The cycle path on Strand Road, first proposed in August 2020, is now back on track after the Court of Appeal overturned a previous High Court decision that had blocked it.
The court ruled that the High Court was wrong to say the project was temporary or that it needed an environmental impact or appropriate assessment before going ahead. It also disagreed with claims that there were major flaws in how the council handled environmental checks or that planning permission was needed.
The court said the council had delayed revealing a key decision about the project. While this was serious and might cost the council money, it didn’t stop them from appealing. The judges accepted the mistake was unintentional and noted the official involved had apologised.
In their ruling, the judges said the council had to win the appeal. They also rejected a cross appeal from Councillor Mannix Flynn.
The High Court had originally stopped the project in 2021, saying it wasn’t actually temporary as claimed.
The plan involves changing Strand Road from a two-way road to a single outbound lane, with the other lane becoming a two-way cycle path. It would also mean removing a traffic island, taking out some mini-roundabouts and adding bollards.
The council’s appeal was against the earlier ruling that backed Cllr Flynn and local resident Peter Carvill.
