IN streets across part of a Wirral town, posters are going up in the windows of shops, homes, and flats. No election has been called and the issue won’t be going to a public vote but increasingly people in Wallasey are voicing their opposition to Wirral Council and its plans for their area.

The posters are simple, with a slogan that states “74% say no” in bold black and bright yellow. The figure is the results of a previous consultation over a planned cycle lane between Liscard and Grove Road station which are still on the table.

Earlier this year, a map published as part of a public feedback exercise proposing 28 new cycle routes across Wirral along routes around the borough to connect different areas as part of a plan to get people more active. At the moment, the Liscard to Grove Road route could be built in the next five years while another route through Wallasey Village could take 10 years.

Designs for each route haven’t been put forward as plans are in their early stages but many shops and businesses along Seaview Road and in Wallasey Village are concerned about the impact these big changes could have on them, particularly the loss of parking. Some would even consider relocating.

In Wallasey Village, the road was closed off temporarily on September 19 to resurface it. One customer at the Holistic Hub came in late because he’d struggled to find a parking space nearby.

Business owner Melanie Neilson said: “This is just a taste. It is giving us a taste of what it will be like in the future. This is a temporary thing. More permanent is just going to ruin everything.

“Where are they all going to come and park on our roads? It’s crazy. It will be the death of the high street. It’s just little businesses like this that keep the village alive and this will kill us off.”

She said many of the Holistic Hub’s patients are elderly, disabled, or recovering from sports injuries and would struggle to walk longer distances. The business has been running for 20 years.

She said no one had been down from the council to discuss the routes in person or explain why the plans were being put forward or how it might look, adding: “They are not coming back with any alternatives. They haven’t come up with any designs so they can ask us what it would look like and how it will affect us.”

“They need to come out and see people. They need to chat to the businesses. They can’t make these decisions sitting behind a desk. It seems like they are keeping it all to themselves. They haven’t given us the chance to speak and hear our views. They’re not listening to us.”

The posters are also appearing in places that one might not expect. Adam Lefeuvre, from Off the Road Cycles on Seaview Road, said: “We are not fundamentally opposed to cycle lanes, however we are opposed to badly designed cycle lanes.” He said those include ones with bollards or make it harder for pedestrians to cross the road.

He added: “Many of our customers have hit bollards placed in the middle and at the sides of cycle paths as the lanes are narrow and are not visible when the sun is at a certain angle. We are also opposed to pavement lanes because of too frequent give ways and therefore are not used as it is much quicker and less dangerous to use the actual road.

“We are also opposed to cycle lanes if they will take away car parking. This would affect our business as it is already hard to park and more than half of our customers use cars and taxis to bring and collect bikes.

“What we would favour is more safety on the current roads by implanting a cycle lane in the same way as a bus lane is painted. The lane can be used by cars but when a cyclist is in the lane, cars must not overtake whilst being in the lane.”

Parking was a universal issue raised by those trading at the end of Seaview Road. Lesley Pittman, who runs the Art of Flowers, said: “It’s bad enough as it is. I phone the council on a regular basis to complain about the parking. It’s like this end of Wallasey doesn’t exist to anybody other than us. They just don’t want to know.”

The impact on deliveries for many businesses was a big concern whether that’s carrying heavy utilities, panes of glass for a frame shop, or lorries full of flowers. Dianne Palmart who works in a florist in Wallasey Village said: “These are heavy boxes full of flowers. You can’t carry them.”

Ted Weedon runs Home Heating Systems which loads up seven vans every morning with heavy boilers and radiators. He’s been based at Seaview Road for 10 years and actually moved there because it had more parking than where he was based before.

He plans to move if the route is installed and estimates 164 local businesses could be affected, adding: “It’s going to change the local community. If I can’t function out of this shop, I will leave and go somewhere else. It will cost us a lot of money but we have to operate how we operate.”

He said: “I like cycling. I am a cyclist myself. I have got a road bike and I’ve got all the fancy wear but I would never feel the need to cycle to a central heating shop.”

He also feels the impact could be wider than just the area outside the shop. Ted said companies sometimes won’t do a job because there’s nowhere to park or extra charges may be passed onto the customer which would impact his business.

Cllr Ian Lewis has been distributing the posters and has set up a Facebook page called “Wallasey against Cycle Chaos” that claims to keep people informed and apply pressure on the council to change its mind. The group has now got over 900 members and a petition now has nearly 1,000 signatures.

He said: “There is a feeling that is fairly widespread that the council isn’t listening,” adding:: “This is the worst consultation I have seen from the council. So many people aren’t aware of the proposals. People on the routes that will be affected day in and day out do not know they will lose their opportunity to park outside their house.

“They have not been made aware by the council. It’s not reaching people. Sticking a piece of paper up in the library isn’t a consultation.”

Information about the use of current cycle lanes is expected to come to council committee in December but Cllr Lewis claims the cost of implementing the proposed routes across the borough could be around £150m based on the estimated budgets for current routes. Wirral Council did not provide a figure but said any scheme was subject to securing funding.

Cllr Lewis thinks the routes through Wallasey should be scrapped and only put forward if the council can demonstrate evidence it is needed and wanted, adding: “The council is supposed to listen to the taxpayers and residents, not the other way around.”

Arguments have previously been made the routes will help make routes to places safer which will encourage cycling but also walking and people getting about on scooters and wheelchairs. However Cllr Lewis said: “It is about supporting a particular cohort of traveller, putting cyclists above everybody else. At the moment, the council is pitting people against each other for no reason.

“Again where is the evidence that somebody is having difficulty getting from Liscard to Hose Side Road? If the council thinks the cycle lanes are the answer, they have yet to tell us what the question is.”

A Wirral Council spokesperson said: “This is the first consultation that Wirral Council has held about a long-term plan to establish a joined-up, comprehensive active travel network which will provide residents with a choice of safe travel options.

“Such a network will help promote active travel use for short distance journeys and other everyday journeys and the proposal is for it to be introduced in a planned and phased manner. The network will ensure that we have roads across the whole borough that are designed for people to travel safely to where they need to go whether that be by car, bike, public transport or on-foot.

“The consultation is running until September 23 so all residents still have the chance to take part. The consultation is seeking comments on the proposed routes and whether they are appropriate, and we are keen to seek views from residents on any alternative routes to support access to key destinations.

“The strategic nature of the network means at this stage that it is not possible to comment on the form each route might take, which includes any details regarding any potential changes to on street parking. However, further detailed consultations would be undertaken with local communities to look to mitigate any impacts.

“Feedback from the consultation will be used to develop the plans further, identifying which ones work best and which might need further thinking. Any schemes to be developed, regardless of the route they would take, would be subject to securing funding.”