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@big_richy
i took the time to email this nick lester bloke last night. cudos on the speedy response. but it makes 'interesting' reading. whats everybody else thoughts on this......
Contrary to the scaremongering by the London Cycling Campaign, there are no proposals in our current Bill which would allow for the wholesale removal of cycles as 'clutter'. The Bill is adressed at dangerous obstructions to the footway such as advertising 'A' boards, objects for sale and building materials. Council officials seeking to exercise these powers would, first, have to determine that the object was left in a way which caused a danger or serious obstruction. Second, they would need to make an effort to contact the owner of the object in question to get them to remove it. Third, they would need to place a notice of their intended action in removing the object. Failure to undertake any of these actions would render any removal unlawful. There arfe no plans to authorise parking attendants to exercise these powers as it would seriously distract them from their main work. In any case, councils in London are committed to increasing cycling and spend tens of millions of pounds a year on this. Large scale removal of parked cycles would serve no useful purpose towards this. Having said that, the Bill's provisions could be used against cycles that were willfully left in a dangerous or seriously obstructive place. I can see no reason to turn a blind eye to such actions. I appreciate your comments about the need for more cycle parking and councils do provide this. It may not be enough in your eyes. However, cycle parking takes both space and money and there is strong competiton for both on London's streets. Councils have to strike a balance, often with difficulty, between competing demands. Just as lack of a convenient legal parking space is no excuse for someone to park a car illegally, it does not seem to me to b an excuse to park a cycle in a way which causes danger to anyone else. Yours sincerely Nick Lester