'We had to put some images down': Designers behind mini-Holland project say winning bid was 'not set in concrete'

Cyclists have been been left unimpressed by plans for the first phase of the scheme – a £1.3m segregated cycle lane along Portsmouth Road.

They were annoyed that early drawings showing a raised kerb and two-lane cycle path had been replaced with pictures showing just a single lane separating cyclists and cars by a white line painted down the road.

A public consultation into the project began today.

But this week designers and project leaders, all cyclists themselves, said the drawings set out in the council’s bid should not be seen as “set in concrete”.

Jean-Christophe Chassard, who will oversee the scheme’s landmark projects, including the proposed plaza outside Kingston station, said: “The bid was aspirational.

“We had to put some images down. Those should not confine us. Or be words or images set in concrete.

“We may not deliver exactly what there is in the pictures.”

The Portsmouth Road cycle lane project will be the first under the £32m mini-Holland scheme

Inderpal Singh Grewal, project manager for network share and principal routes, said: “We are keen to speak to people who know their local streets – that is vital.

“We do consultations so that people can have their say.

“We can’t change the scheme to suit everyone but we will be listening.”

Project manager Peter Treadgold said: “When it comes to the final scheme that we implement its success will be measured by how safe people feel along that road and whether people use it.

"That includes pedestrians and cyclists. It is about reallocation of road space."

“We will take the best from across the world and use that, but in the end this will be designed for the borough of Kingston. And we all want it to fit the needs of the people of Kingston.

“If you put something in that is not going to be used – what would be the point? There is no point putting something in that is not high enough quality. It is about getting that balance.

“It is not about the money. We have the money. We are looking for a great scheme.”

He added there may be a way to access a pot of TfL funding should the project require more money, although this would not be known until work began.

More than 3,000 booklets outlining the scheme are set to be delivered to homes in and around Portsmouth Road shortly.

An exhibition into the scheme will be on display at the Guildhall 2 from January 26 to February 18.

There will also be two drop-in sessions where council officers will be available to answer questions at Harts Boatyard in Portsmouth Road on Saturday, January 31 from 11am to 2pm and in the Queen Anne Suite in the Guildhall on Wednesday, February 4 from 6pm to 8pm.

The consultation will close on February 18.