LRAG NEWS UPDATES
The LRAG publishes regular news updates to its network, and occasional Press Releases, as progress of Surrey CC’s revised designs, implementation plans and new consultation methods become known. Summaries of those updates will appear here, but for full details and to receive personal updates via Mailchimp, or to make comments and give feedback, please contact LRAG via [email protected]. Previous updates are available from these links: LRAG News Reports.
LRAG News Update – 8 March 2024
Fate was well and truly tempted, when in last week’s newsletter it was suggested that LRAG had fulfilled its commitment to keep the public as well informed as possible, and might have deserved a bit of a rest.
Sure enough, soon after, there was disappointment expressed by those who had hoped that the London Road Active Travel Scheme would go ahead in full. There has also been disappointment, from those who are affected by the section in Burpham, that the matter will continue to drag on for another several months.
BBC Radio Surrey picked up on the topic, and on Thursday 29th February ran a substantial item in James Cannon’s Breakfast programme. It included interviews with Cllr George Potter, Leader of Surrey CC, Tim Oliver, and Jim Masterman of G-BUG. In BBC’s best endeavours for balance, following a complaint, more interviews took place on 6th March, with LRAG Chair and Cllr Fiona Davidson.
Introductions to every interview involved many repetitions, from both historic pieces of more than a year ago, and segues from earlier interviews. For readers who were not aware of the live broadcasts or the ability to stream earlier episodes via BBC Sounds (or even of the channel itself!), LRAG has edited the programmes into an audio item. It has been necessary to break it into 5 parts, because of limitations of uploading, but this link will take readers to the LRAG website to enable listening access and/or download.
So LRAG has not gone away! It will continue to monitor events as they unfold, and continue to ensure that the public is kept fully aware of developments. There are still on-going challenges; one to Surrey CC about why they have refused a Freedom of Information request for sight of the Road Safety Audits; another to DfT, asking for explanations of the Highway Code for the difference between prohibiting cyclists from riding on pavements, but allowing shared paths protected only by “blue signs” and “ground-painted bicycle symbols.”
LRAG is very much still on alert, but do have a listen to the audio. Some interesting views and explanations and, of course, the story continues ….