Testun llawn:
Objects to the linking of the two ends of the long distance cycle route by permitting use of Abbey Fields. The short route from the public toilets incorporated into the Swimming Pool complex through to the beginning of the path to Forrest Road/Castle Road is tortuous, narrow, and heavily used by pedestrians, dogs and children. The human element is frequently concentrating on feeding or watching the wildfowl. Dogs are rarely on a short lead but restrained on a fairly long retractable lead. There is water (admittedly scarcely deep enough to cause drowning) very close, and the ground to it is inconsistent in nature, with grass, inclines, steps, wooden decking -- all of these providing a cyclist with no grip whatsoever when they are wet.
The bends are, for all practical purposes, considering the speed of a cycle, both blind and tight, especially those associated with the bridge.
A person or child coming quickly out of the toilet facilities could be knocked down by a bicycle unless made very conscious of the danger.
There is scarcely room for two people to walk abreast & pass a third. Any avoiding movement would have to be very prompt indeed when a cycle suddenly appeared. Many of the people using this valuable asset to health -- the Fields -- are elderly and not agile.
It takes only a few minutes at the site to realise just how absurd this proposal is. It's fine, I'm sure, when there is no-one around, but people using the cycle route will be wanting to do so just at the time when a lot of other people are also wanting to be on that corner in the Fields.
If it could be guaranteed that cyclists would dismount at the beginning of the children's play area, and not remount until they were on the main path to Castle Road, there might be some sense in the proposal, but, frankly, as we know, they will not dismount. Anyway, bicycles being wheeled round the north-west corner of the Swimming Pool complex are still a nuisance, like shopping trolleys and kiddies' tricycles. There just isn't room.
I fear that the relaxed atmosphere of the Fields, and particularly this corner of them, could be compromised for ever: all users would have to be on constant alert. It would be a huge loss.
If, nonetheless, the proposal is approved, then the Council should arrange for an ambulance to be stationed permanently by the Baths