An online petition to remove a recently in bike lane in Sandbach has attracted over 1,000 signatures.

The two-way lane was installed on Old Middlewich road as part of Cheshire East Council's raft of active travel measure.

The change.org petition, set up by Paul Philpott, states: "This cycle lane has been installed with no consultation to local businesses whatsoever at a cost of £20,777 and many cyclists and cycle groups have expressed their dismay and said they won't use it, this exits onto a roundabout with a blind view of traffic coming from the right, the other end comes off the road across a pavement."

Among the reasons given for signing the petition, some have described it as "pointless" and others raised concern about the loss of parking.

The issue of the bike lane was discussed at last Wednesday's (8 December) meeting of the town council's planning committee.

It was announced that the scheme might undergo some amendments to the current design. The chair of the committee, Cllr Richard Hovey, read an email he had received from Cllr Laura Crane, Cheshire East's portfolio holder for highways.

One of the proposals from Cllr Crane was to change the bike lane from a two-way into a "one-way contra flow southbound" by repositioning the wands. Cyclists travelling northbound would stay on Middlewich Road with the rest of the traffic.

Cllr Hovey added the email also said that repositioning the wands would bring the parking bays are "brought back into service".

Matthias Bunte, who represents Cycling UK in Sandbach, backed the bike lane and hoped for more infrastructure in the future.

He told the meeting: "It contributes to social distancing by allowing pedestrians walking on the pavement to step into the cycle lane when it's safe to do so.

"Reallocating road space is useful because it helps people move around town and it is proven to boost local businesses. It will be vital for economic recovery."

Mr Bunte said the contribution to made by cyclists to High Street businesses is often "underestimated and overlooked".

He argued that cyclists spend more than motorists when their more frequent trips are factored in. Research from Transport for London in 2018 revealed that those not in cars spent 40% more in local shops than those driving.

Cllr David Jack, an independent, who has been vocal on social media in his opposition to the bike lane, told the meeting that businesses were not consulted before its installation and the removal of parking spaces.

"The comments coming out of Cheshire East and from its councillors that they know best and you don't always get what you want is no way to treat the business community at this time," Cllr Jack said.

The town ward representative went added that the infrastructure was damaging businesses on the road and only benefiting a "very, very, very small minority of cyclists".

Cllr Jack disputed the claim that cyclists spend more than drivers in the town, saying: "I'd like to you carry a fridge on a bike for starters."

While supportive of active travel measures in principle, Conservative Cllr Gill Merry said she has "great concerns" about the Old Middlewich Road cycling infrastructure.

She told the meeting: "I don't find that it is joined up with anything. In order to access it, you've got to come off Middlewich Road, somehow, or ride along the pavement and there are pedestrians there.

"I strongly object to the fact that the parking has gone from a place where rarely parking is desperately needed."

Cllr Merry raised particular concern for those with limited mobility when it comes to accessing parking.

Labour's Cllr Kathryn Flavell, who also sits on the Cheshire East cabinet, said that making cycling safer was needed to reduce the number of cars in Sandbach causing "gridlock".

"We do have to look out for everybody in the community, not just people who want to bring their cars," she said.

Councillors were split 4-3 in support of Cllr Crane's proposals to amend the project and turn it into a single lane.

Cllrs Flavell, Hovey, Stephen Crane and Geraint Price-Jones voted in favour of the motion, while Cllrs Jack, Merry and Mike Muldoon voted against.