INITIAL plans for the route of the Tour de France through Essex ran past Broomfield Hospital, it has been revealed.
Liz Burr, head of network and safety at Essex Highways, said the event's organisers had initially suggested the route ran down Broomfield Road on Monday, July 7. See here for more on the Tour de France in Essex#
"The route proposed was straight past Broomfield Hospital, which wouldn't have been very popular as the road would have been closed for the majority of the day.
"It's ensuring that the majority of the city is accessible."
"The race organisers were quite strict with what they wanted - it had to come in the county at Great Chesterford and come out around Epping, with a specific length and time on our roads."
Further considerations included Stansted Airport, so that the four helicopters that will be filming the race do not stray into their airspace.
It has also been noted that the route, largely based in the outskirts of Chelmsford, does not run through the centre of the city.
But Gary Sullivan, chair of Active Essex, said: "I don't think it's a trick missed, the reason it doesn't go through a major city is safety for the cyclists.
"You can't please all people all the time, I think it's a glass half full situation.
"The Tour is coming to Essex, it's a great privilege that it's going round Braintree and Chelmsford and that's a lot closer than people from the rest of the county who will come to watch it."
