Sheffield planning notes

This page contains notes relevant to the organisation of the Sheffield ride.

Letter to South Yorkshire Police

2nd November 2009

Dear Sirs

Notification of Protest/Event: World Naked Bike Ride (Sheffield) 19th June 2010

We are writing to you as organisers of the Sheffield World Naked Bike Ride for 2010, having taken over the task from xxxxxx who organised the ride for the last two years.

We are keen to co-operate with the police and organise the ride to address any police concerns and if it can be arranged we would like to have a police escort on the day. Evidence of other rides around the country has been that such an approach can be the best way to ensure potential conflicts with other traffic are appropriately handled and to dispel any confusion over the legality of the ride amongst police officers on the ground on the day.

Our understanding is that a police officer has tried to contact xxxxx to discuss the 2010 ride. This officer may not realise that we have taken over from xxxx. We have tried to make contact by telephone with an appropriate police representative but so far without success. Would it be possible for someone to contact us directly?

Accompanying this letter are some details of the current ride plans. We would be pleased to hear any particular concerns you have, for example about the precise route or arrangements and are happy to discuss matters relating to the ride informally or arrange to meet. It is appreciated that this is very early in the process but there is a need to fix some details so as to make other arrangements around them and to get the details in people’s diaries early.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully

Further Details of World Naked Bike Ride (Sheffield) 19th June 2010 Provided for South Yorkshire Police.

This follows the rides in 2008 and 2009 (incident number 4350606) which drew little, or no complaint; did not cause a breach of the peace, or any obstruction of the highway and lead to no arrests. WNBR is an international movement taking place in over 40 locations around the world drawing attention to the absurdity of oil dependency. Riding naked emphasises the vulnerability of cyclists on the road, at the same time as celebrating humanity in the face of mechanisation.

Next year’s ride is planned for 11:00am 19th June 2010 the route is shown below. Judging by previous rides the protest should be over by 1:00pm.

Event insurance will be taken out nearer to the ride date - most likely nationally by WNBR-UK – we will be happy to forward details as they become available. We hope to arrange first aid cover with a cycling paramedic and will again forward details nearer the time.

We will provide at least three stewards (i.e. the above named). A small police escort would, however, be appropriate in order to help with junctions and prevent a repeat of the interruption of this year’s ride by an officer previously unaware of it. We appreciate how this put the officer concerned ‘on the spot’. Similar rides in London, Brighton, York and Southampton have been escorted by 3, or 4 police cyclists. We have conducted a risk assessment and modified the route as much as possible to avoid difficult junctions, but there are some points where marshalling/police assistance is necessary (e.g. where the cycle lane crosses the slip road entrance to Waitrose on Ecclesall Road).

Riders will be instructed:

not to mount their bikes until they have left the park (riding in the park is against the byelaw). to 'prepare' for the ride no earlier than 10:45am not to congregate at the park’s entrance until 10:30am. to dress and disperse soon after the ride.

As the route is complex we have provided an animation that shows the progression and in case its useful the GPS data for the route. These are provided on http://www.axelafa.com/sftp/snbr/

WNBR Sheffield 2010 Route (version 7)

Start Endcliffe Park, Hunters Bar Entrance, Enter Ecclesall Road heading towards town. Continue on Ecclesall road to Roundabout on St. Marys Gate Straight on (2nd exit) onto Moor Street 1st left onto Fitzwilliam Street Right onto Devonshire Street Straight on into Division Street Follow road right onto Cambridge Street Right onto Wellington Street Left onto Carver Street Left onto Furnival Gate Left onto Pinstone Street Left onto Cambridge Street – follow round to right - Charles Street Left onto Pinstone Street Left onto Cross Burgess Street Right onto Burgess St. Right onto Barkers Pool Left onto Leopold St and u-turn at mini-roundabout then continue onto Pinstone St At T Junction right onto Furnival Gate At Rounabout left(1st exit) onto Charter Row Left onto William Street Continue into Cumberland st Left onto Eyre Street Right onto Jessop Street Left onto Slyvester St Left onto Arundel St Right onto Matilda St Turn left onto Shoreham Street Continue past Railway station to Park Square Follow cycle lane left onto Commercial Street Right onto Market Place continue down Angel Street Right onto Castle Street Right onto Haymarket Straight on Fitzalen Sq Left onto Flat Street Straight on - Pond Street Right up Howard Street - once dark grey paving stops follow red cycle path Cross Arundel Gate at the cycle/pelican crossing Follow cycle lane onto Surrey Street Turn left onto Norfolk Street, using signposted cycle way near Town Hall Go straight on at crossroad onto Union Street Turn left onto Furnival Gate Take 1 st (left) exit at roundabout onto Arundel Gate Left onto High St Street (becomes Church Street) Straight on - West Street Left into Upper Hanover Street Enter cycle lane running parallel to Upper Hanover Street Right at rounabout (3rd exit) - Ecclesall Road - use subway Continue to Hunters Bar Left - 1st exit - Sharrow Vale Road Left onto Hickmott Road Left onto Ecclesall Road Continue to Hunters Bar At roundabout take 3rd exit back into Endcliffe Park