Over 500 people responded to my survey about plans to close the bridge between Butter Hill and Mill Lane, and the results show strong resident opposition to these plans.
Out a total of 512 responses at the time of publishing this post:
In response to question 1 regarding whether residents had been given any official notification of these plans:
- 80% of respondents said that they were not informed of these plans previously,
- 15% said that they were,
- 4% were unsure.
In response to question 2 regarding whether residents were in favour or opposed to these plans:
- 77% of respondents said that they were either totally or somewhat against these plans, with 65% being totally against and 12% being somewhat against,
- 13% said they were totally supportive,
- 10% said they were somewhat supportive.
In response to question 3 regarding whether residents felt this would improve the uptake of walking and cycling:
- 77% of respondents said that they didn't think this would improve walking and cycling rates,
- 16% thought that it would,
- 8% were unsure.
In response to question 4 regarding whether residents would be willing to trial the scheme:
- 65% of respondents said they were against the scheme and did not want the scheme to go ahead at all,
- 13% said they supported the scheme, but would like it removed if it didn't work after a trial,
- 11% said they were against the scheme, but would be willing to give it a trial,
- 9% said they were supportive of the scheme and wanted it to remain permanently,
- 1% were unsure.
I will also be going through the questions on alternatives that residents would like to see considered and the other comments residents left on the survey and reporting back on those.
It is clear from these responses that residents are both disappointed, as am I, that the Lib Dem-run Council failed to ask them their views before proposing this scheme, but they are also unhappy with it going ahead.
I have sent the results of this survey to the Council and asked them to respond to what residents have said, and importantly, what they now intend to do as a result of these figures. I will report back with their reply.
The Council have already embarrassingly had to climb down from it's plans to close York Road railway bridge in Sutton, as well as reducing space for motorists in Worcester Park - it's time they listened to residents in Butter Hill too.