Hampstead demo and judicial review planned against Cycle Superhighway 11

Campaigners against the planned Cycle Superhighway 11 will next month hold a protest in Hampstead against the proposals and have launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for a judicial review of the scheme.

Last month, Transport for London (TfL) gave the go-ahead to CS11, which will run from Swiss Cottage to Oxford Circus, after a consultation earlier this year found two in three respondents in favour of the plans.

> CS11 gets green light

However, opponents of the scheme perhaps encouraged by TfL saying that it would take into account concerns raised during the consultation, continue to protest against it and will hold a demonstration outside Hampstead Theatre at 11am on Saturday 8 October.

Objections raised include that CS11 will lead to more congestion, including in places such as Hampstead that are not on the route itself, increase pollution, and mean that children will take “hours to get to school.”

Last night, protesters against the Cycle Superhighway held a meeting at the former St Stephen’s Church in Hampstead, with the campaign’s organiser, Jessica Learmond-Criqui, launching a crowdfunding drive to raise £150,000 for a judicial review.

However, supporters of the scheme were also present, reports the Ham&High, with one woman saying: “I think a lot of people’s concerns are about their ability to drive around rather than because of increased pollution caused by CS11.”

Meanwhile, cycling campaigner David Arditti noted on Twitter that it is “notable that the CS11 objectors are in general not people very local to the scheme. They’re the people who want to drive though.”

He also tweeted a picture of a pamphlet published by opponents outlining their objections to the route.

The absurdity of the arguments of the #CS11 objectors will will be apparent to all and will undermine their case pic.twitter.com/j2YL8YHaTB

— David Arditti (@VoleOSpeed) 27 September 2016

Parents in favour of the scheme, who want safe infrastructure where their children can ride bikes in safety, planned to stage a Kidical Mass ride to coincide with the demonstration in Hampstead but the plan was scrapped after some cycling campaigners argued that it might be too confrontational an approach.

Earlier this month, Kidical Mass rides were held in cities around the world, as they are each year, to highlight that “kids are traffic too” and that their needs must be taken into account when planning infrastructure.

One of the organisers of Kidical Mass London, Sylvia Gauthereau, said then: “It is to draw attention to the thousands of families who already cycle in London for everyday trips and to show transport planners and politicians that roads need to also be designed for smaller riders and family journeys.

“As family cycling using child seats, cargo bikes, tandems and lots of variations has really taken off in London, many families want to share the fun and raise awareness.”

The final decision on CS11 is expected in mid-October.