K2L cycle lane in Warwickshire at risk
The £4.75m K2L scheme was first approved in 2019
A review of Warwickshire’s cycle lanes could see the long-awaited route between Kenilworth and Leamington – K2L – halted.
Warwickshire County Council leader Councillor George Finch (Reform UK, Bedworth) promised that the new administration in charge at Shire Hall would be conducting a county-wide piece of work to see whether cycle lanes “are actually worth it”.
K2L has been on the local agenda for decades with more than 3,000 residents signing a petition for its inclusion in county council plans, pleas that were answered with £4.75 million of funding for the route in December 2019.
At that stage it was envisaged that construction would take place in 2021-22 but project management issues, including the complexities of various parts of the route along the A452, saw progress slow down.
The works are now broken down into chunks and a first section, albeit one that was not included in those initial proposals, from Clarendon Avenue to the Kenilworth Road boundary was completed in early 2024.
At a press conference to launch new policies, including the cycle lane review, Cllr Finch was asked whether it would impact on K2L and whether he had a completion date for the project.
He noted the plans had been put in place when the Conservatives were in power and that the latest timescale he had been provided was “2027 to 2028”.
“However, we will be looking at a cycle lane review to see whether they are actually worth it,” continued Cllr Finch.
“As an administration, we believe the addiction to cycle lanes doesn’t solve the crisis that they seem to fathom up, the climate change crisis.
“What we do see is when it comes to congestion on roads, cycle lanes are not the most sensible option which is why you have seen a change in the political sphere here.
“That is why we are not going to be crazily putting down cycle lanes. We don’t think it is best for the residents, there are better things to be looking at instead.”
Pressed to clarify whether K2L could be affected, Cllr Finch said: “We will have to look at whether the review of the cycle lanes start there, whether we finish that project because the money is there or do reviews elsewhere – maybe in Weddington or other places across Warwickshire – to see whether cycle lanes are actually being used.
“The figures we’ve been given regarding this project, the completion date is set 2027 to 2028 and the money has been put to the side.
“If it has all been ticked off then it is hard to repeal that. It is something I can look into but I don’t think it would be appropriate at this point to say.
“When it comes to cycle lanes in general, a review will need to be taken because as an administration we don’t think they are the best priorities for our people.”