Greens have today called on young people throughout Hove and Portslade to give their views on plans to introduce and improve spaces on the seafront in West Hove.

‘Kingsway to the sea’ is a project led by Brighton & Hove City Council which currently includes plans for a skatepark, pump track and a roller skate area, along with other sports facilities and green open spaces.

For Power of Youth Day, which will this year be held on Monday 6th June, Greens have urged young people to complete the consultation. A survey to collect the views of residents is currently open until Friday 10 June.

Brighton & Hove City Council was the first council to sign up to the ‘Power of Youth’ Charter, which aims to give young people more of a say in decisions that affect them. It followed a motion put forward by green councillor Hannah Clare.

Councillor Hannah Clare, who chairs the city’s Children, Young People and Skills Committee said:

“For Power of Youth Day, and indeed any day of the year, I believe it is really important to hear directly from young people on the issues that matter to them. I’m really proud of the work we are doing in Brighton & Hove to ensure young people’s voices are heard. But young people are often underrepresented in council consultations.

“While we of course want to hear from people of all ages, it’s really important to me that young people are able to have their say on this really exciting project. As we celebrate the importance of young people’s voices for Power of Youth Day, now is an excellent time for them to get involved and complete a quick survey to give their views.

“I think the plans for Kingsway to the sea showcase an excellent opportunity for residents in Hove and Portslade, and I look forward to seeing the results of the current consultation.”

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Quieter roads over lockdown have been shown to encourage more women to take up cycling. Official figures from the Department for Transport showed an increase of over 50% of women cycling. Local data in London could even pinpoint increases in cycling to areas where councils installed Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, segregating cyclists from fast moving traffic.

Not only are women more wary of cycling on busy roads, we know that women and children are amongst the most vulnerable road users. It is our duty as a council to provide our residents with the infrastructure to keep them safe as they travel.

In light of this information, I find it difficult to understand why the Labour MP for Hove and Portslade, Peter Kyle, would fail to support the temporary Old Shoreham Road cycling lane. In a recent interview on Politics Live, he chose to share a number of mistruths about the temporary walking and cycling measures introduced in Hove during lockdown. 

Starting with who actually did it. Despite his claims, it was under a Labour council that the A259 and Old Shoreham Road cycle lanes were planned. As Greens, we backed it (and I did with much delight as these are both routes I regularly cycle on). But I won’t accept the rewriting of history in this way. 

In the public consultation reviewing the temporary cycle lane on Old Shoreham Road over 75% of respondents who used the lane during the day said they felt safe or very safe doing so. In fact, 36% of those who cycled in the temporary lane would have previously taken their car for the same journey. 

Many have reported to us how they took up cycling as a family. We saw new people cycling to school and work as a result, with an overall 61% increase in cycling between 2017 and 2020 with the introduction of the temporary lane. That’s an amazing achievement. Now the temporary cycle lane has been removed, some have taken to continuing in a Bike train. Others have launched a petition specifically for the reason that they want a safe route for their family. 

The lane wasn’t perfect, nor was it totally safe. I agree that we need a permanent solution, properly separated from the road (much like it is on sections of the road nearer Brighton). That’s why I’m delighted that this week, our Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan was approved – which includes plans for it’s eventual return. 

The Old Shoreham Road temporary cycle lane was successful in enabling more people to safely switch from driving to cycling on this route, with no impact on emergency vehicles. The vision for what a permanent, well-planned lane will do is incredibly exciting.

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