A plan is in place to improve the existing flood defence walls along Terry Avenue in Clementhorpe. The plan has become controversial however when it was proposed that Terry avenue, which acts as a very popular walking and cycle path to and from the centre of York, would be closed for up to 18 months for the duration of the works. This has led cycling campaigners to protest the danger of forcing cyclists on to main roads instead.
While on the surface this is a political issue about cycle paths in the city and improving cycling infrastructure, as a case study, it also points to the way in which decisions about how we manage our rivers may have further reaching impacts. As a path for cyclists and pedestrians alike Terry Avenue offers a quiet, peaceful commute through to the heart of the city centre, with picturesque views of the Ouse along the way. In this way the decisions here have to navigate between the different values that a range of people in the community attach to this space.
Living Well with Water 