With my experience from living in the UK for about 7 years I would guess some of the following:
1. An old lady went to the council and complained about high speed cyclists outside her home which are scaring her cat.
2. Somebody crashed on this cycle lane after trying to chase a squirel at about 60km/h.
3. They are planning to refurbish the lane and they will start from that segment which is closed. Ofcourse the segment doesnt seem that it needs refurbishing but thats what having a council that cares for people does...
In any case you are very very lucky to live and cycle in the UK, after I left from there and came back home it was a mad-max style cycling nightmare for me for 3 years in a row...
