Farmer Peter Fairs fears problems as the country comes out of lockdown

AMONG the plethora of announcements surrounding government borrowing and the distribution of all this money to hitherto unlikely causes, the two billion allocated to encourage us all to cycle sounds a great idea.

The problem is that very few policy makers have actually thought this through.

For years, cycling clubs have been calling for more places to ride safely.

City and town councils are hurriedly thinking about how to make this happen but the real problems are in the countryside.

Country lanes are naturally the place where most cyclists want to exercise but it is also where horse riders want to be.

Unfortunately, it is also the place where motorists escape the traffic jams, where heavy goods vehicles deliver fertiliser or collect farm produce and farmers move big machinery from field to field.

During lockdown, these lanes have been relatively quiet and cyclists have not encountered, or caused, many issues as they silently race past the walkers.

Two abreast sometimes and with heads down, helmets on and something in their ears the countryside seems an idyllic place for this lovely pastime.

But I see trouble ahead.

As the country comes out of lockdown, there will be more traffic and farmers tractors and trailers will inevitably take up more than half the road width.

Many cyclists are blissfully not expecting to meet anything.

Cyclists and tractors can travel at very similar speeds so overtaking by either is out of the question.

Apart from the obvious risk of awful collisions, all-round frustration will creep in to motorists, tractor drivers, cyclists and horseriders.

Added to all this is the new conservation policy of cutting verges less frequently, which further decreases sight lines and narrows these roads.

Frankly, the situation is terrifying.

Coronavirus has got us all to look at the world differently and to try to find positives from a negative situation.

Cycling is a super activity and it is time farmers and country dwellers joined forces with cyclists to find safer places to ride.

The place to start must be where the public have some legal rights of passage on existing roads or footpaths.

At the moment, neither are suitable for cycling.

We need radical thinking - how about using that two billion to create countryside cycle tracks?

Imagine Essex County Council buying three metres of land alongside the Essex Way and creating the perfect cycleway?

Come on you policy makers - do something before a spate of terrible accidents occur on our country roads.

I don’t know whether it’s global warming or not but our spring weather seems to be getting drier and drier.

It hasn’t rained at all in May and we measured rain on two days at the end of April after 42 days with none.

On many farms, the situation is very serious and on the lighter land on our own farm some wheat has already completely died, so no yield there.

It is all so frustrating after such a wet winter.

Nice weather for sun worshippers, though!