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We have this year been contacted by no fewer than 6 families who have suffered severe anguish over bike sheds in front gardens - with orders for removal, refusal of planning permission and/or failed appeals. Some have spent many stressful hours talking to officials, councillors, neighbours. Some families have nowhere else to store bikes, except by carrying right through the house, through kitchens, etc. Parents wish to cycle to work, and for their children to get to use bikes regularly, aims which the council strongly supports – and then prevents!! Businesses have suffered similar problems with workplace bike sheds.
Whilst Spokes appreciates the need for conservation rules, they are going too far – for example, well kept wooden bike sheds totally invisible from the road have been ordered to be removed.
The council has planning policies, but it also has transport policies, including a hugely ambitious target for 10% of all trips to be by bike in 2020. Spokes is arguing for a compromise balancing these two policies; not one completely over-ruling the other.
Spokes is discussing this with councillors. Our case will be greatly helped if other people who have suffered in the same way, or who need a front-garden bike shed so as to make regular bike use realistic, contact their own councillors as soon as possible, explaining their predicament. Find your councillors at http://www.writetothem.com. Copy your email or letter to Spokes.
We particularly thank 2 councillors who are Spokes members and are workng hard on this: Cllr Gavin Corbett, Craiglockhart- Fountainbridge) and Cllr Jim Orr (vice-chair of Transport Cttee).
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http://www.spokes.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/spwkr12.09.22.pdf
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