Campaigners to protest Bath cycle route at Guildhall as cabinet meets
Campaigners opposed to a new cycle lane through Bath's Royal Victoria Park plan to protest at the Guildhall as the council cabinet meets.
How it was covered
- BBC One was the only channel found covering it, concentrating on local opposition, the petition and the Guildhall protest over the cycle lane.
- Channel 5, BBC News, BBC Two, Channel 4, ITV and Sky News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
Campaigners opposed to a new cycle route through Bath's Royal Victoria Park were due to take their fight to the city's Guildhall, BBC One's political editor Paul Barltrop reported. A protest was planned outside the Guildhall before the council's ruling cabinet met, with opponents hoping to make their voices heard inside.
Work is pressing ahead on the £2.35 million project, BBC One reported. The scheme is intended to widen pavements and improve street lighting, but its most contentious element is a new bike lane that would run against the flow of traffic. A petition against the changes had gathered more than 5,000 signatures, the report said.
One resident told BBC One that the scheme was not supported by cyclists, motorists or pedestrians. Another resident said it would remove parking spaces that families use to drop children at the park, the report added. BBC One also placed the dispute against a wider backdrop of roadworks and traffic delays across Bath, including on the A4.
The council insists the route will be safer for pedestrians and cyclists, according to BBC One. It accepts the scheme will mean about 100 fewer parking spaces but says there is more than enough parking on other roads around the park for people who want to use its facilities.
Barltrop reported that the council's ruling cabinet was meeting that evening, with a protest planned outside the Guildhall shortly before it.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| A petition against the Royal Victoria Park cycle route had gathered more than 5,000 signatures. | |
| Campaigners against the Royal Victoria Park cycle route planned to raise their objections at Bath's Guildhall during a council cabinet meeting. | |
| The council accepted that the cycle route scheme would result in about 100 fewer parking spaces. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC One's Points West focused on local opposition to the Royal Victoria Park cycle lane, the petition against it and the planned protest at the Guildhall. It set the scheme against wider complaints about roadworks and traffic in Bath, while also giving space to the council's safety and parking arguments.
- “There's been much controversy over the project which will also see car parking reduced”
- “It is not supported by the cyclists not supported by the Motorists not support by the pedestrians.”
- “the council insists it will be safer for pedestrians and Safer for cyclists”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.