Sustain Britain: Is Sustainable Anarchy the solution to safe cycling?

This week I had the pleasure of attending an Active Travel meeting hosted by Royal Wootton Bassett Town Council. The aim of this initiative is to create a safe cycling network in the town. This has been pioneered by Dave Knight of the local Environment Trust, who co-hosted the Sustain Britain conference last September.

To help fast-track the construction of the cycling network, Crapper and Sons Landfill Ltd has agreed to fund the works through the Landfill Communities Fund. This is a scheme which enables Landfill Operators to create significant environmental and public benefits by donating a percentage of their tax liability to support projects which either improve the life of communities or aid nature conservation.

Dave Knight has now been working on this initiative for six years. Frustratingly, despite having a commitment to funding, no actual works have commenced. This is largely due to bureaucratic delays caused by Wiltshire Council. Ironically, the Council is fully engaged with the project, but it simply has too many internal barriers that prevent approval for the cycle network.

After six years of talking and studies there has been no action. This would be funny if it were a sitcom, but the reality is that local cyclists continue to be inured in road accidents that this scheme would help to prevent.

How can it take over six years to deliver safety improvements that the Council doesn’t even need to pay for? Something is seriously wrong with Britain.

If ever there was a case for Sustainable Anarchy, this is certainly one. Surely, there can be no good reason not to begin work on the cycle network as long as all works are undertaken in line with required regulations. Should this be the next step? After all, would Wiltshire Council really move to deconstruct a cycling network that they opening recognise is required?

For now, we salute Dave and Wootton Bassett Town Council who, despite all the barriers put in their way, keep going.

Until next time

Nick Ash