Cyclists young and old took part in a slow ride around Huddersfield town centre to raise awareness of improving cycling routes in the town.

The event was organised as part of the Space for Cycling campaign, a national initiative aiming to create the conditions where anyone can cycle anywhere.

The scheme is calling on councils to create a network of cycle-friendly routes and organisers of the local event said they want Kirklees Council to do more to make to this possible.

A group of 35 people, from children to pensioners, took part in Saturday’s event starting from Huddersfield Railway Station.

Organiser John Lewis, chair of the Kirklees Cycling Campaign, said: “It was the very first time we’ve organised this and it went very well and everybody enjoyed themselves.

Cycling Space tour of Huddersfield town centre from St George's Square. Cyclists prepare for the run on the cycle ways of the town.
Cycling Space tour of Huddersfield town centre from St George's Square. Cyclists prepare for the run on the cycle ways of the town.

“Space for Cycling is a kind of a slogan for what could happen and what people interested in cycling would like to see happen, such as making a bit more space for cyclists and safer routes.

“We believe that if everybody used bikes more and spent less time in their cars we’d all be a bit better off.”

Participants took part in a slow one-hour ride in and around the town centre, providing quite a spectacle to shoppers as they passed by.

They travelled from St George’s Square along Northumberland Street and out onto Leeds Road.

The group then headed along the canal route, through Aspley and up towards Huddersfield University before returning towards the railway station along Cross Church Street.

The tour also included a guided tour of some of the town’s “problem places” for cyclists.

John said: “The town centre is quite problematic – people don’t really cycle around here but I think it puts a lot of people off.

Cycling Space tour of Huddersfield town centre from St George's Square. Cyclists prepare for the run on the cycle ways of the town.
Cycling Space tour of Huddersfield town centre from St George's Square. Cyclists prepare for the run on the cycle ways of the town.

“It’s not a cycling friendly town. There are more routes than you might think but it’s not easy to get from one place to the other.

“The town centre in terms of safety is okay but it’s more problematic when you want to cross the ring road.

“What they’ve done in Queensgate is very confusing and people have no idea where they’re supposed to go.

“And Trinity Street going out of the town is particularly bad as it’s very busy, very tight and you can’t get to the front of the queue.

“You are going uphill and you haven’t got the kind of control you would have normally.”

John said local cyclists would like to see Kirklees Council have a definite plan covering the next 20 years – and the funding to go with it.

He added: “We would like it to identify what it is going to do in terms of the cycling budget.

“There are main roads that need segregation so that cyclists have some kind of protection when going along.

“We have made maps like London’s tube maps but these are our own planned routes and Kirklees hasn’t done anything in terms of that.

“At the moment its planning for cycling appears to be on the back of an envelope and it’s all very vague.”