Businesses relieved at prospect of cycle lane removal

Traders blame the Linthorpe Road Cycleway for deterring customers

Business owners have reacted to the news a controversial cycle lane on a key town centre route could be ripped out.

The £1.7m scheme on Middlesbrough’s Linthorpe Road, approved under former Independent mayor Andy Preston, has faced major backlash since its installation in 2022.

Current Mayor Chris Cooke and Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen have pledged to end the scheme, citing a number of negative impacts.

Business figures on a busy stretch of the road have spoken of their relief at the prospect, with the owner of Madame Rouge vintage pub and tearooms calling the lane "an absolute disaster".

Several cyclists and pedestrians have been injured while using the new layout, while traders have reported falling custom due to a shortage in parking.

Madame Rouge's proprietor, Paolo Arceri, is concerned that businesses are effectively cut off from less mobile customers.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service : "Taxis can’t drop off because it takes over the lane. We have lost elderly customers because of it, without shadow of a doubt. Where can you drop off? Where can you park?"

'Chaos'

Worries over parking and taxi stops were echoed by Li Miao Wong, owner of the Li Beauty Nail Salon, who said: "I have had lots of customers who have got parking tickets and they stop coming."

She also said the traffic is a problem and noted there have been several crashes on the road.

In September 2022, 78-year-old Dorothy was left with black eyes and a broken wrist after tripping over a divider, while 27-year-old Samantha Skene shattered her elbow after she tripped following a night out at The Townhouse.

Workers at Housams said removal of the lane could not come soon enough, with Janet Housam describing "chaos" when emergency services responded to incidents or when buses stopped, as there was nowhere to pull up.

She said: "That’s always been a problem in the past 40 years but they have made it worse.

"It’s so confusing for people – you need a degree to work out the system."

Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cooke and Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen have united to scrap the Cycleway

Not everyone is against the cycle lane, which was aimed at encouraging fitness and making the town "greener".

Ameer Hamza, who works at Novello Ristorante, said it was better for the environment, adding: "I think it’s okay as it is. Lots more people are using cycles."

Funding for the cycle lane came from a £310m transport pot distributed by the Tees Valley Combined Authority.

Both Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cooke and Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen previously pledged to remove it.

A four-week consultation has been launched seeking views on plans to reinstate the road’s previous layout, while retaining the closure of Victoria Street.

In a letter to businesses on the road regarding the consultation, Mr Cooke said he remained committed to this pledge, while acknowledging frustration over delays caused by "the scale and complexity of the removal".

The mayor told BBC Radio Tees: "I would like to make sure that we start to remove at least some of the bollards and some of the Orcas - the little bumps - before the Christmas break, and then commencing major works after Christmas."