampton.

So if that means I'm not local enough for you to follow up on my case then that's a real shame.

As I said I will post my email, your response and example photos for you and others tomorrow. Regards Keith

Welcome to the site Mr Harrison.

This is for you

The bad press about New Forest people in general has meant I am in no hurry to go there with my cash (yes, we drive too).

Local residents that are NOT anti-cyclist need to speak up ... that Anne woman (parish councillor or something) who I had an email debate with last year after she stuck signs onto trees with nails complaining about cyclists killing cows still annoys me, and is what I now assume the majority of residents there feel about me quietly cycling down the road.

Lots of places to go here in the UK - New Forest is faaaar down my list, and only because of bad press.

Why do government depts when they get money feel they have to spend it. As I understood it the money was for a scheme which no longer had the go ahead. So send the money back so it can be spent on something useful. Too often taxpayers money is wasted on projects because people have to spend it.

I live in the are and its a shame how a few people spoil an event a couple of days of the year. There are no problems at any others times so please do bring your bikes to the new forest

It has sent out entirely the wrong message, adding to a public perception that the New Forest is an unfriendly place for cyclists.

He's right about that. All these articles have given me a very bad impression of the people of New Forest and I'm not in any hurry to visit the area again. Nor would I encourage anybody else to go. It may not be an accurate impression and I'm sure there are plenty of nice, normal people in New Forest but I still have no desire to go there.

Although councillor Harrison makes all the right noises he is a lone voice in a crowd of bigoted cycle haters.

Also in my own personal experience he's all talk and no action! He did absolutely nothing with the issue I approached him with, which was persistent parking blocking an off road cycle route/ pavement. it's parked on and blocked daily! Still! I'd already tried the police, local council and county council, all a waste of time.

If he gets "his" cycle route for his local communities I bet any cars blocking it would get moved ASAP

I have never know a Lib Dem to do anything but fence sit and then sidle -up to the side that looks like it'll win.