PLANS for a shared pedestrian and cycle path across Christ Church Green are in doubt after councillors expressed concerns.
The path which would run from Church Path across the Green to Woodbine Place, is being considered following the award of a £250,000 grant by TfL to promote cycling in Redbridge.
At a meeting of the Area One council committee on Monday night, Valerie Sayers of the Wanstead Society asked councillors to ensure the scheme was not allowed to go ahead.
She said Christ Church Green was an oasis of calm and that any cycle path would be a danger to toddlers playing in the park.
She added: “Yes cyclists must be safe, but so must the people who live here.
“It should be a case of horses for courses and this particular course should not run through Christ Church Green.”
Cllr Alex Wilson said he had sympathy for Mrs Sayers' point of view.
He said: “I don’t think shared space works, so I would be very reluctant to see something like this put across the Green.”
That point of view was echoed by several other councillors, including Cllr Peter Goody.
He said: “If any provision is to be made for a path, then separation (of pedestrians and cyclists) is in my view essential.”
Cllr Sue Nolan added: “The two do not marry together. I would not like to see a cycle path running across Christ Church Green.”
But Gill James, amember of Redbridge's Cycling Liaison Group, urged councillors to give the path a chance.
She said: “This particular route does not cut across the green, it cuts across the side of the green.
“If you go to countries such as Holland you will find that shared use paths are widely accepted.”
Councillors said they would discuss the proposed path further at a future meeting.
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