Sir – On behalf of Witney’s Bicycle User Group I would like to express our gratitude to the district and county councils for providing a new cycling link into the town centre from the Hailey Road.

Partially traffic-free, this route over the Windrush and through Puck Lane is similar in character to the well-used link over the river from Cogges Farm Museum to the Woolgate, and it has the potential to be just as popular, since it will be a direct route to the new Marriotts development avoiding congested streets. Once at Marriotts, cycles can be secured to good quality penny-farthing-style stands under the trees at the end of Puck Lane. However, those using the new infrastructure will have to be early; there are only spaces for 14 cycles.

In comparison, there are spaces for 36 cycles at the rear of the Woolgate, Witney’s current shopping arcade.

In the background documentation for the proposed Cogges Link Road, the county council comments on Witney’s existing cycle parking: “Evidence from site visits suggests there may be insufficient facilities as bicycles were seen parked against shop windows, due to racks being full.”

There are a further 20 spaces planned at the front of Marriotts, compared with the 40 at the front of the Woolgate.

The Marriotts provision must be an oversight; in line with the Local Transport Plan, an increase in cycle use is clearly being encouraged with cycle-friendly routes, but then discouraged by lack of parking in this newest of schemes.

While thanking them for the good work they are doing, we urge the district and the county councils to reconsider the planned cycle parking in the Marriotts development.

Even if it is only in line with the council’s own parking standards — between 132 and 220 cycle spaces for the 656 car spaces provided — it would join the dots between potential and achievement when meeting the councils’ desired shift in transport use.

Kevin Hickman, Witney BUG chairman, Witney