Cycling Allowed!

Recently the gap in Ansty Road's central reservation at Mellowdew Road/Wykley Road has been closed to motor traffic. But not to pedal cycles.

Looking at the google satellite view, the reasoning behind the closure is clear:

There wasn't room in the gap for more than one motorist to wait. So if a car
were already waiting in the gap when a second motorist arrived wishing to turn
right from Ansty Road, the second vehicle would have to wait in one of the
traffic lanes. Leaving only one lane for the main Ansty Road traffic. Given
that the rest of Ansty Road has two lanes on each carriageway and the speed
limit is 40 mph, there was plenty of scope for dangerous incidents
.
As a matter of fact pedal cycles have also been banned from making right turns from Ansty Road at the junction. But it's quite easy for cyclists to turn left into one of the side roads, make a U turn and then cross into the central reservation and wait there. There's plenty of room:

There was a suggestion that cyclists should also be banned from crossing, presumably from the traditional policy of making life difficult for cyclists. It would have lead people to cycle on the pedestrian crossing facility. Cycle routes which are shorter than car routes are commonplace in cycle-friendly Netherlands, it's a pleasant surprise to see one being created here.

An alternative might have been to keep the route open for motorists but make it safer by reducing the speed limit on Ansty Road. That would have brought problems of enforcement, besides there's a vocal minority of motorists who resent any reduction in speed limits.