HERE is everything we know about a new seafront cycle lane that has received funding approval.

Brighton and Hove City Council has been awarded £1.208m by the Department for Transport (DfT) for a new cycle route on Marine Parade A259 – between Brighton Marina and Brighton Palace Pier.

Work will begin immediately to develop the scheme, with designs subject to public consultation with residents, partners and key stakeholders in the city.

Previous funding

The new funding, which has been awarded from Tranche Three of the government’s Active Travel Fund, is the third instalment of its kind.

The council was awarded £663,000 from Tranche 1 of the fund in June 2020 and a further £2.376m from Tranche 2 in November 2020.

Location of the cycle lane

The proposed cycle lane would run along the A259 Marine Parade between Brighton Marina and the Aquarium roundabout.

Olympic cyclist involvement

The council will also be collecting monitoring and evaluation data, as well as working with Active Travel England - a new government body set up to support and oversee active travel projects which is headed by Olympic champion and Tour De France stage winner Chris Boardman MBE.

Active Travel England seeks to improve infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians, as well as funding projects to improve air quality.

Mr Boardman, previously commissioner for Transport for Greater Manchester, became the interim commissioner of the organisation earlier this year. 

He previously said high levels of cycling and walking had positive benefits which are "clearly visible in pockets around the country where people have been given easy and safe alternatives to driving".

He has said the body would ensure schemes met a national standard "so you would feel comfortable letting your kids ride or walk to school in the mornings".