A consultation on improving walking and cycling in Shoreham is an opportunity to make more ambitious changes to travel in the area, according to a local councillor.
On Monday (March 8), West Sussex County Council (WSCC) began asking residents their thoughts on safer walking and cycling schemes in Upper Shoreham Road, Middle Road and Eastern Avenue.
County councillor Kevin Boram, who represents Shoreham South, said the consultation presented an opportunity to go beyond just foot and pedal power.
“I am delighted that WSCC has secured a grant to carry out consultation exercise to consider developing and improving walking and cycle lanes in Shoreham,” he said.
“But it is much more than walking and cycling. It is about understanding your views on encouraging and making active sustainable travel safer in our community, how best to reduce pollution and carbon emissions whilst providing adequate traffic and parking capacity.
“The results of the consultation will be used to consider what is the best solution to increase active and sustainable travel within Shoreham and make an additional bid for a grant to deliver a high quality scheme.”
The consultation follows the removal of a temporary cycle lane in Upper Shoreham Road in a blanket rollback of similar schemes across West Sussex.
Mr Boram led a group of six councillors who called on the county council to reconsider, arguing the temporary lane should remain while a permanent solution was designed.
Sustainable travel, traffic reduction and air improvement has become a growing concern over the last few years in response to several housing developments being built or approved.
Central projects include hundreds of new homes in Kingston and New Wharf, around 170 new flats on the old Civic Centre site and 600 new homes, plus an IKEA, being built on New Monks Farm in Lancing.
The rapid development has left some residents and campaign groups wondering how infrastructure such as roads and parking will cope.
The county council said it has launched the consultation after recent surveys and engagement showed interest in what local cycling facilities residents would like to see in the area.
Feedback from the consultation will be used to draw up detailed plans, for which funding will be requested from the Department for Transport later this year.
The proposals include suggestions for a safer route linking Shoreham and Lancing and helping students to travel from their homes to Shoreham Academy and Sir Robert Woodard Academy.
Roger Elkins, Cabinet Member for Highways and Infrastructure, said: “We know residents and commuters have good local knowledge that can help shape the best way forward. There is clear interest in discussing whether the area will benefit from cycling and walking facilities, as we’ve seen from engagement and surveys with residents in the past year ranging from the temporary pop-up cycleway, to a survey from the local MP and local county councillor.
“In this next stage of engagement, we’re asking residents and others for their thoughts on the type of cycling and walking schemes that could work well in the area. You can fill in a survey and also pin your suggestions on an interactive map. If there is support to move this forward, then this feedback will help us develop a high quality scheme that enhances the local community and also takes into account key issues such as parking, deliveries to properties and public transport. Any scheme developed would involve further public consultation.”
Article originally appeared on Worthing Herald.
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