Cycle Lewes Newsletter March 2023
Active Travel Cuts
Just as some - admittedly small - headway was being made in cycling provision in England, the Government has made an announcement that funding for active travel will be severely cut.
Back in 2017 there were high hopes that the Government would prioritise active travel. In that year and in 2022, the Department for Transport (DfT) published cycling and walking investment strategies. These set out objectives for increasing rates of active travel in England by 2025 and beyond and funding to support investment in active travel initiatives.
However, in a written statement on 9 March, Transport Secretary Mark Harper announced that overall active travel funding for the current parliamentary term is to be reduced from £3.8billion to £3billion.
Active Travel England (ATE) is the government’s executive agency responsible for making walking, wheeling and cycling the preferred choice for everyone to get around in England. Following a long recruitment period, it has only just finished setting up its offices in York. Now it’s facing an uncertain future.
It is not yet clear whether the cuts will affect its funding or scope, and ATE has not commented on the announcement, referring all queries to the Department for Transport.
East Sussex County Council (ESCC) has a poor track record in prioritising active travel initiatives (especially cycling), and depends on Central Government for much of its funding in this area. Cycle Lewes (along with sister organisations in East Sussex) is not optimistic on how this will pan out for cycling initiatives in the county.
At a time when climate change should surely be top of the government’s agenda, this seems like a short sighted move. It is ironic that on the same day the European Commission Executive-Vice President Frans Timmermans, announced that the EU institutions will complete an ambitious cycling plan this year, including commitments to increase funding for infrastructure and industrial growth. This followed the European Parliaments February call on the Commission and Member States to take actions to double cycling in the EU.
Click on attached links for more information on the proposed cuts.
https://www.sustrans.org.uk/campaigns/stop-active-travel-funding-cuts/
However; Good News. The A27 Cycle Route Lewes to Polegate is open
You can now cycle from from Lewes to Polegate station along the new cycle path.
Although it looks as though some landscaping is still to be completed, all the barriers have been removed and to all intents the path is now open. The surface – for now, following some major reinstatement around Middle Farm – is excellent.
A27 Cycle Path near Alfriston
The new cycle path means that it is possible to get to Polegate from Lewes in around one hour, and is much quicker and more usable than the old route through Abbott’s Wood.
This in turn provides access to plenty of other routes: along the coast to Bexhill, St Leonards and Hastings; up the Cuckoo trail to Heathfield; over the Pevensey Levels to Herstmonceux and the High Weald; down to Eastbourne. It also makes possible more circular rides using the Coach Road.
At Drusilla’s Roundabout it also intercepts the Avenue Verte to London going north, or south to Paris via Seaford & Newhaven/Dieppe.
Cycle Lewes is planning a ride on the new section with other cycle groups in East Sussex and Brighton once the official opening takes place sometime in June.
Local & District Council elections 4 May 2023
Elections are taking place at the beginning of May, and Cycle Lewes will be contacting candidates in advance to ask for their views on how to make Lewes Town & District a better place to cycle. We acknowledge that Lewes District & Town Councils are not Highway Authorities but they can influence East Sussex County Council (ESCC) who are.
During the ESCC elections in May 2021 we joined forces with Lewes Living Streets to draw up our manifesto “Changing the Way we Move”. We intend to draw up a similar manifesto which we will use when contacting candidates & their parties.
The current make up of Lewes District Council is:
Conservative - 18 councillors
Liberal Democrats - 9 councillors
Green - 8 councillors
Labour - 4 councillors
Independent Group - 2 councillors
Control of the Cabinet is currently with Councillor James MacCleary (lib Dem) as Leader, as part of a cooperative alliance, consisting of the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party, Labour groups and one member from the Independent group.
The current make up of Lewes Town Council is:
Liberal Democrats - 7 councillors
Green - 7 councillors
Labour - 2 councillors
Independent Group - 2 councillors
Can you help with Park and Stride week in Mountfield Road on 27-31 March?
Working with Priory School, Cycle Lewes, Lewes Living Streets and local councillors are aiming to get Priory students to walk or cycle to school or use public transport rather than be driven to and from the school.
And, if they must be driven to school to get them to drop off and pick up ideally outside of Mountfield Road or in the car park next to the football ground rather than drive down Mountfield Road through the mass of school students who are trying to walk or cycle to school.
Some of you may recall we have tried this before when we successfully got many parents to drop off and pick up in the car park (see photo above). The school will close off their mini roundabout in front of their entrance in Mountfield Road to all except those with disabilities and plan to make this permanent.
Can you help with one or more of the shifts from Monday 27th to Friday 31 March?
Shifts are Monday to Friday 8 to 8.30am and 3.15-3.45pm.
Email directly: kevin.moore63@btinternet.com
Street light banners in Mountfield Rd
In a separate but related initiative there are two new lamppost banners in Mountfield Road encouraging fewer car journeys & more walking and cycling down this busy road.
The banners are there thanks to an initiative by Southover Primary School pupil Juliette McKay who organised with the Green United Youth Board
a banner design competition for young people.
Pictured below are the two winners of the competition Chloe Combelles & Chloe New, with organiser Juliette McKay.
Congratulations to the two Chloe’s, and Juliette who thought up and organised the competition.
Juliette McKay (left), Chloe New (centre), Chloe Combelles (right)
Theft of Bikes in Lewes
You may be aware from reports in social media about the serious spate of thefts in Lewes over the past 2/3 weeks.
We have asked the Lewes Community Safety Partnership (that includes Sussex Police) what is being done to investigate these. By all accounts it seems to be organised theft.
Meanwhile, please ensure you lock your bike securely. Determined thieves will come well equipped but we need to do all we can to make their work as difficult as possible.
Putting bike/s on your household insurance can be more affordable than bike insurance.
Cycle Lewes has new website.
Cycle Lewes’ new website (https://www.cyclelewes.org.uk ) is up and running. Do not hesitate to contact us (info@cyclelewes.org.uk) If you have any comments or questions concerning the site. We would love to hear from members on issues that they would want to see on the website, and we welcome articles from members.
Climate Hub opens new premises on School Hill
The Lewes Climate Hub has moved from Fisher Street into larger offices at Lewes House on the High Street. The new location has displays and a programme of talks, drop-in events and activities for all the family. Plus the Hub is sharing the ground floor with Ovesco community energy, which has a dedicated Energy Room for free, impartial advice on energy bills, installing renewable energy, home insulation, energy efficiency and more.
Cycle Lewes took part in the opening parade around Lewes on Saturday 18 March. Over a hundred representatives from the Hub’s 60 + member organisations attended the parade. In the coming months Cycle Lewes plans to work closely with the Hub in developing an information campaign on transport in the town.
Cycle Lewes members on the Climate Hub Parade outside the Linklater Pavilion. 18 March 2023