Whitby area cycling issues need to be urgently addressed, says campaign group

But Whitby’s cycling infrastructure is not up to scratch and needs to be addressed with some urgency, according to campaign group Whitby Community Network.

Andy Jefferson, one of the trustees of the group, said the town is among the lowest in terms of uptake in cycling in North Yorkshire, with one cycle path, for leisure use, and nothing to aid commuting use.

He said: “The majority of people will not cycle unless they feel safe, and roads are not seen as a safe place for cycling, certainly not with children.

"Cycle infrastructure is needed if there is ever to be a modal shift in transport to use the car less and a bike more – and to meet the North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) aim of being the first carbon negative area.

"A precursor to getting cycle paths is to have a Local Cycling Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP).

"NYCC provided one of these per borough, and consequently Whitby lost out by being in a borough with Scarborough, whereas Malton, smaller in the next borough, did get one."

The group has outlined some ideas it has on improving the cycling infrastructure, which includes a cycle and walking network plan covering areas in Whitby town and a route to connect the Esk Valley villages.

Another proposal is for 20mph residential area speed limits, to promote cycling among children in the areas where they live and for local authorities to provide an up-to-date website of cycle and walking infrastructure for the area.

The county council’s executive member for highways and transport, Cllr Keane Duncan, said: “Through our first phase of LCWIPs, we have been able to fund the development of one plan per borough/district area.

“This first phase of LCWIPs is nearing completion so we are now looking to develop plans for other areas of the county as part of our commitment to promoting active travel across North Yorkshire.

“We are seeking funding to develop these future plans and Whitby is one of the areas under consideration for this.”