Hopes cycling's "great boost to struggling high street" will not be lost as plan to let cyclists ride pedestrianised key shopping street not approved, goes to consultation instead

A cycling campaign group reasserted its "strong support" for a trial to open up an "ideal place for cycling", lifting a cycle ban on a key shopping street in what could be a "great boost to [a] struggling high street", after the council's transport chief opted to order a consultation on the project rather than approving it.

It was expected that at a meeting last week Andrew Gant would approve the plan to allow cyclists to ride along Sheep Street in Bicester, however This is Oxfordshire reports that he instead accepted concerns from several outspoken councillors who have urged against the trial and wanted to see a consultation carried out.

The shopping street has been pedestrianised for three decades, the Experimental Traffic Order (ETO) a move to allow cyclists access to the route that Bicester Bike Users' Group says has "ample" room for bicycle riders and pedestrians to co-exist safely.

"We strongly support the proposed trial," the campaign's secretary Paul Troop told the council meeting. "Sheep Street is the ideal place for cycling. It's quiet, up to 25m-wide with defined pavement and road areas."

He also pointed out a key point made by Bicester Bike Users' Group Chair Catherine Hickman during the past few months, namely that the alternative is "unenforced cycling" and the "worst of both worlds". Hickman has previously argued that due to the lack of enforcement, "the least responsible cyclists" cycle along Sheep Street regardless, the ban only serving to deter people who would otherwise access the route safely.

Instead, opening it up to allow those who have travelled into the town by bike access to the street, it could prove to be a "great boost to the struggling high street".

"It's really wide and spacious with a delineated central 'road' area and ample wide pavements. Almost all week the footfall is very light. Guidance and research indicates that it would be the ideal place for combining walking and cycling, so we'd really like to see the current cycling ban lifted, at least on a trial basis," Hickman told road.cc.

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"If we don't give it a go, it's hard to know how well it will work. It would be a great boost to the struggling high street, as well as encouraging healthy and sustainable travel choices. The current situation is unworkable because the current blanket prohibition is not enforced anyway. This means that the least responsible cyclists cycle regardless, causing aggravation and resentment towards cyclists.

"More responsible cyclists either have to lock their bikes out of sight at either end of the street as there is no provision for cycle parking along the street, push their bikes the whole way, or leave their bikes at home and choose to access the town centre by car instead.

"For some disabled cyclists, pushing a bike is very difficult or not possible. It's therefore really frustrating that some of the local councillors say they are 'totally opposed' even to a trial."

A spokesperson for the coalition of Healthy Streets and Active Travel agreed, calling the current restrictions on cycling "ridiculous" and saying that "every study of cyclist-pedestrian interaction shows it to be safe".

And while some of the criticism of the plan has centred around pedestrian safety, especially on days when Sheep Street hosts markets, campaigners have pointed out that there is rarely the same concern about large HGVs and delivery vehicles accessing the route to supply businesses.

"Their priorities seem all wrong," Hickman suggested. "Cycling responsibly along the street would be relatively low risk, particularly as there is space, and it would provide a safe route given that there are no alternative routes that actually have safe cycle provision. It's also worth mentioning that Sheep Street is part of NCN route 51."

At the council meeting, Gant acknowledged the views of local councillors demanding the "lack" of listening to the public is addressed, but outlined that he does not "have to agree with" the calls for a consultation. However, granting the consultation he said he "would like to respect that and ask officers to take this away and bring it back".

Calling a consultation "the right thing to do", Gant said this would not mean it would become a referendum, although the responses will be "analysed and brought back".

Several councillors have formed the opposition to the proposal, Conservative representative Donna Ford saying there had been "so many residents" contacting her with concerns.

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"The safety of pedestrians and the impact of these plans on our historic market are the main points residents have been raising," she said. "I welcome the fact the people of Bicester will now get a formal say; however, I am concerned their views might be ignored given Oxfordshire County Council’s track record of ignoring consultation results."

Her colleague Michael Waine alleged the lack of public consultation to this point risked "a major infringement of the democratic rights of the most important group of people".

Last week, Thames Valley Police weighed in on the discussion, calling the decision a "tricky one" but that it appears the council is "only trying to formalise what is the norm".

"Allowing this could set a precedent for other similar locations. Dare I suggest Queen Street in Oxford. This location has been the source of misuse by cyclists for many decades despite the restriction and also a burden on use," a spokesperson said. "This is probably one of those proposals that will split public opinion."