Oxford householders have criticised the county council for installing bike hangers in Jericho which are “discriminatory to the disabled” and look like “pigsties”.
The bike hangars, which aim to allow cyclists to lock away bikes securely, were installed in North Oxford in Cranham Street, Great Clarendon Street and Nelson Street following a 28-day consultation run by Oxfordshire County Council.
Householders who have these new hangars outside and near their homes described them as “hideous” and said they were known as “pigsties” throughout the community.
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Thames Valley Police said the locations of the hangars was chosen in response to a high number of recorded bike thefts.
Peter Carter, 70, who is wheelchair bound, said the hangars infringing on the pavement was “problematic” as it was no longer wide enough for his wheelchair.
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He said: “If the pavement is blocked by a wheely bin, then I cannot get through.
“This is blatant discrimination against a disabled person.”
Mr Carter said hangars overlapping the pavement will have a “major impact” as it was difficult finding places where there was a dropped down curve onto the road.
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He is also worried “they will jeopardise people’s safety" by forcing parents with pushchairs to walk on the road.
Residents who wish to use the hangars are required to apply to the council to use a space and will pay an annual fee yet to be determined.
Pat Schlueter, 82, who has lived on St Barnabas Street for 20 years, said the hangers were “hideous” and would become a “target for thieves.”
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She said: “This is meant to be a conservation area and the council has installed pigsties.”
The company Cyclehoop said the units have been rigorously tested and have withstood five minutes of attack by security experts using hand tools and a power drill.
Penelope Tordoff, who has lived on 35 Cranham Street for 32 years and has a hangar outside her house, said the hangars were “totally out of keeping with the street’s architecture” and will “impede access".
She said her mother, who has severe mobility issues, will no longer be able to visit due to the lack of direct access to her home.
However, Ms Tordoff emphasised her family was “pro-cycling” and did not even own a car.
An Oxfordshire County Council spokesman said: “The hangars were installed following approval at the county council’s Cabinet Member Decisions meeting in December 2021 following a consultation with both residents and stakeholders.
“A total of 102 responses to the consultation were received and all of these were presented to the cabinet member as they made the decision to approve the location and installation of the hangars."
The council said it was looking into concerns about the impact of the hangars on footway widths.
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Ed specialises in writing political stories for the Oxford Mail and The Oxford Times.
He joined in the team in February 2023, after completing a History undergraduate degree at the University of York and studying for his NCTJ diploma in London.
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