Kettering to host Critical Mass ride on climate emergency anniversary

Cyclists will ride through the town tonight in a group
Cyclists file imageCyclists file image
Cyclists file image

A group of cyclists will ride through Kettering tonight (Friday) on the first anniversary of the declaration of a climate emergency in the borough.

Kettering Council declared a climate emergency on July 24, 2019, saying they would take agreed actions and interventions.

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But environment campaigners say they think it is not being treated as a genuine emergency and will be meeting at 6pm tonight outside the council offices.

They will discuss their findings after they looked into what has been done in the past 12 months and will then relay their thoughts to councillors.

April Wright, an environment and climate activist, wants traffic to be taken away from town centres and wants to see cycle routes improved.

She said: "There does not seem to be the same effort to treat the climate emergency as an actual emergency.

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"An emergency does not change because of the word that's in front of it."

After the discussion the group will host its first Critical Mass bike ride through the town's urban areas, leaving the council offices car park at 7pm with the ride lasting until about 7.45pm.

The group, joined by Kettering XR, will ride together on a route around the town.

The event is open to all ages and abilities, for people to cycle together for safety and to claim their place on the roads.

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When people arrive they will be assigned a “bubble space” to depart from to adhere to the Covid safe guidelines.

Those attending should wear a mask, bring their own hand sanitiser and socially distance only riding aside someone in their bubble.

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