Happy New Year Shoreham
As 2023 begins, it seems right to take a look back, and a look forward, at where we’ve been and where we’re going. It’s a bit of an irony that something as positive, freedom-giving and life-affirming as cycling should be such a struggle for West Sussex County Council and Adur District Council to provide for, despite both councils’ many warm words and strategies on matters of transport and environment. As a community group, much of our role remains focussed on holding our councils to account and – where possible – helping them to make even a fraction of the progress being made towards active travel in other towns across England.
Let’s take a look at how the year went…
2022 didn’t get off to the best start for West Sussex County Council. In January last year, the council settled out-of-court with national campaigning organisation Cycling UK, admitting that its hasty and premature removal of temporary experimental cycle lanes on Upper Shoreham Road was unlawful.
The people of Shoreham participated in more consultations in 2022, to add to the steadily growing pile of reports and research accrued by our county and district councils. On the topic of Upper Shoreham Road, consultation showed – yet again – no reason why a long-planned cycleway shouldn’t be built along this strategic route.
A 50/50 level of support for progress should have been more than enough to prompt WSCC into some kind of leadership, but instead, our council and our MP chose to take a negative approach to their PR, playing down the results and drawing conclusions that seemed very much at odds with clear guidance from the Department for Transport. It is now two years since the unlawful removal of the experimental scheme and we are still waiting to see what may follow – and whether it is compliant with the design conditions laid down by Active Travel England.
Our MP, Tim Loughton, has told us he no longer wishes to discuss the topic, despite having seemed keen to be involved in earlier stages. It’s disappointing that the former Children’s Minister and member of the Conservative Environment Network hasn’t taken a more positive role in improving transport options for children and adults in our town.
The Department of Transport released another slice of funding in 2022, helping councils across England to build quality cycle infrastructure. West Sussex County Council was the only council in the country to have been disqualified from applying for this funding, due to its actions in recent years.
Meanwhile, at Adur District Council, there have been more positive noises. As the holder of the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan, ADC has a strategy, evolved over 30 years and thoroughly consulted upon, for a safe network for cycling and walking in Adur. However, without action from WSCC, the district council has very limited means to implement any construction. In July, ADC passed a motion to re-affirm its LCWIP, including its clear identification of Upper Shoreham Road as a priority. Every councillor present voted in favour of re-affirming the plan – the only exception being an abstention by Council Leader Cllr Neil Parkin (despite Cllr Parkin’s own firm endorsement within the original document’s introduction.)
We wait to learn whether ADC has been at all successful in its cooperation with WSCC, with updates soon hoped for on the futures of Upper Shoreham Road, Middle Road and parts of Lancing.
Another long-planned boost for cycling in the district has been the proposed adoption of a bike-sharing scheme, ideal as another flexible transport option for local people. Previous announcements had described how Adur District Council would be joining forces with Brighton & Hove City Council in an extension of the most successful scheme outside London. But, due to cost-saving concerns, there has been a change of plan, and Adur will now host a smaller number of bikes provided by Donkey Bike, as used in Worthing. This smaller proposal won’t integrate with Brighton’s bike scheme and won’t include any e-bikes.
Was there any positive news?
With so much repeated disappointment and delay, it’s worth us pointing out the positives, where they exist. After 20 years of discussion and local lobbying (long preceding Shoreham-by-Cycle), a crossing for people on bikes and foot has been built by WSCC by the Red Lion pub, safely connecting the River Adur to the area of Upper Shoreham Road. This crossing has been an immediate success, with over 200 uses in its very first day. It is well-designed and we’re grateful to WSCC. But the crossing also serves to further highlight the sorry state of Upper Shoreham Road and its lack of safety for people using bikes – especially the growing number of Shoreham children travelling to Sir Robert Woodard Academy.
On Lancing Green a proposal is being looked at that, after an uncertain start, could see Lancing Parish Council collaborating with WSCC to change the layout of the seafront shared path as it passes the popular Perch café. This could reduce risk and conflict between users of the path, so we really hope this leads to a good outcome.
And for Shoreham-By-Cycle ourselves, we took the step in 2022 of expanding into a true membership organisation. We now have approaching 100 members: local people who want to see cycling made safer and easier in our town. We have held our first social gatherings, including a lovely picnic in Buckingham Park. It was so good to meet so many people and share so many ideas: a real testament to the growing tide of voices asking for positive change and safer streets.
How about 2023?
Are you ready for more consultations? The second WSCC consultation is now open on a cycle route for the A259 from Shoreham towards Hove.
The questions are remarkably similar to those of last year’s consultation on the same topic, and the route is already almost universally recognised as being a vital connection to be made safe for cycling. Yet, consultation after consultation seems to be the way we slowly edge towards progress, so we would encourage everyone to make their voice heard yet again.
Our unofficial visualisation of part of the A259
School Streets – long in existence elsewhere – might finally make a trial appearance around five West Sussex primary schools, with brief restrictions on motor vehicles at the start and end of the day, giving children and parents safer, less polluted journeys to school. We hope a Shoreham school will be selected for this trial.
We believe routine dialogue, not just formal consultation, is vital for councils and citizens to work together. We have asked Cllr Kevin Boram to consider setting up a group for Adur that is similar to the joint Adur & Worthing forum that existed before Covid, bringing together councillors from WSCC and ADC, council officers and several local community groups. We hope this will lead to greater transparency, better understanding and more focussed progress as we look forward to another year of waiting for our streets to be made safer, more accessible and more useful for local journeys.
In addition, we are committed to further discussions with other decision-makers like Sussex Police, employers, property developers and commercial landlords, all of whom have a role to play in making cycling safe and convenient.
Shoreham-By-Cycle members will gather again this year, on several occasions. We are planning more social gatherings as well as a public meeting.
You can join us – as we continue speaking to decision-makers about the positive changes we need to see.
Let’s keep on!
SHOREHAM-BY-CYCLE 