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Bath and North East Somerset Council says construction will begin this autumn on a contraflow cycle lane through Royal Victoria Park, as part of a £2.35 million walking, wheeling and cycling programme. In a consultation, 84% of 864 respondents opposed the plans, while supporters say a protected route could help less-confident cyclists travel between Weston and the city centre. The council says the changes will address safety concerns on an existing shared path; the evidence behind the scheme and the precise construction schedule have not been provided in the source material.
Work is due to begin this autumn on a new contraflow cycle lane through Royal Victoria Park in Bath, despite opposition from many local consultation respondents who say an existing shared path already serves cyclists. Bath and North East Somerset Council says the £2.35 million scheme will improve connections between the Upper Weston suburbs and the city centre and address concerns about cycling on the park’s diagonal shared path.
The route will run beside the western and southern sides of the park’s one-way ring road, allowing cyclists to travel against the direction of motor traffic. The council’s plans include new pedestrian crossings, resurfacing footpaths on both sides of the road, and tulip-shaped wand kerbs to separate the cycle lane from traffic. The council has also said eco-sensitive heritage lighting will be installed at regular intervals.
According to the council, the scheme is intended to make cycling safer and more welcoming by addressing what it describes as dangerous use of the existing shared path, which crosses diagonally through the park. The road that cyclists will use when leaving the city has a 10mph speed limit and traffic-calming chicanes, the report said. The new route is part of the Bath Walking, Wheeling, and Cycling Links programme.
Opposition was substantial in the consultation: 84% of 864 respondents objected, with the most common stated reason being that cyclists could already travel through the park. The figure describes responses to the council’s consultation; it does not establish how all park users or Bath residents feel. The council’s revised plans followed a public consultation and added crossings, footpath resurfacing, physical lane separation and lighting.
A Dispute Over Safety and Access
The disagreement centres on what makes the park safer and more useful. Supporters say a protected route could give children, older people and less-confident cyclists a quieter connection between Weston and the city centre. Dan, a local cyclist and parent, said he welcomed a route separated from cars for children learning to ride and for visitors who were less confident on a bike.
Opponents question whether another cycling route is needed when a shared path is already available, and raise concerns about crossings, cyclist speeds and the route’s setting. Some also argue that a secluded park path may feel unsafe after dark, even with lighting. Those concerns matter because the project changes how cyclists, pedestrians and drivers will share a public green space, rather than simply adding a route with no effect on other users.
Andy Watson, who helped organise a meeting of residents opposed to the scheme, said some park users felt their concerns had not been properly addressed. He and other opponents are asking the council to pause implementation, meet users and explain the evidence behind its decisions. The source material does not report whether the council will do so.
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How the Park Route Changed
Royal Victoria Park is one of Bath’s largest public green spaces and has a clockwise, one-way ring road. Earlier proposals drew criticism from residents and local Green Party members, who argued that the park’s isolated and unlit character could make cycling there at night feel unsafe for women and children.
After consultation, the council submitted revised proposals. These added pedestrian crossings, resurfacing on both sides of the road, protective wand kerbs and planned lighting. The original designs had proposed a painted cycle lane, according to the report. Local Green councillor Saskia Heijltjes said the revised lighting would not resolve all concerns, arguing that a secluded, quiet park route can still feel socially unsafe.
Views among cyclists are also divided. Some respondents say cyclists can already use the diagonal shared path, while others say the new route could provide a calmer link for people who are not comfortable riding on roads. The council’s stated objective is to connect Upper Weston with the city-centre network; the report does not set out the detailed route alternatives considered.
“I can’t really understand what problem this is solving.”
— A local cyclist quoted in the council consultation
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Questions Before Construction Begins
The source report does not give an exact start date, a construction timetable or details about possible access restrictions in the park while work is under way. It also does not provide the council’s evidence for its view that the current shared path is being used dangerously, or explain how the route’s safety will be evaluated after opening.
It is not clear whether the council will meet opponents or pause any part of implementation. The consultation result records the views of its 864 respondents, but the report does not describe the survey’s method or establish whether those respondents represent all park users. The extent to which new lighting will address concerns about night-time safety remains disputed.
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Council Plans for Autumn Works
The council has announced that construction is expected to start this autumn, alongside resurfacing and the installation of crossing points. The available report gives no more precise schedule or description of how the work will be phased. Further council information would be needed to confirm start dates, temporary arrangements for park users and the planned completion date.
Residents opposed to the scheme have called for a pause and a meeting with the council. Whether officials respond to that request, or provide further detail on the safety case and monitoring plans, remains unknown. For now, the confirmed development is that the council intends to proceed with the revised route and associated works.
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Key Questions
Where will the new cycle lane run?
It is planned along the western and southern sides of Royal Victoria Park’s one-way ring road, with cyclists travelling against the direction of motor traffic.
When is construction due to start?
The council says work will begin this autumn. The report does not give an exact date or completion schedule.
Why does the council say the lane is needed?
The council says it wants to address concerns about cyclists using the existing diagonal shared path and create a safer, more welcoming connection between Upper Weston and the city centre.
How many consultation respondents opposed the plans?
84% of 864 respondents to the council’s public consultation opposed the scheme, according to the report. That figure applies to consultation responses, not necessarily to the views of all Bath residents or park users.
What changes were added to the revised plans?
The revised proposals include pedestrian crossings, resurfaced footpaths, separating wand kerbs and planned heritage lighting. The council has not provided a precise construction timetable in the source report.
Source: rss
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