Conservative MP claims cycling infrastructure is "rarely used" and "takes away from drivers and pedestrians"

Conservative MP Nick Fletcher has once again spoken out criticising active travel provision, this time in a letter to a road.cc reader in which he claimed cycling infrastructure in his Doncaster constituency is "rarely used" and "takes away from drivers and pedestrians".

In the letter, seen by road.cc, our reader was told the MP "would have to disagree that the cycling needs of the residents of Doncaster are being ignored" and that the city centre is "filled" with infrastructure that is not used and "takes away" from other road users.

The reply came after a road.cc reader had sent Mr Fletcher one of Cycling UK's pre-written letters regarding funding for local cycling infrastructure.

"I am a disabled veteran," the reader told road.cc. "Previously, in 2022, I had written to Mr Fletcher regarding problems with disabled scooter and wheelchair access to certain parks and recreational grounds in the village where I live. A letter which Mr Fletcher simply chose to ignore.

"This time Mr Fletcher found the time to reply to my letter. Please note that Mr Fletcher has never been seen riding a bicycle anywhere in the district and doesn't give any evidence supporting in his reply!"

In full, Mr Fletcher wrote back:

 Thank you for your email in which you expressed your concern over the cycling infrastructure of Doncaster and your request to meet with me.

I am afraid I would have to disagree with you that the cycling needs of the residents of Doncaster are being ignored. Doncaster, particularly the city centre, is filled with cycling infrastructure that, quite frankly, is rarely used. In addition to rarely being used, this infrastructure takes away from pedestrians and drivers in Doncaster.

Thank you again for writing to me. 

 In February, Mr Fletcher, the first Tory MP to represent Don Valley in Doncaster, used known conspiracy theories about 15-minute cities while speaking in Parliament. He demanded a debate on the "international socialist concept of so-called 15-minute cities", and said that the schemes could "take away our personal freedom".

> Tory MP attacks 15-minute city concept with known conspiracy theory

"Sheffield is already on this journey and I do not want Doncaster, which is also a Labour-run socialist council, to do the same," he added to laughs and jeers in the House of Commons, but was backed by Penny Mordaunt who said concerns about these kind of policies are legitimate.

15 MINUTE CITIES

I spoke in Parliament today to ask the Government to hold a debate on the international socialist concept of so called 15 minute cities and 20 minute neighbourhoods.

🧵1/7 #Doncasterisgreat #stronglocaleconomy pic.twitter.com/dmhO586Jlc

— Nick Fletcher MP (@NickFletcherMP) February 9, 2023

Mr Fletcher also penned a thread on Twitter, which was fact checked by Reuters' Nick Hardinges who noted that in the case of Oxford there would not be any physical barriers in the six proposed trial zones.

The MP had claimed "Ultra Low Emission Zones (ULEZ) in their present format do untold economic damage to any city", with the second step 15-minute cities taking away "personal freedoms".

Proposed by Professor Carlos Moreno, an urbanist who won the Orbel Award in 2021 for the contribution, 15-minute city plans are currently set to begin trial in Oxford in 2024 and are being considered by many councils in the UK, in places such as Birmingham, Bristol, Canterbury, and Sheffield.

These policies sometimes use traffic filters, such as planters or bollards to reduce through-traffic and improve conditions for walking and cycling, creating a 'low-traffic neighbourhood', or LTN. In short, enabling residents to access shops and all necessary amenities within 15 minutes via active travel routes.