Brighton dental technician criticises council decision to create new cycle lane
A dental technician from Brighton has criticised the local council for creating a new temporary cycle lane, which will block access to disabled parking outside his practice.
Andrew Evans, from The Dental Practice UK, which is located in Preston Road, said that he felt like he had been “bullied” by the council because he was not consulted about plans to add the new cycle lane outside of the building. Mr Evans suggested that the cycle route will prohibit access to disabled parking spaces and the front of the surgery, which are critical for ensuring patients can get into the surgery with minimal effort. Specialising in denture repairs, as well as dental treatment, the practice has a large number of elderly patients.
Mr Evans said that the new cycle lane comes off the road and onto the pavement, blocking access to the front of the clinic and preventing patients from using two disabled parking bays. At a time when the practice is “on its knees” due to the Coronavirus lockdown, Mr Evans suggested that the issue was yet another setback.
Mr Evans received a letter from Brighton and Hove Council containing information about the altered road layout, but he was not given any further advice about the cycle lane and the potential issues it would cause for his business. The council also claims that Mr Evans does not have a licence for a dropped curve, which he purchased in 2017. He now has to contact a solicitor to resolve the issue, which will further increase costs at a very difficult time for dental businesses.
Mr Evans stressed that he had nothing against cyclists and was supportive of measures to encourage more people to cycle and walk to work, but insisted that the plans for Preston Road would be detrimental to his business and his patients, particularly the elderly and vulnerable.
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