Cycling is wanted in Kenilworth park where it is banned according to survey

Of around 790 people who answered the question about cycling in a survey which was part of the public consultation into the future of Abbey Fields, about 80 per cent, or 632, said they wanted cycling to be allowed in the green space.

According to the consultation document, of those in favour, there was 'a clear view that a separate cycle path is needed for Abbey Fields as the existing path infrastructure is not wide enough to allow safe duel usage'.

About 149 people were against cycling at the park and one person was neutral.

Adam Tranter, who set up Kenilworth's school cycle bus with his wife Aurélie, said: "I'm delighted to see that over 80 per cent of those who answered the question on the survey want to see cycling permitted in Abbey Fields.

"It's an essential route for us to cycle our children to school safely and new routes for cycling through the park would open up cycling as a solution for short journeys around town, as well as for enjoying the fields recreationally.

"Warwick District Council is soon asking the public to vote on a council tax increase for a ringfenced climate action fund.

"Whatever the result of that vote, it strikes me that the council has a unique opportunity to make a big impact in decarbonising transport and reducing car usage by urgently implementing provision to cycle in Abbey Fields."

In November 2019 Warwick District Council invited residents and community groups in Kenilworth to take part in an information gathering exercise for Abbey Fields. During a five-week consultation which included seven public drop-in sessions, more than 900 people completed a survey giving their views on how they currently use the park, the features that are important to them and what improvements they would like to see in the future.

The findings have now been published on the Council’s website.

When asked to rate the 'features' of Abbey Fields, the 870 people who answered said they most were happy with the view, landscape, lakes, meadows and historical features.

While respondents were least satisfied by the toilets and café on site.

Park facilities like the playground, tennis courts, noticeboard and signage received mixed reviews. While cleanliness in terms of litter and dog waste was rated highly.

Of the 841 people who responded to the question about sports facilities 69.6 per cent of people were in favour of more formal sports provision, 11.3 per cent said they did not want any more provisions and 19.1 per cent said they were either neutral or thought there was a good balance.

When asked about the use of buildings on the site of which 388 people answered 50.8 per cent said that an alternative use should be sought for pavilion building in the enclosed children’s playground, 34 per cent wanted an increased access to historic buildings, 13.9 per cent wanted to keep them as they are and 1.3 per cent wanted to demolish the pavilion.

People were also asked about their thoughts on the safety and protection of the Brook - of which 515 people answered.

Of those, 66.2 per cent said there should be increased protection of Finham Brook, 22.3 per cent said there should be no more interventions and 11.5 per cent said they felt they needed more information to answer the question.

Warwick District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood Services Cllr David Norris said: “I would like to thank everyone who took the time to take part in this survey.

"The level of response we received demonstrates how important this beautiful and historic green space is to the people of Kenilworth.

"This information and feedback will help to shape our plans for the future of Abbey Fields, ensuring that we provide the access and facilities our park users are looking for whilst preserving the natural environment and history for future generations.”