A long-awaited cycle superhighway from Hyde Park to Hounslow has been held up because town hall chiefs balked at the idea of blue paint along Kensington High Street.

Cycle Superhighway 9 was due to open next summer but that looks increasingly unlikely as detailed plans are still being drawn up ahead of a public consultation.

One of the main reasons for the delay, the Chronicle has learned, has been Kensington and Chelsea Council’s objection to a bright blue lane running along alongside one of the capital’s smartest shopping parades.

Transport for London (TfL) has suggested an alternative fully segregated scheme, which it says is ‘more respectful of the aesthetic of the street’.

Should that not meet with Kensington and Chelsea’s approval, an alternative cycle route from Hammersmith to Heathrow and Bedfont – not branded as a superhighway – is on the cards.

Hounslow Council has already drawn up detailed plans for its 9.5km section of the route, along the A315, and for a proposed extension to Heathrow for use by working people and short-break holiday-makers.

Kensington and Chelsea’s objections are not the only stumbling block when it comes to the eastern section, according to a letter from London’s cycling tsar, Andrew Gilligan.

Hammersmith and Fulham Council is still exploring how the route can safely cross traffic-choked Hammersmith Broadway, and TfL is carrying out a cycle superhighway review following a number of deaths on the network. Bosses at TfL are also keen to bypass Chiswick Roundabout via Wellesley Road.

Brian Smith, co-ordinator of the Hounslow branch of London Cycling Campaign, said cyclists in the borough were growing increasingly frustrated by the delay.

“Hammersmith and Fulham is lagging behind Hounslow and when it comes to Kensington and Chelsea, the feeling we get is that they’re being deliberately obstructive,” he added.

A spokeswoman for Kensington and Chelsea Council said a blue painted cycle lane was ‘unnecessary and inappropriate’. Surveys show that cyclists already make up about a quarter of traffic on Kensington High Street.

“In short the council’s position has remained unchanged since TfL first approached us, and I am afraid the slow progress on the design of the route rests wholly with TfL,” she added.