Cyclists could enjoy traffic-free days on Cheddar Gorge as 80% back proposal... but opposition claim "people will be run over by bikes" and "Putin's election was fairer"

Traffic-free days at Cheddar Gorge have taken a step closer to becoming a reality after a consultation saw more than 80 per cent of respondents express support for the idea that closing the road to motor traffic would make the site more accessible for pedestrians, cyclists and other non-vehicular visitors.

The Mendip Hills National Landscape Team said the support for one traffic-free day a month — 71 per cent saying they wanted to see it on a Sunday, while just 17 per cent were not in favour of the road closure — is exciting and the project will be advanced to the next phase, which will see discussions with partners and the Highway Authority to "decide on the best options", although the team did mention the potential for an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) to be used to implement the closure.

Jim Hardcastle from the Mendip Hills National Landscape Team said he was "thrilled to have had so much positive feedback" and stressed that "valuable and interesting points which we will carefully consider" include "the speed at which cyclists may come down the Gorge, the impact on local businesses, the provision of parking and space for vehicles to turn around, and concerns about the length of the diversion route and impact on other roads nearby".

However, he said, "We are confident that we can take these concerns into account when deciding on the next steps in the process."

Despite less than a fifth of the 1,700 respondents expressing opposition to the road closure, the news of the project moving on to the next stage prompted wild criticism and complaints on Facebook, a vocal opposition to the road closure flooding the Mendip Hills National Landscape Team with negative comments.

Some questioned what percentage of respondents were local residents, while another accused the consultation of being "nonsense" and less fair than "Putin's election".

"When you hear the demographic who were polled, they were always going to get the answer they wanted. My only surprise is that it wasn't 90 per cent instead of 80," 
Ché Moore commented.

Another, from Chris Maunders, said: "Leaving it open to pushbikes is a ridiculous idea. To be honest they are more dangerous than the cars because you cannot hear them and they come down that Gorge [at] over 30 miles an hour. People will be run over by bikes all over the place."

However, Steve Wilson also commented: "How can something as innocuous as this get so many people so angry? I wonder if all those shouting about it now, took the same minimal time to actually respond to the consultation?" Likewise, Vanessa Winchester pointed out the vocal opposition was to a plan to close the road for "only one day a month".

The project has been funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to explore the possibility of opening up the beauty of the country's highest inland cliff and the twisting road that runs through the Gorge to more people by closing the road to traffic once a month, enabling horse riders, cyclists, pedestrians and those with limited mobility who might otherwise be unable to enjoy the normally busy road.

During the six-week consultation process, feedback was sought, "especially from local residents", the majority expressing support for the closure.

On top of the headline figure that more than 80 per cent agreed it would make the route more accessible for pedestrians, cyclists and other non-vehicular visitors, and 71 per cent would like to see the road closed on a Sunday, around half of respondents (48 per cent) said they would enjoy the traffic-free environment.

When it came to walking groups, 47 per cent who responded said they would use the route on traffic-free days, while 46 per cent of cycling groups and 45 per cent of families also expressed interest in the idea of utilising the road closure to enjoy the Gorge. A third of respondents said they would like to see live music events, and a quarter said they would like to see theatre performances as part of wider events put on around the road closures.

"We are thrilled to have had so much positive feedback to this proposal and we are grateful to everyone who took the time to respond. We have received many comments expressing support from those who would be more likely to visit the Gorge on traffic-free days to enjoy the beauty and tranquillity of the area," Jim Hardcastle, the manager of the Mendip Hills National Landscape Team said.

"There were some respondents who raised valuable and interesting points which we will carefully consider. These include the speed at which cyclists may come down the Gorge, the impact on local businesses, the provision of parking and space for vehicles to turn around, and concerns about the length of the diversion route and impact on other roads nearby. We are confident that we can take these concerns into account when deciding on the next steps in the process.

"We are excited to take this project into the next phase, and look forward to improving this picturesque location by opening it up to a wider range of visitors. Over the next few months we will be working with partners and the Highway Authority to decide on the best options. Look out for updates from us later in the year.

"There has also been some feedback that covers issues outside the scope of the temporary road closure. These include road improvements, support for local businesses and improved public transport. While these are out of our direct control, we appreciate this feedback being raised with us and will share it with partners who are well placed to respond."