MORE than 100 new bicycle parking spaces are expected to be installed before the end of this financial year.

Brighton and Hove City Council has now started its last phase of introducing more facilities for cyclists for 2017/18.

The final phase will mean new parking stands for 124 bikes, mainly in central Brighton and Hove.

Among the ten locations where spaces are planned are Western Road, West Street, The Level and Palmeira Square.

Councillor Gill Mitchell, chairwoman of the council’s environment, transport and sustainability committee, said: “Cycle parking is a good use of limited space and money.

“You can park about ten bikes in the space of one car.

“Cycling is growing so much here that it can be difficult to find a secure cycle parking spaces in some areas.

“So we’ll continue with more installations next year and we’ll keep asking developers to provide them as part of planning permissions.”

Last autumn, stands for 74 bikes were installed in the Hanover and Elm Grove parking zone.

Since 2006, the council has installed parking for almost 2,000 cycles in an attempt to meet the parking needs of the growing number of cyclists in the city.

The council said the numberof people cycling to work across the city doubled between 2001 and 2011.

Just under five per cent of the city’s total population cycle to work.

And figures show that nine per cent of adult residents get on their bikes at least once a week.

After the local BTN Bikeshare rental scheme launched last September, the project is now reportedly the UK’s most used outside London.

Within the first month of it starting, more than 9,000 people signed up to join the scheme.

In the first 12 days alone there were 6,860 trips made by cyclists and a total of 13,192 miles were travelled.

A total of 450 rental bikes were installed across the city.

The council is now inviting anyone interested in submitting suggestions for future locations for cycle stands in the city to do so using the form on its website.

New requests will be considered for the next financial year.

To make your suggestions visit brighton-hove.gov.uk/cycleparking.

Abandoned bikes occupying racks can be reported on 01273 292929.