Calls are being made to remove cycle lanes and allow traffic back onto a number of roads in Southport town centre.
Southport councillor and Sefton Conservative Leader Cllr Mike Prendergast, wants to see the cycle lanes along Hoghton Street, Chapel Street, Talbot Street and Queens Road removed as soon as possible.
He also wants to see parking spaces reinstated.
Cllr Prendergastwill call for the scheme to be reversed at the full Sefton Council meeting at Bootle Town Hall this Thursday (18th January 2024).
Earlier this month, Sefton Council said that its schemes to install the cycle lanes are due to be made permanent.
The local authority says its Active Travel scheme, between Southport’s Queens Road and Talbot Street, has been used more than 2,500,000 times since it was introduced.
Data along the route also revealed a 40% reduction in the number of accidents since the scheme was introduced.
Councillor Prendergast said: “It is abundantly clear that the people of Southport do not want these lanes. They are not wanted by residents and they have been hugely damaging to local businesses.
“They are barely used and the parking that has been removed to accommodate them has harmed businesses along the roads impacted.
“I run my own business and I know how hard it is to attract customers and clients without your local council actively making it harder for people to get to you and reducing the parking options outside your door.
“They are damaging local businesses, limiting access to town centre services to those who rely on their cars and have reduced the amount of parking available in Southport town centre.”
Earlier this month, a Sefton Council spokesperson said: “By encouraging people to make local journeys by walking, cycling or wheeling, the scheme is contributing to local people’s health, the local and wider environment, as well as making safer conditions.
“And it is supporting improvements to connectivity throughout the town and its public realm alongside the work of the Town Deal Les Transformation des Southport scheme.”
“While the scheme has been a success and has proved popular with many people locally, we do not consider this to be evidence that the scheme is perfect and are listening to all feedback received to see what further improvements can be made.
“Some businesses who responded raised concerns and the Cabinet Member is being asked to support steps to explore short, medium and long term improvements to address those issues.”
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