NEW and improved cycle lanes could be coming to the city.

Brighton and Hove City Council has agreed to progress with a government funding bid for a "permanent" lane on Brighton seafront.

It comes after councillors voted to proceed with scrapping a controversial route on the Old Shoreham Road.

This new lane would be on Marine Parade and will tie in with Valley Gardens work at the Brighton Palace Pier roundabout.

The work would be funded via the Active Travel Fund, which could see the council receiving about £2.37 million to improve routes in the city.

Work would need to be completed by April 2023.

At a meeting on Wednesday night, city councillors agreed to progress with proposals for other areas of the city using the same pot of money.

This includes making temporary measures in the "Old Town Conservation Area", which includes The Lanes permanent.

So far, changes here have included restricting through traffic and providing space for pedestrians in the area, including closing Black Lion Street and Ship Street at the northern ends.

They also agreed to look at a feasibility study on improvement on the A23 between Valley Gardens and Preston Park.

This would include reallocation of road space by permanently widening the existing on-road cycle routes, permanent junction upgrades, improvements to bus lanes and provision of floating bus stops "wherever possible".

However, proposals to improve the current Old Shoreham Road cycle route were thrown out - in favour of scrapping the cycle lanes entirely.

What happened at the meeting?

Sarah Booker Lewis 

Labour and Conservative councillors banded together to remove the Old Shoreham Road cycle lane, to the dismay of the Greens.

But before the lane is removed, a report must go before a special meeting of city councillors, by August 11.

Councillors agreed to look at alternatives including Portland Road and New Church Road.

It was also agreed that a consultation must be done before expansions to the A259 cycle lane go forward.

Councillor Nancy Platts, who was leader of the council when the cycle lane was built, said the volume of negative comments outweighed those who wanted to keep the lane.

Cllr Platts said: “People clearly feel strongly about all of this, it is a difficult decision for us as councillors, my heart is in having a cycle lane, I haven’t had a car for years.

“I’m gutted we might be pulling up the Old Shoreham Road or any cycle lane. I think every cycle lane helps to convert people.”

There is concern the council would lose out on future money from the government’s Active Travel Fund as West Sussex County Council has been told it would not be able to bid for more money after it removed the Upper Shoreham Road cycle lane in Shoreham.

The consultation analysis raised concerns about the lack of children’s voices, as officers told councillors it was difficult to engage with schools during the January to March lockdown as most youngsters were working at home.

Committee deputy chairman, Jamie Lloyd, a Green, said it was important for councillors to “take on board the point about hearing children’s voices”.

He said: “If you want to listen to the voices of children on the Old Shoreham Road bike lane, read the emails. All those children who are using it to get to school, and their parents, who would otherwise be driving.

“They’re the voice. Listen to that. Don’t do this.”

In a last-minute pitch to get councillors to change their minds, Green transport lead Amy Heley read out an email from a Hove Park resident who cycles two miles to school each day with their nine-year-old daughter.

They said: “She really enjoys riding her classic Raleigh Chopper bike and singing while pedalling along. She is very proud of the independence it gives her as well as the comments from other riders and schoolmates about her bike.

“It is only because of the cycle lane that cycling to and from school has been possible as both my wife and I would not feel comfortable navigating the traffic while trying to guide our daughter as well.”

At the same meeting, Conservative councillor Robert Nemeth secured backing for a report into proposals for a park and ride scheme at Mill Road from the summer of 2022.

The scheme would see the city council working in partnership with Brighton and Hove Buses.

Cllr Nemeth was concerned the project was reduced to a line in a series of recommendations when it deserved its own meeting.