The Cycle Proofing Working Group (CPWG) has criticised government-owned company HS2 Ltd and accused it of watering down its commitment to ensuring that the line would be cycle proof, with campaigners now saying that as it stands lives will be endangered and cycling locked out for years to come.
According to the Guardian, the company had made legally binding assurances that phase 1 of the high speed rail line would be cycle-proofed, stating that it would work alongside the CPWG to include high quality design standards.
But the CPWG has now said that the agreement has been breached because poor cycling design standards had been adapted without consultation on the matter. In addition, HS2 Ltd also claimed that there was insufficient funds to cycle proof the first phase of the project.
“HS2 have treated the CPWG with contempt. They were supposed to engage with us, but the only engagement was turning up to two meetings, and making some vague statements with no further commitment to do anything.
“They made it clear they had no money [for cycling]. They said we could scrutinise their designs [for crossings] but didn’t provide them. This is the government’s advisory body; that’s what it’s there for,” CPWG member Phil Jones was quoted by the news source as saying.
Back in June, however, HS2 announced plans to create a green corridor that would be made up of new wildlife habitats, community spaces and native woodlands so as to facilitate integration of the new line into its surrounding landscape and environment.
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