Man chains himself to fence in Cambridge to protest GCP scheme
A man chained himself to a metal fence on a pathway used by hundreds of schoolchildren each day to prevent the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) from removing it.
Roger Jackson, 54, chained himself up on Thursday (October 3) over fears that if the fence - which divides a footpath to prevent vehicles or bicycles using the route - is removed, it could put the children in danger.
When he discovered the GCP’s plans to remove the metal ‘chicane’ on the path at the top of Chesterton Hall Crescent, close to the junction of Milton Road, he made an official complaint.
But before the GCP had assessed the complaint, workmen arrived today to remove the fence.
Mr Henderson, a handyman, said: “By taking the chicane away it is going to remove a barrier which dissuades and discourages cyclists from coming down a pedestrian path. So by removing it, you're opening up a natural flow for not only cyclists, but delivery drivers, even mopeds, to come down a pedestrian path directly into the line of literally hundreds of school children twice a day during term time. It's an accident just waiting to happen.
“I’ve chained myself to the metal fence to protest against this. I’ve already complained in writing when I heard about it. But then today I was just coming home from work and I saw the workmen were already preparing for the removal.
“The GCP came back to me saying that they've got a statutory 10 days for them to respond. It got to the end of that period, and they said they wanted another 10 days. So they're due to come back to me on the seventh of October, in four days' time. I've just pinged them an email saying, I still haven't heard from you and, by the way, I'm chained to the fence.
“There's a perfectly good cycle path 15 yards away, but it won't be used. And despite the GCP saying there's plenty of signage, why open up a pedestrian path that would encourage cycles to use it?”
The works appear to be part of a £32 million project to improve bus and active travel on Milton Road.
New bus lanes and walking and cycling links will be delivered as part of the scheme to help encourage more people to walk, cycle or take the bus.
A GCP spokesperson said: “We have stood the work crews down today and will review the situation ahead of discussing this with the community going forward.”.
