Changes to Cycle Parking at Wendover Train Station

I just got a call from a distressed friend. She left her bicycle at the Wendover train station tied to the racks near the guard’s hut. When she returned form Aylesbury she found all the racks were uprooted and the bicycles leaning on the fence. Naturally I rushed over with a camera and had a chat with the Forman – Dave. According to him a sign informing of the planned work was hung last Friday. However, both my friend and the guard insist there was no sigh this morning. The half dozen bicycles I saw leaning on the fence attest to that. Moreover, the guard was clearly uninformed as he did not warn anybody not to secure their bicycle there. Most worrying is the fact that station staff are not sure what are the plans. Dave told me that there will be a new covered cycle rake installed by the southern fence (near the entrance to the car park, in full view of the guard). He believed it would be installed in a couple of weeks.

Questions:

• Wouldn’t it have been wiser to first install the new cycle racks before taking the old away, especially when the cycling season has begun?
• Why take away the old ones in the first place. They would be replaced by only one or two more car spaces where there is a constant shortage of cycle parking?
• How many new stands are there going to be?
  
• What other works are going to take place. Are we about to see the long campaigned-for improvement in accessibility? (i.e. lifts)
• What did our Parish Council have to say about these plans?
• What was the contribution of our AVDC and BCC councillors to the plans and making the public aware of their existence?

Is this where the new stands are going the be? How many?

Green Ducks in the Wendover Arm Canal

These foreigners appeared here about three weeks ago and have been welcomed by the local population of ducks. I personally think they should pay £50 towards the extra burden they are putting on the scarce resources.

By the Way, anybody know their scientific name?

Divide and Concor

I would like to doff my hat to the conservative local government for the brilliant Teflon distraction of public opinion. Who now remembers the complaints about their poor handling of the previous consultation? It is naive to believe that public opinion was the only reason the consultation was repeated at great expense. Our elected councilors did not do their homework and arrogantly thought they could wing the test.
When l read the second consultation paper I was angry: it was biased towards the eastern option; it did not include any real information to support their assertions; I did not understand why all alternative options were not properly examined; and I could not comprehend why the southern arc was included although it was rejected by the public and found faulty. Intentionally or not, the way the consultation was presented has divided the residents into sectarian geographical factions instead of being united in scrutinizing the conduct of a through and competent planning process. Thank you AVDC for the lesson in cynical diversion of attention from the mismanagement.