Olympic cycle routes through Mole Valley will not be resurfaced
ROADS to be used by international cyclists will not be fully resurfaced, the county council has announced.
At a meeting in Box Hill, which will feature heavily in the 2012 Olympic road races, Surrey County Council (SCC) said "patchwork and pothole filling" would be enough to bring the route up to the required standard.
-
FILLED: Hundreds of people turned up to Box Hill Village Hall for the meeting which outlined what to expect during Olympic cycling events
More than 200 people packed into the village hall and quizzed representatives from the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), SCC, Mole Valley District Council, Surrey Police and the National Trust.
David Stempfer, from the county council, said: "The whole route has been assessed by LOCOG, and the International Cycling Union and they confirmed that none of the roads on the route need resurfacing.
Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk
View detailsOur heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.
Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk
Contact: 01858 468192
Valid until: Sunday, May 26 2013
"In terms of the roads around here, they are C or D class and get inspected once a year, but there will be patchwork and pothole filling.
"We won't be looking at full-scale works, but having said that we have another winter to come."
Local disruption was also discussed at the meeting, as roads will be closed to the public for up to two hours before and after the races.
But Neil Walker, LOCOG's community relations manager, argued the benefits outweigh any inconvenience to locals.
He said: "For many people having the Olympic and Paralympic Games in their home county is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
"It's important we listen to the things you are worried about, so when we are planning we can put in solutions to your problems."
Concerns raised included access to the village on race days, how many spectators were expected to come, security and car parking.
Jeremy John, of Box Hill Neighbourhood Council, said: "We are the first village to receive a presentation, so I think it shows how important this element of the race will be.
"There are nine laps of the village for the men, and that's going to have quite an effect on all of us."
Mike Smith, who lives in Headley Heath Close, said: "I think it's wonderful, and they've picked some really wonderful scenery to cycle past. There will be lots of people visiting us and a lot of traffic, but we will have to be prepared for it."
Box Hill resident Brian Ford said he could understand people's concerns.
He added: "People will just have to get in supplies if they're that worried about the village closing off."
The men's race, which includes nine loops of Box Hill, is expected to pass through the village between 11.40am and 3.10pm on July 28, 2012.
The women's race includes two laps of Box Hill, with cyclists in the area between 1.40pm and 2.40pm on July 29.
The Route
Comments