Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Back to news
news
Infrastructure
Council docked government funding over ripped out bike laneOld Shoreham Road cycle lane (Google Maps)

Council docked government funding over ripped out bike lane

Opposition councillors voted to remove the temporary cycle lane on Old Shoreham Road to the despair of local cyclists
by Dan Alexander
Sat, Nov 13, 2021 13:00
103

Brighton and Hove City Council has been docked 25 per cent of its Capability Fund finance due to the removal of a temporary cycle lane on Old Shoreham Road. Councillors voted to remove the cycle lane and said it required better planning to make it less "contentious" with other road users.

But it seems the decision has landed the city in hot water with the Department for Transport who requested more information on why the scheme had been scrapped.

It then emerged 25 per cent less than originally planned would be given to Brighton and Hove City Council as part of the Capability Fund.

The Fund is designed to support local transport authorities outside London by financing support staffing, resources and training to encourage active travel initiatives.

In a letter from the government it was made clear that future funding would be subject to proof of delivery, and advised the council to "realise their full potential" on active travel.

> Parents set up ‘bike train’ for school run after council rips out bike lane (+ video)

Councillor Amy Heley told the Argus: "We are of course pleased that the government continues to provide funding for our active travel projects, in recognition of the dedicated efforts we’re making with council officials to improve accessible walking and cycling options in our city.

"However, it’s disappointing to see confirmation of our concerns that the committee decision to remove the Old Shoreham Road cycle lane will detrimentally affect council finances.

"The Department for Transport was committed to awarding Brighton & Hove funding as part of the Capability Fund, but has now cut the amount they will offer in response to the Old Shoreham Road removal."

Old Shoreham Road
Brighton
Cycle lane
Dan Alexander

Dan is the road.cc news editor and joined in 2020 having previously written about nearly every other sport under the sun for the Express, and the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Dan has been at road.cc for four years and mainly writes news and tech articles as well as the occasional feature. He has hopefully kept you entertained on the live blog too.

Never fast enough to take things on the bike too seriously, when he's not working you'll find him exploring the south of England by two wheels at a leisurely weekend pace, or enjoying his favourite Scottish roads when visiting family. Sometimes he'll even load up the bags and ride up the whole way, he's a bit strange like that.

Add new comment

97 comments

Avatar
Hirsute replied to GMBasix | 3 years ago
0 likes

Cut all public sector pay by 5% - sorted !

Avatar
jaymack replied to EddyBerckx | 3 years ago
0 likes

Well said...

Avatar
Flintshire Boy replied to EddyBerckx | 3 years ago
0 likes

Lead me to the Magic Money Tree, please!

Avatar
Hirsute replied to Flintshire Boy | 3 years ago
3 likes

That would be the one rishi sunak has in his back garden.
Are you so ignorant that you failed to read or understand his latest budget?

For someone who moans about people playing the man, you sure are doing a great job of illustrating it.
Which sock puppet are you again ?

Avatar
wycombewheeler replied to RoubaixCube | 3 years ago
5 likes

RoubaixCube wrote:

Thats ok. Shoreham council will just introduce a new stealth tax or raise council tax even more to cover the shortfall.

For example. Where i live, the local authorities made it so you have to buy a parking permit to park on the street outside your house. Not being satisfied with the money they were making from that. They decided to add another tax that would rob from you another £50-100+ a year (i think its a year) if you had a car with a more powerful motor - I think it was £88 for a 2L engine but i will have to double check.

how much to store a shed on the road?  or a bike hanger? what about a patio table?

Just perks for car owners then? Perhaps rather than charging for it they should ban all parking and return the roads to be used solely for transportation and not personal storage.

I think it's probably a bargain, even at £100 a year, how much would it cost to build a driveway on private property instead of buying a permit? I bet it would take over 20 years to get a return on that investment.

Not a lot of sympathy for large engines, although perhaps I missed the news on the climate crises being averted, at least ot seemed that way when I passed loads of people just burning coal for fun this afternoon. Not to keep warm, but just to drive their steam engines up and down the road for shits and giggles.

Avatar
Hirsute replied to wycombewheeler | 3 years ago
1 like

Residents' permits are just a means of allowing residents to fight over the parking spaces rather than fighting with commuters and shoppers over the same space.

Avatar
wycombewheeler replied to Hirsute | 3 years ago
2 likes
hirsute wrote:

Residents' permits are just a means of allowing residents to fight over the parking spaces rather than fighting with commuters and shoppers over the same space.

But sure how that contradicts my view that parking on the road is a strange privilege afforded to drivers.
Ban overnight parking on the road, and a lot of problems go away as people do not buy cars they can't store. Any roadside space is then used only by visitors and you don't end up with the situation that roads end up single track with no passing places due to all the parked cars.

Pages

Latest Comments