We need bike hangars!

HUB knows of 100 people who’d like to rent a bike hangar space and Hastings Borough Council is prepared to accommodate them in its car parks. Excellent! But these hangars are built to last and cost a fortune. So I wrote to one of our county councillors asking them to pass this request on to our Transport Authority – ESCC:

Dear Councillor –

There are 6 people in Warrior Square who would like to rent safe bike storage and at least 100 more in wider St. Leonards who’d like it and would be willing to pay for it. A Hastings Urban Bikes (HUB) member ran a facebook survey and got 150 responses, 70% positive. And I’m sure that’s just the tip of a town iceberg.

Cyclehoop hangars are by far the best sort of on-street/in-car park storage. They are as unobtrusive as possible and any town which has installed them looks better than towns which have gone for less good ones. The general street-using person has to like them as well as the cyclists!

https://cyclehoop.com/

HBC’s Active Travel portfolio holder has told me the council would be prepared to accommodate cycle hangars in their car parks. 

Funding for them would have to be applied for by ESCC. Where they have been deployed in great number in London Boroughs, TfL has paid for them. Our equivalent is ESCC – as explained by Active Travel England in their letter, attached.

Could you pursue this for the apartment-living cyclists of Hastings who have currently nowhere safe to store their bikes overnight?

With very many thanks –

Anna

This is the answer I got back:

Dear Anna

The County Council recognises the importance of secure cycle parking facilities,  as referred to in the recently adopted East Sussex Local Transport Plan 2024 – 2050 and the accompanying Investment Plan, in supporting people to walk, wheel and cycle more and to have access to safe and secure residential cycle parking, especially in more densely populated areas of the County.

The specific hangar type storage unit to which you refer, and which typically serves residential areas, has been delivered across several urban areas nationally, particularly in London and in nearby Brighton. As part of the East Sussex LTP4 we are looking to trial these types of schemes, with Hastings and the area of St Leonards, lending itself to this type of measure.

We are proposing to undertake an assessment of the opportunities for this type of scheme in Hastings within the next year. And following the outcome of this assessment to run a trial, subject to funding being secured. When we are in position to commence this we will of course contact you and other key stakeholders in Hastings alongside Hastings Borough Council.

As part of the assessment we will consider whether these could be installed in residential streets and car parks. This will involve considering whether changes will be required to the existing Traffic Regulation Orders that cover the parking bays or parking restrictions in that road; the need for road safety audits to ensure that the structure on the highway is safely located and visible; consultations with residents in the vicinity of the storage unit; and resources to administer the rental and access arrangements for users of the facility.

I trust that this answers your query, but should you have any further queries please contact us at cyclingandwalking@eastsussex.gov.uk

Regards 

Lisa Simmonds

Infrastructure Planning & Policy Manager

Infrastructure Planning & Place Team, Communities, Economy & Transport

07519 293 184
eastsussex.gov.uk

Her trust was unfounded and this is what I wrote back to her:

Dear Lisa –

Thank you for getting back to me.

I and Hastings Urban Bike members are very glad to hear you are going to start the process of installing on-street bike hangars. Good luck. The need for them is immediate and on-going.

However, that’s not what I asked for. Hastings Urban Bikes has a list of named potential bike storage renters and Hastings Borough Council would like hangars to be installed for them in their own HBC car parks.

You are part of our Transport Authority and only you can apply for funding in meaningful enough amounts. Please don’t say you can’t, you won’t, you will later…or any such. These bike owners living in flats need them now.

Please apply for funding for 10 hangars without delay. Let me know if you need a contact within HBC to help.

With very many thanks –

Anna

I waited a week and wrote again:

Dear Lisa –

Having troubled the good people of St. Leonards to respond to our survey it would be nice for them to receive an update on what the prospects of getting a bike hangar any time soon might be. 

Is there any possibility that funding for hangars in HBC car parks could be applied for sooner? Should we hope or carry on the passive wait?

It would be very helpful to know.

With very many thanks –

Anna

Refreshed Transport Strategy…🙄

Tuesday March 4th ESCC Cabinet discusses this –

‘The refreshed TfSE Transport Strategy…change in approach would see a transition away from ‘planning for vehicles’ towards ‘planning for people and places’.

Fine. But when?!

I’ll keep badgering them and we’ll see if we get anywhere…watch this space.