Category: Quick Reads

Warwickshire County Council headquarters building in Warwick

Warwickshire’s Budget and Active Travel

Posted on 18/09/202518/09/2025 by Fiets! Let's Cycle Like the Dutch

In what is an ideal opportunity to promote the benefits of active travel to the local authority, Warwickshire County Council is asking for opinions about its budget for the financial year 2026/27 – including areas of priority and those which maybe should/could receive a monetary reduction given the challenges all local authorities are suffering with regard to funding.

A primary school seen from the public road. The road joins an area for a mini-roundabout, the centre of which is just out of shot to the right. "School Keep Clear" zig-zags surround the boundary of the road. The footpath is buffered to the road by guard rails. The school's sign can be seen standing high, above the school's green fencing.

School expansion – An active travel opportunity?

Posted on 14/11/202414/11/2024 by Fiets! Let's Cycle Like the Dutch

Consultations are currently underway following proposals to expand two Nuneaton schools to accommodate growing demand. Those schools, like so many others, are known to suffer with motor traffic congestion at the peak times of drop-off and pick-up – a situation that will only get worse without some form of mitigation.

A "no cycling" sign on a small, pedestrianised street in a town centre. The brick surfaced street is protected by bollards. An advertisement board is near to the foreground; a person is walking away in the background.

New Protection Order references cycling

Posted on 23/09/202423/09/2024 by Fiets! Let's Cycle Like the Dutch

The local Borough Council is proposing a new Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) to cover Nuneaton and Bedworth town centres and surrounding areas as one method of tackling antisocial behaviour and improving the perceived safety in the borough. The PSPO will mention cycling – but as far as these things go, it seems reasonable.

The shocking and deadly statistic behind painted cycle lanes

Posted on 19/09/202419/09/2024 by Fiets! Let's Cycle Like the Dutch

Many people who cycle on roads probably instinctively know that painted cycle lanes do little to ensure a rider’s safety. Some would even assert that they’d prefer no dedicated infrastructure if the choice is that or some paint, where the latter can lead to more instances of close passes and driver hostility (whether or not intentional). In his recent appearance

An extremely short designation of shared use path seen on the opposite side of the carriageway to the camera. A shared use roundel announces the start of the route which is then ended just a few meters on with "end of route" and "cyclists dismount" signs. A proper shared use path is on the camera side of the road.

Nuneaton’s shortest shared use path?

Posted on 10/07/202410/07/2024 by Fiets! Let's Cycle Like the Dutch

When it comes to shared use infrastructure, how short is too short? Perhaps when it’s only a few metres, flanked on either side by a regular footpath (i.e., not designated for cycling), and where the path on the opposite side has a proper and useful (if poor considering modern standards) shared use route.

Islabikes to cease bike sales

Posted on 26/10/2023 by Fiets! Let's Cycle Like the Dutch

After eighteen years of production and sale of high quality children’s bicycles, Islabikes has announced it is to end the sale of bikes once its current stock is exhausted. The announcement comes as both the founder, Isla Rowntree, and current managing director, Tim Goodall, no longer wish to continue in turbulent times for the cycling industry.

Warwickshire secures funding for active travel schemes

Posted on 19/05/202320/05/2023 by Fiets! Let's Cycle Like the Dutch

Active Travel England has announced its latest round of funding in which Warwickshire has secured £4.761m towards three schemes in the county, one of which is in Nuneaton!

Handlebar view looking across a new road junction with a toucan crossing.

Narrated Quick Look: A New Shared Use Path and Toucan Crossing

Posted on 02/02/2023 by Fiets! Let's Cycle Like the Dutch

A quick look at the new junction that has been installed on the A47 Long Shoot, Nuneaton, and the new bit of (as yet unconnected) shared use space and toucan crossing. This will eventually form part of a broader high quality cycle route on the A47, though this specific junction predates the plans for the cycle scheme – hence the lower quality design.

Cycle camera view of a main urban road, waiting to turn right to a smaller road. An HGV passes on the left (nearside) as traffic approaches in the opposite direction preventing the turn.

Would you want to cycle here?

Posted on 21/12/202221/12/2022 by Fiets! Let's Cycle Like the Dutch

This short section of Midland Road in Nuneaton is a link between Stoney Road (and the National Cycle Network) and Stanley Road, a residential area and link through to Stockingford. It’s approximately 160 metres in length but has no cycle facilities. This means using what is a busy main road, intimidating as it is, but especially so when waiting to

The Sanctuary in Bedworth's Miners' Welfare Park - a 22 metre high wooden temple-like structure which will be burnt in a ceremony marking the shared losses from the global pandemic.

Lack of Cycle Routes Bites Bedworth

Posted on 25/05/202208/11/2022 by Fiets! Let's Cycle Like the Dutch

On Saturday 28 May, Bedworth Miners’ Welfare Park plays host to a ceremonial burning as an act of memorial and reflection on the losses caused by the global pandemic. The Sanctuary is a large temple-like wooden structure, intricately carved, and inscribed with handwritten messages of remembrance, and has attracted widespread attention. The event is expected to draw large crowds and as a result, the local Borough Council has warned about road closures and congestion.

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