A row has erupted between cyclists and church-goers over London mayor Sadiq Khan's announcement that Cycle Superhighway 9 will add nearly 6km of segregated track to the capital's roads linking Kensington Olympia to Brentford.
Fr Michael Dunne, from the Parish of Our Lady of Grace & St Edward, Chiswick, said at a recent Chiswick Area Forum meeting that plans for a two-lane cycle path outside his church would be "more harmful than Germans dropping bombs in the war".
In a Facebook post, he said: "While clearly TfL do not intend us any ill, it's nonetheless depressing to reflect that their state-sponsored, taxpayer-funded plans would do our community more harm by removing our capacity for a bridal procession, funeral procession and every other public expression of our Christian identity than the Luftwaffe managed with its wartime bombs."
His church has since produced a leaflet urging people to oppose the plans by completing an online Transport for London (TFL) survey and tagging the London mayor and TFL to social media posts, rejecting the idea.
His comments have also attracted online criticism.
Gosh. This is very strange. Despite all the suffering in the World @OurLadyChiswick are praying every day against #CS9 #airpollution #safety pic.twitter.com/L1hVNUDUxd
— Darren Moore (@darrenmoore) October 5, 2017
Cycling campaigner Danny Williams, who is the co-ordinator for London Cycling City Cyclists, branded the leaflet "misleading".
He tweeted: "This is pretty outrageous stuff from @OurLadyChiswick church in Chiswick. Dodgy facts, misleading. Very unfortunate behaviour on their part."
Hounslow Cycling said it was "disappointed" with the church's comments.
It a statement the group said: "The section of road 50m to each side of the church is a particular collision blackspot on Chiswick High Road.
"Police records show from 2010-2015, there were over 30 collisions with motor vehicles that injured cyclists and pedestrians, with cyclists making up almost three quarters of the casualties.
The route includes 20 pedestrian crossings and five new traffic light junctions.
The consultation closes on 31st October.
