DEPUTATIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
A period of not more than fifteen minutes shall be allowed at each ordinary meeting of the Council for the hearing of deputations from members of the public. Each deputation may be heard for a maximum of five minutes following which one Member of the Council, nominated by the Mayor, may speak in response. It shall then be moved by the Mayor and voted on without discussion that the spokesperson for the deputation be thanked for attending and its subject matter noted.
Notification of one Deputation has been received. The spokesperson is entitled to speak for 5 minutes.
(1) Deputation concerning Active Travel: Spokesperson – Max Glaskin
Supported by:
Lisa Creagh
Maggie Chamberlain
James Taylor
Chris Todd
Dani Ahrens
Ward affected: All
Thank you for receiving this Deputation from Brighton Active Travel, a non-party political umbrella organisation for groups and individuals who want Brighton & Hove to be better for everybody who walks, uses wheelchairs and rides bicycles.
This small sub-committee has to make a decision that could impact everyone in the city for decades. Before it does, we would like answers to three questions.
First, if the Council removes the Old Shoreham Road temporary cycle lanes it will be more dangerous for anyone who would like to ride a bicycle in the north west of the city. There is no direct, safe alternative route nearby that can serve the schools with their six thousand pupils.
How would making the road more dangerous get more people walking and cycling?
If the Council removes the Old Shoreham Road temporary cycle lane it will lose millions of pounds in funding. The Government says so. Already it's withholding more than a quarter of a million pounds that would otherwise help hard-working families, disabled people, women and children. Next, we'll lose access to millions for making the seafront, London Road, Lewes Road and Western Road safer. The Government could even install commissioners to take transport out of the hands of all elected councillors.
How would Councillors plug the funding gap triggered by removing the Old Shoreham Road cycle lanes when the Government stops its money?
Finally, it's time to stop spreading myths. Journey times have not got worse. There is not evidence that pollution has got worse. The electorate has not voted to remove the cycle lanes.
Only 11% of the people who responded to the consultation were under 35, that's just one in every nine of the city's population. But they account for a whopping 50%, that's one in every two people in the city. Their views were massively under-represented. What's more these are the people more likely to want safe and direct routes to ride bicycles because they are younger, fitter and have less access to private cars.
So, will Councillors help everyone in this city, including the half whose voices have barely been heard, to have a wider choice of safe, easy, attractive and direct ways to travel by retaining the Old Shoreham Road temporary cycle lanes?
Brigton Active Travel