Yorkshire district to reverse 117-year-old cycling ban

Rules which ban cycles from parks in Selby, Yorkshire, will be overturned in a move to make the town more cycle friendly.

Citing a desire to create a Tour de Yorkshire legacy, the district council wants to change by-laws adopted in 1899, which it says no longer represents the way parks and open spaces are used.

Parks that could see bike bans reversed include Selby Park, and Portholme Road, Leeds Road and Denison Road open spaces, reports the York Press.

Yorkshire awarded 2019 UCI Road World Championships

Cllr Richard Musgrave, lead councillor for housing, leisure, health and culture, told the Press: “Cycling is a growing activity in the district and we want to encourage as many people as possible to get out on a bike and lead healthier, happier lives. The changes to the council’s by-laws will allow more people to enjoy the public spaces on their bicycles.”

Musgrave cites the growing popularity of the Three Swans Sportive and Tour de Yorkshire as catalysts encouraging cycling in the region. He believes the move will help make the district “a more cycling friendly destination for both residents and visitors”.

Last week it was announced Yorkshire will host the 2019 Road World Championships, a huge step in the county’s growing love affair with cycling, which began with the Grand Depart of the Tour de France in 2014 and continued through the popular annual Tour de Yorkshire, launched in 2015.

The bid to host the eight-day event was submitted jointly by British Cycling and Welcome to Yorkshire, with Prime Minister Theresa May saying in August that “The government will underwrite the event and back it with £24m of investment so that we can get even more people to visit the region."

The Worlds will include individual and team time trials as well as junior, under-23 and elite races, with starts in North, South and West Yorkshire, as well as the East Riding.

British Cycling president Bob Howden has promised that it will be "the biggest UCI Road World Championships in history."