Funding for Alternative Cycle Route?
Active Travel England, whose permanent Commissioner is former Olympic gold medal cyclist Chris Boardman, announced last month that they have received a £200m grant from central government to promote walking, wheeling and cycling routes. They have invited local authorities across England to bid for a share-out of this funding.
According to Active Travel’s press release: “Projects will be designed in consultation with residents and businesses to ensure schemes are safe and work for local communities, and the successful projects will be announced later this year. Guidance has been created to help local authorities develop active travel schemes that are well-designed and completed to a high standard.”
The invitation comes at an interesting time. Hastings Borough Council (HBC) voted by the narrowest of margins in December (15 councillors for, 16 against) to oppose a cycle path through Alexandra Park on the grounds that it was incompatible with pedestrian amenity and safety. The path was being promoted by East Sussex County Council (ESCC) as the central route for cyclists through the town.
Following the vote HBC asked ESCC to confirm that they will nevertheless implement an offshoot of the cycle path, planned to go from Hollington to Silverhill. This path already has government funding and is fully designed to run from Crowhurst Road to Asda.
However, according to an HBC spokesperson, ESCC have responded that currently they will not consider alternative routes around Alexandra Park and are now reviewing all of their commitments to the cycle routes in Hastings, given recent cost increases. They have told HBC that it may be summer before any decision is made on the Hollington cycle path.
Could an allocation from the Active Travel fund now cover the cost of alternative route around the park? Neither ESCC nor HBC have given any indication yet of any intention to bid.
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