Roads off-limits as cyclists ride in

There are fears of traffic chaos on Sunday as roads in and around Southwell are shut or made one-way for the first televised Outlaw Triathlon, which is expected to attract 1,000 athletes.

Roads will be affected from 7am to 4pm for the cycling section — three laps of a circular route from Lowdham.

The route takes in Gonalston, Thurgarton, Halloughton, Southwell, Upton, Hockerton, Normanton, Kirklington, Farnsfield, Oxton and Epperstone.

Signs advise that delays for other road users are likely.

The triathlon, based at Holme Pierrepont, involves a 112-mile cycle ride, a 26.2-mile run and a 2.4-mile swim.

The endurance event, Britain’s newest long-distance triathlon, will involve competitors from across the world and will be shown on Sky TV.

Correct procedures have been followed for the road closure orders but concerns have been raised about traffic.

Southwell town councillor Mr Brendan Haigh thought more information should have provided in advance so people could plan around the event.

“This is going to cause significant disruption to people in the town and the surrounding communities,” he said.

Mr Haigh, also a Newark and Sherwood district councillor, said he had not been consulted in his role on either council.

Mr Roger Fell of Epperstone Road, Lowdham, thought the organisers should have liaised better with Nottinghamshire County Council and communities affected.

He said: “While there is nothing wrong with any challenge and physical endeavour there is no excuse for such appalling lack of regard in respect of the wide adverse impacts on the wider community.”

Mr Fell questioned the right of the race organisers to use publicly-funded resources — the public highway, on which people have a right to unhindered movement — for a private-profit event.

“The public is paying to be inconvenienced,” he said.

The triathlon is being promoted by sports event management company, 1 Step Beyond Promotions, and costs £179 for an individual entry.

The county councillor for Southwell and Caunton, Mr Bruce Laughton, said he had checked that the council had met all its legal obligations.

He said although the procedure for road orders was followed correctly they were not up to dealing with an event of this size.

Mr Laughton said: “It’s going to be extremely disruptive, particularly for residents in the Trent Valley and we are going to have to take into account their views in consultation.

“If we find it’s too onerous we will have to look at whether we hold an event as big as this again.”

Mr Laughton said many people had missed information about the event because they assumed notifications were for the annual Southwell Triathlon.

He said county and parish councils were notified but had not realised the significance of the event.

He said: “One of the groups who have not been consulted is local businesses and that is one of the faults of the consultation process.”

Mr Laughton said the county council planned to inform people about the road closures and one-way orders on the day through local media.

A spokesman for the Outlaw Triathlon said it was one of two in the country and was a good thing for Nottinghamshire.

She said: “We really tried to engage with the community.

“Various community meetings have gone on all year and we tried to do everything we could to make sure the community were aware of it.”

She hoped residents would support athletes taking part.

“It’s one day of the year and people are coming from all over the world to do a personal challenge,” she said.

“We hope people come out and cheer people along.”

The road closures from 7am to 4pm will be East Bridgford Road, Newton, Gonalston Lane, Gonalston, from its junction with the A612 for ten metres in a north westerly direction and ten metres in a south easterly direction; Stubbins Lane, Southwell, from its junction with the A612 for ten metres in a northerly direction; King Street, Southwell, from its junction with Church Street to its junction with Queen Street; Workhouse Lane, Southwell, from its junction with the A612 for 250 metres; Moor Lane, Epperstone, from its junction with the Oxton Bypass for a distance of ten metres in a southerly direction; Ton Lane, Lowdham, from its junction with the Lowdham Bypass for ten metres in an easterly direction; Nottingham Road, Radcliffe, from its junction with the A52 for ten metres in a north easterly direction from 4am to 10am.

One-way orders will be in force on the A612 from Main Street, Lowdham, to Beck Street, Thurgarton, from Bleasby Road, Thurgarton, to Park Lane, Southwell, Church Street, Southwell, and Easthorpe, Southwell, to Newark Road, Southwell.