OPINION: Letters to the editor of the Newbury Weekly News

Expensive cycleway is not used by cyclists

Can someone from our area highways authority please explain the logic of the recently completed – with considerable expense I may add – pedestrian/cycleway that stretches from Stockcross to Speen.

I have yet to spot someone using a cycle on it and I pass it at least twice a day every day – you will probably have more chance of seeing a bobby on his beat walking along than a cyclist on this pathway of tumbleweeds that goes nowhere in particular.

Over the weekend we had the pleasure of an organised time trial/cycle race in our village of Wickham, and this indeed used the B4000 road to Stockcross as part of its route.

On making a trip to Newbury by car during this cycle race, I witnessed lunacy that can only occur in Britain.

Whilst driving along this road there were many event cyclists being overtaken by motorists at speeds of over 50mph in places on this dangerously busy road.

When approaching the Stockcross section of this race not one of the cyclists I passed used the brand new, state-of-the-art, dedicated and safe cycleway but continued to pedal furiously on the road like wobbling yellow jersey-chasing morons on speed whilst being overtaken by numerous cars.

How ironic it would be if, God forbid, there was a collision between a car and a cyclist that was using the road instead of the cycleway at this point, but I guess there is no accounting for stupidity, whether it be cyclists that should know better or highway planners/authorities that should be spending their limited budgets on potholes and not overpriced and underused cycle schemes.

Denis Devaney
Baydon Road, Wickham

Here’s why water won’t go down the drain

West Berks Council wonder why there is a problem with drainage and flooding.

John Gotelee
London Road, Newbury

The shops I would like to see in town centre

I think there are too many cafés and charity shops in town.

Why do we need another bakery?

We need shops like Iceland, Bonmarché and a pet shop back again.

Sandra Aldridge
Newbury

Thanks for supporting our duck race

On behalf of Thatcham Rotary I wanted to write and express our heartfelt thanks to all those members of the public that supported our Great Thatcham Duck Race on Sunday, September 1, at The Rowbarge pub, Woolhampton.

The good people of West Berks turned out in droves to watch thousands of ducks float down the canal to the delight of all onlookers of every age.

No ducks were hurt or lost!

Not only was it a record attendance, but the proceeds reached an impressive £3,967.

Thank you for the valued support the NWN gives our activities and to HCA Business Services of Newbury, the event’s principle sponsor.

The next event is the Santa Fun Run – details to follow.

Audrey Kelly
President, Thatcham Rotary Club

We are being cut off from driving into town

Those of us living north of the town centre are slowly being cut off from access to it by car.

First by daytime pedestrianisation, then closing Park Way Bridge, then by closing Bear Lane.

I’m not sure the planners realise that we have to drive down the A339 to Cheap Street in order to get into the town south of the canal, which is six sets of traffic lights from the Robin Hood Roundabout, almost all of which you have to stop for.

Fortunately I almost always cycle or walk into town, but a lot of people need to drive for various reasons.

I cannot see much benefit to permanent pedestrianisation over what we have now, and I don’t know how some town centre businesses will be able to take deliveries, but I assume this will have been agreed with them.

Gillian Durrant
via the Newburytoday Facebook page