‘Horsham’s pop-up cycle lane put in place too late’

In the early weeks of lockdown, when there was very little traffic, many people dusted down their bikes, and took their outdoor exercise on them.

Many families took advantage of the chance of safer on-road cycling to help their children to improve their cycling skills and their confidence on the roads.

Many councils saw the opportunity to create trial cycling schemes to test ideas when the disruption to motorists was minimal.

However, Conservative-run West Sussex was not one of these councils, instead ignoring the voices of cyclists and others who called on them to join Brighton and Hove and other councils who were in the vanguard.

Eventually, West Sussex was stimulated to action by the announcement of Government grants to implement pop-up cycle routes and called on cycle forums and district and borough councils for suggestions.

Many were put forward across the county, but Horsham District Council did not participate.

With schemes proposed from every other district, West Sussex asked Horsham District to reconsider. Horsham’s Conservative Cabinet chose the Albion Way scheme from a list of proposals from the Horsham Cycling Forum.

Had West Sussex implemented the original scheme, which provided a pop-up cycle route in both directions, in the early to mid summer, when traffic was light, and the schools were only partly open, we may have seen a very different result.

Instead, the scheme was implemented in September, with traffic levels back to pre-Covid levels. And, at the last moment, the Conservatives at Horsham prevailed on West Sussex to provide a one-way route only, and chose to press the West to East route.

The East to West route was abandoned, in spite of both local members, Dr Nigel Dennis and Morwen Millson, arguing that if only one route was to be implemented, it should be East to West.

None of the local district councillors were consulted at all, nor were the affected neighbourhood councils.

There were two reasons for this view, firstly, that East to West was much simpler to implement, with no major junctions, and secondly because there was an existing West to East route, through the Carfax, but this was one-way only.

The original scheme was sabotaged by this action, whether deliberately or accidentally.

If the cycle route works only from West to East, how are cyclists meant to get back? In addition, the junctions on the West to East route are poorly marked and possibly dangerous.

Many people support better cycling provision, and the Liberal Democrats believe that it would be beneficial for all residents if Horsham were to have a decent cycle network, whether or not they cycle.

Such a network would encourage more people to cycle for the shorter, most polluting journeys, thus improving their own health, freeing up parking spaces, and improving air quality.

However, as it has been implemented, this scheme has set back the cause of cycling by several years, by providing little benefit to cyclists, while alienating the car-using public.

Though the scheme was relatively cheap to implement, there were many better and less disruptive schemes that could have been introduced to Horsham and would have provided better value for money.

Following the forthcoming review of the scheme, instead of simply removing the pop-up lane, the Liberal Democrats want to see it improved or replaced with a better scheme – perhaps some proper cycle routes across the town centre that work for both pedestrians and for cyclists.

What we all need are useful improvements that encourage additional cycling trips, not short stretches that effectively go nowhere.

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