Dear Messenger: Andrew Richards

Local resident, Andrew Richards, has written to Tesco Manager, Mark Collings to complain about the new cycle lane on Spital Hill.

Dear Mr Collings

I'm writing about the cycle lane on Spital Hill built as part of the planning permission for the new Spital Hill Tesco store. This cycle lane is built wrongly. Specifically, it is built according to the original plan submitted, rather than the revised plan after consultation. This means that it is far too narrow in places, making it dangerous. Vehicles passing cyclists may be caused to misjudge the space they have available to overtake; in turn cyclists are likely to feel threatened on this stretch of road due to inadequate width of the cycle lane. This is a pity, since it should be a very useful stretch of cycle lane, particularly with it being on an uphill stretch where slow moving uphill cyclists would benefit from the protection a cycle lane would give - were it wide enough.

You may have seen the article in the August 2011 issue of the Burngreave Messenger "Road Changes at Spital Hill" about the narrowing of the footway to provide road changes for the new store: Alas therefore that so far this has delivered the Messenger publicised disadvantage of a loss of width for pedestrians and a not (yet) fit-for-purpose cycle lane.

Taken together with the news in the most recent Messenger that the public realm improvements for Spital Hill are in limbo, it begins to look like Tesco is not honouring its commitment to the community in which it exists. It's therefore easy as a local resident to become resigned to broken promises. Whilst the Spital Hill public realm improvements may be the Council's responsibility, I understand that the correct construction of the cycle lane is in fact Tesco's responsibility. Here is an opportunity for Tesco to show it cares by honouring its commitments and replacing it with one following the revised cycle lane plan. Does Tesco care?

I hope you will be able to address this issue quickly and look forward to your response.

Yours Sincerely,

Andrew Richards