Greens condemn plans to cut front line services while spending £1.1m on cycle closure.

Ian Davey leads protesters

This early PR for the Save Hove Cycle Lane campaign was not officially released - it was quickly overtaken by news of the plans to demolish the lane were abandoned.

Greens condemn plans to cut front line services while spending £1.1m on cycle closure.

21 Feb 2010. Cyclists braved rainy weather over the weekend to protest against the planned scrapping of the award winning cycle freeway along The Drive in Hove. Two Green councillors were at the event.

The plans to scrap the cycle lane, at a cost of £1.1m, were revealed in Brighton and Hove City Council’s budget proposals, made public last week. The plans have provoked protests from across the country, including from Sustrans, the charity that promotes sustainable travel in the UK.

The cycle freeway is segregated from traffic. It runs through Goldsmid, whose councillor, Alex Phillips, won the ward for the Green Party at a by-election in 2009. She said: “At a time of cuts to frontline services, leaving vulnerable people to fend for themselves, it’s not right that money is used to get rid of this important and well-used cycle lane.”

She added: “We launched a petition a few days ago, aiming to get a full council debate on the subject. Already we have 1,200 signatures, many online. Brighton’s status as a city of sustainable transport is of national interest”

Councillor Davey, Green Party spokesman for Transport said: “I’m so pleased so many people came out in the rain at such short notice. This is just the start of this protest. The Conservative administration led by Councillor Mary Mears will have to withdraw this proposal if they want get their budget passed by the council. We have every hope that Labour will vote with the Greens to overturn this budget when it comes before council for approval on 3 March.”

The cycle freeway was built with funding from Cycling England after Brighton and Hove was granted Cycle Demonstration Town status in 2005. When council’s transport team picked up the Transport Authority of the Year award last year. It was commended for cycling improvements that saw cycling in the city increase by 27% since 2006.

Councillor Davey said: “If they go ahead with spending a million pounds scrapping this cycle lane it will be the transport laughing stock of the year and it will be bottom of the class for cycling.”

The 2011 budget proposals were released on 11 February. They revealed plans to remove the cycle lanes. The reason cited was to “improve the visual impact and traffic flow along this important north – south corridor including access to the A27/A23 from the A259/Shoreham Harbour".

Councillor Davey said: “I wonder if Councillor Mears has consulted local residents about whether they will welcome this road becoming an artery for heavy vehicles on their way to Shoreham Harbour.”

Councillors Davey and Phillips asked those who support the campaign to sign the petition at http://www.gopetition.com/petition/43064.html .