Planning strategically for active travel (walking, wheeling, cycling) network improvements in Brighton & Hove.
A better connected city where active travel (walking, wheeling, cycling) is the first choice for getting from A to B, supported by high quality infrastructure which makes active travel accessible, easy, welcoming, enjoyable and safe.
Brighton & Hove is a wonderful place, its landscape, its people, its culture. A city with limitless potential and one which embraces active, inclusive and sustainable travel. The people who live, work and visit want better, cleaner ways to move and travel and it’s something we’re determined to deliver.
The way we travel is at the heart of everything we do. It connects us to our communities, schools, businesses, healthcare and leisure; it connects us to each other. Walking and cycling are an integral part of many journeys in the city – whether on their own or combined with other ways of travelling such as public transport.
Travelling sustainably is more important than ever. We face a climate and biodiversity emergency and need to do everything we can to reduce toxic emissions and improve air quality in the city. Members of our Climate Assembly in 2020 told us that we should be creating a car free city centre where people are prioritised over cars, as well as enabling cycling through a well-designed dedicated cycling network.
We know we can make changes. During the pandemic, there was a national increase in the number of people walking and cycling. We found ways of exploring and enjoying the space around our homes and new ways of working.
Our Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) will be the foundation for creating a city which makes active travel accessible, easy, welcoming, enjoyable and safe.
We heard from so many of you in our consultation on the draft LCWIP. Thank you for giving us your views on this important plan, as these have helped us shape this final document. There will be many more opportunities to feed into projects as they develop in more detail and are consulted on.
Building an infrastructure that makes it easier for people to travel on foot or by cycle means we can increase the travel options people have. Walking and cycling needs to be a practical choice as well as a healthy and sustainable one.
Developing our walking and cycling network will have benefits which reach far beyond those that use it. By ensuring everyone has access to convenient, continuous and good quality routes, we improve the walking environment for everyone and level out disparities between different parts of the city. The new look Valley Gardens is a great example of how this can be done.
The plan will also complement the city’s excellent public transport network of buses, trains, taxis and BTN BikeShare bikes and be an integral part of our new Local Transport Plan.
Working closely with our partners, through engagement with residents and businesses and by investing and innovating, we can create a city with walking and cycling at its core for the benefit of everyone.
The development of this Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) document represents an important step for Brighton & Hove – setting out our strategic ambitions for improvements to the active travel network in the city, covering the next ten years. A network of safe and convenient routes and quality infrastructure is vital to ensure that we enable people to use active travel more in the future.
Active travel is transport that involves physical activity, such as walking, wheeling (wheelchair / mobility aid) and cycling, to get from one place to another. Active travel also forms an important element of multimodal journeys, particularly for public transport. It is often a more affordable, healthier and low carbon way to travel which helps to improve wellbeing, reduce congestion, improve safety and improve air quality. Where walking or pedestrians are mentioned in this document, please note this includes wheeling.
Inclusive travel is about making sure experiences and places can be enjoyed by the widest number of people and that they have equal access to the destination of their choice. This enables people of all abilities and ages to travel more confidently, independently and safely, as well as benefitting the economy and society as a whole.
We are facing three national and global challenges:
An investment in active travel will help to address these three challenges and more. This investment would also improve air quality, improve mental and physical health, support sustainable development and economic growth (including the vital visitor economy) and promote low transport costs. In addition, it will help in developing and supporting vibrant neighbourhoods and local centres.
Investing in active travel infrastructure improvements has a number of benefits. Everyone uses the pedestrian environment at some point in their journey, whether wheeling from a disabled parking space to the shops or walking to the bus stop, taxi rank or car club bay; therefore improved accessibility of walking routes benefits us all. Improving the quality of public spaces can also have a positive impact on our social interactions (Driven to Excess study, Hart & Parkhurst, Bristol 2011). We know that people are concerned about road danger ( Active Travel Fund consultation, Brighton & Hove City Council 2021 page 27) and cycle safety(Active Travel Fund consultation, Brighton & Hove City Council 2021 (pages 22, 35 to 38, 45 to 49, 54 to 58, 63 to 67). We know that many local residents rate their local pavement conditions as poor (Active Travel Fund consultation, Brighton & Hove City Council 2021 pages 25 to 27). By improving active travel facilities we can create healthier neighbourhoods where people want to walk and cycle, which helps to improve physical and mental wellbeing as well as create safer communities.
The development of the LCWIP enables the council to:
The LCWIP will assist in meeting local and national targets and commitments including:
| Target or commitment | Context |
|---|---|
| Cycling and walking will be the first choice for many journeys with half of all journeys in towns and cities being cycled or walked by 2030 | Gear Change – national target |
| Brighton & Hove will be net carbon neutral by 2030 | 2030 Carbon Neutral Programme – local target |
| To double cycling levels by 2025, increase walking activity, reduce the rate of cyclists killed or seriously injured (KSI), and increase the percentage of school children walking to school | Cycling & Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS) national targets |
| To help achieve safe, healthy and welcoming streets and neighbourhoods; an accessible city with a transport network that everyone can use; improved air quality, and reduced carbon emissions | LTP5, BHCC local key outcomes |
| To support (across the South East) an increase in the length of separated cycleways and mode share of trips undertaken by foot and cycle, a reduction in NOx (nitrogen oxides), SOx (sulphur oxides) and particulate pollution levels in urban areas, and a reduction in non-renewable energy consumed by transport | Transport Strategy, TfSE, regional key performance indicators |
| To support more people to travel actively, and walking and cycling to be prioritised in order to benefit physical and mental health | Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy, BHCC/NHS, local key areas for action |
| To promote and facilitate the use of low and zero emission vehicles Targets for improvements to passenger growth. By improving walking through the LCWIP we can improve access to and use of public transport. | LTP5, BHCC local priority area and principle Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), Brighton & Hove City Council and bus providers through the Enhanced Partnership |
Producing our first LCWIP is an important step in improving active travel infrastructure, but it is only part of the solution to enabling more active travel in the city. These wider projects are covered by the Local Transport Plan 5 – the initial outcomes and principles for which are mentioned later in this document.
Key outputs from the LCWIP process are:
Stakeholder engagement and public consultation have been a key element in the development of the LCWIP.
A range of stakeholders were involved in developing the LCWIP, including those representing active travel interest groups, disability groups, older and younger people, local interest groups (e.g. residents’ associations), transport providers, ward councillors and neighbouring local authorities.
| Stage of LCWIP | Stakeholder engagement undertaken | Methods |
|---|---|---|
| Gathering information | Engagement with local and strategic stakeholders to understand key issues on the walking and cycling network and suggestions for improvement | Stakeholder workshops, stakeholder survey, feedback received via email |
| Network planning for cycling and walking | Engagement with local and strategic stakeholders to review the emerging and draft network | Stakeholder workshops, stakeholder survey, feedback received via email |
| Prioritising improvements | Engagement with strategic stakeholders to review draft prioritisation of improvements, prior to draft document going to public consultation | Stakeholder workshops |
| Draft LCWIP document | Stakeholder and public engagement on draft document | Stakeholder workshops, focus groups, public events, consultation survey |
A Member Working Group has been in place for the LCWIP development; this cross-party group of councillors has provided oversight to the development of the LCWIP document. At the January 2022 meeting of the group, it was agreed that the group would continue beyond the initial remit of the LCWIP document development, in order to have continued oversight of the LCWIP delivery.
A public consultation was held on the draft LCWIP document between 30 September and 15 November 2021 – this consultation also included the initial direction of travel document for the new Local Transport Plan (LTP5).
The consultation was promoted at local events, through advertisements on bus stops and on council screens such as libraries, on the council’s website and social media, and by sending posters and information to various organisations and local stakeholder groups across the city. Officers also worked with local interest groups and schools in the city, and staged an exhibition and public drop-in sessions in Jubilee Library, to obtain as wide a coverage as possible. Focus groups were also held with specific groups – younger people, older people, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) people and disabled people.
An online survey was available on the council’s consultation portal, Citizen Space. Consultation documents were available to read online or via paper copies.
The summary of engagement activity during the consultation is as follows:
Materials developed for the consultation included posters to promote the consultation, postcards to hand out at events and to partners organisations, and paper copies of the consultation documents and questionnaire. Translations and large print / other formats of the documents were also available on request.
Feedback received from this public consultation has been incorporated into this LCWIP document where appropriate. Some quotes from the feedback are shown below.
This LCWIP has been developed by following the process set out in the Department for Transport’s Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans – Technical Guidance (2017), in line with the local transport objectives, priorities and vision set out in the emerging LTP5.
Including Gear Change (2020) and Local Transport Note 01/20, Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (2017), Inclusive Transport Strategy (2018)
Including Transport for the South East (TfSE) Transport Strategy (2020), Local Economic Partnership Strategic Economic Plan (2018)
Including Local Transport Plan 4 (LTP4) (2015) and Local Transport Plan 5 (LTP5) (in development), which the LCWIP sits under, along with other plans e.g. the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) (2021), the Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) (2018) and the Air Quality Action Plan (2015 and in development).
Department for Transport (DfT), 2017
Aims to:
Through the CWIS, local authorities are strongly encouraged by the DfT to prepare LCWIPs in order to take a more strategic approach to planning walking and cycling networks.
It is noted in the DfT’s LCWIP Technical Guidance that ‘While the preparation of LCWIPs is non-mandatory, local authorities who have plans will be well placed to make the case for future investment.’’
Gear Change is a bold vision for cycling and walking, which sets out the government’s ambition to see a step-change in cycling and walking in the coming years.
Along with technical guidance Local Transport Note 1/20 (LTN1/20), Gear Change is bold in its vision for improving infrastructure for cycling in order to encourage many more journeys by active modes. The document represents a step-change in the national approach to encouraging and supporting cycling via provision of high quality, fit for purpose routes.
Gear Change’s themes are:
The vision also announces the creation of a new national body, Active Travel England, to oversee scheme implementation and funding, inspect scheme delivery, as well as review planning applications.
In 2021 the government published Gear Change: One Year On, which highlights some of the achievements since its original publication, as well as new and continuing commitments for supporting cycling amid the ever-present need for keeping towns and cities moving.
These new commitments include:
This new strategy sets out how government will address the decarbonisation of transport across all modes. A key element of this is increasing levels of walking and cycling, with the delivery of a world-class cycling and walking network in England by 2040.
The government’s Future of Mobility programme starts with this urban strategy, setting out the principles which will guide our approach to emerging mobility technologies and services. One of the key principles is that ‘Walking, cycling and active travel must remain the best options for short urban journeys’
This sets out how government intends to tackle all sources of air pollution, making our air healthier to breathe, protecting nature and boosting the economy by creating better places. It notes that air quality is the largest environmental health risk in the UK, shortening lives and contributing to chronic illness.
This strategy will help deliver the government’s manifesto commitment of creating a transport system offering equal access for disabled people by 2030, as well as getting a million more disabled people into work by 2027. This strategy is very relevant for the LCWIP development as walking and cycling are key modes not only in themselves but for multi-modal journeys; as well as needing to ensure the accessibility and inclusivity of schemes.
Key regional policy linkages for LCWIP
Transport for the South East (TfSE) is an emerging Sub-national Transport Body (STB), a partnership of 16 local authorities (including Brighton & Hove City Council), five Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) plus representatives of district and borough authorities, protected landscapes and national delivery agencies.
TfSE’s Transport Strategy (2020) aims to grow the economy of the South East by delivering a safe, sustainable, and integrated transport system that makes the South East more productive and competitive, improves the quality of life for all residents, and protects and enhances its natural and built environment. Its ambition is to transform the quality of transport and door-to-door journeys for the South East’s residents, businesses and visitors. The strategy is moving from a traditional ‘predict and provide’ approach, to one of actively choosing a preferred future and setting out a plan of how we can get there together.
The key principles of the strategy are:
These principles are then applied to six journey types: radial, orbital & coastal, inter-urban, local, journeys to international gateways and freight and journeys in the future.
Due to the scale of governance and responsibilities for TfSE, walking and cycling do not feature heavily in the strategy, however they will be key in many of the identified schemes / funding streams, particularly for interchange and multi-modal journeys.
This plan sets out eight economic priorities:
Based on the LEP’s priorities, a number of projects in the city have secured significant funding from the LEP such as Valley Gardens and BTN BikeShare.
The Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) is one of a number of plans which will assist in delivering the vision, key outcomes and principles of the emerging fifth Local Transport Plan (LTP5), which were approved by the council’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability committee in June 2021. A consultation document was produced showing the initial direction of travel for the LTP5, this was consulted on in autumn 2021 alongside the draft LCWIP.
LTP5 will cover all modes of transport, and ways to deliver it will include infrastructure as well as other measures e.g. behaviour change and enforcement.
The 2030 transport vision for the city is for ‘Better connected residents, businesses and visitors, for an improved quality of life in a healthy, inclusive and carbon neutral city.’
The LCWIP aligns with the six key LTP5 outcomes:
The following key principles will inform the development of the LTP5 priority areas:
Of these, the LCWIP will assist principally in shifting how people travel for short journeys in the city. Delivering an improved network of routes and areas for active travel will support the aims of the proposed LTP5 priority areas for interventions, including to:
In this LCWIP we set out a number of themes for active travel improvement projects which align with or support a number of LTP5’s key outcomes and proposed priority areas.
Other key strategic documents that the LCWIP will support, and that will support the delivery of the LCWIP, include:
The ROWIP identifies changes that will improve rights of way and access provision for walkers, cyclists, horse riders and those with mobility issues.
The ROWIP states the vision for rights of way in Brighton & Hove as:
‘A city where people with diverse access needs have the opportunity to use a well maintained and joined up public Rights of Way network, connected to the varied green and blue spaces around the city: the seafront, city parks and gardens, open spaces on the urban fringe and the South Downs National Park.’
The LCWIP and the ROWIP complement each other by ensuring provision for not only everyday journeys, but also journeys to open spaces in and around the city.
The BSIP was produced in response to the government’s National Bus Strategy and will be reviewed annually. It sets out the council’s aspirations for how bus services can be improved working in partnership with the city’s bus operators. The BSIP and LCWIP are complementary plans which will enable more active travel and bus use.
Ensuring a liveable, welcoming city streetscape is important in ensuring continued growth of the economy including the visitor economy. One of the five key themes for action in the Economic Strategy is ‘a sustainable city’.
The development of a five-year Destination Management Plan will support the visitor strategy, and sustainable travel and movement after arrival in the city will play a key role. Good connections between venues and all the city’s facilities are required and will be delivered through good transport and public realm design.
This sets out the vision that ‘Everyone in Brighton & Hove will have the best opportunity to live a healthy, happy and fulfilling life.’
The principles to guide the delivery of the strategy include partnership and collaboration, reducing health inequalities, engagement and involvement and keeping people safe.
The City Plan sets out the Development Plan framework for the city. It will help shape the future of the city and plays an important role in ensuring that other citywide plans and strategies achieve their objectives.
Strategic Objective 11 (SO11) is to ‘Provide an integrated, safe and sustainable transport system to improve air quality, reduce congestion, reduce noise and promote active travel.
The strategy sets out the vision to create a safe road traffic system, in which no-one will suffer death or serious injury whilst using it. The council will work with stakeholders including Sussex Safer Roads Partnership to deliver the strategy, which sets out the four principles of education, engineering, enforcement and encouragement.
This work for the council was led by Gehl Architects and its principles and toolkit were endorsed in 2007. The study aimed to enhance the public realm and make the city become more legible for everyone, and included an audit of the quality of the public realm and recommendations for future improvements. This resulted in recommendations including the creation of links with special identity and character, improvements to conditions for walking and cycling in the city, designing a high-quality city for people and improving safety.
The council declared a climate and biodiversity emergency in December 2018 and has committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2030. This was a demonstration of the city’s commitment to tackling climate change. The 2030 CNP will oversee the development and then delivery of a co-ordinated programme of projects which aim to tackle climate change and transition the city to become carbon neutral. Planning for future growth of walking and cycling, including by developing the LCWIP, is a key focus of actions from the CNP.
The city’s Air Quality Action Plan and an assessment framework for Low Traffic Neighbourhoods are also in development, which the LCWIP will have close links with and will assist in delivering objectives from these documents.
These themes for active travel improvement projects will steer the direction of how we carry out projects in the city and ensure active travel will be at the heart of project development and delivery, in line with our city-wide principles, objectives and outcomes through the emerging Local Transport Plan 5.
| Local Transport Plan 5 key outcome or priority area | LCWIP themes |
|---|---|
Key outcome: An accessible city with a transport network that everyone can use Priority area: Creating an inclusive and integrated transport system | Access for all:
Integration of projects and different means of travel:
|
Key outcomes: Safe, healthy and welcoming streets and neighbourhoods Priority area: Developing streets and places that encourage and enable active | A clear, coherent network that is promoted widely:
Greening:
|
| Priority area: Promoting and using technology to reduce and manage travel | Innovation:
|
Active travel represents about a quarter of journeys to work in the city. Active travel also forms an important element of journeys by other means of travel, particularly bus and train. The city has higher than average bus use compared to nationally (outside London) due to the comprehensive network of high-quality services in place in the city.
Travel to work data shows the need for increasing active travel for short journeys or as part of longer journeys, and the importance of reducing private vehicle use in order to meet both local and national targets.
Travel to work in Brighton & Hove, census 2011
Data from the LCWIP public consultation shows that in autumn 2021:
Respondents are mostly using sustainable travel for journeys around the local neighbourhood and into the city centre. Car or van use for journeys in the local neighbourhood is low, rising to nearly 20% for journeys into the city centre so there is potential to encourage more sustainable modes for local trips.
Car ownership in the city is low compared to national figures. Over a third of households don’t own a car or have access to one.
In terms of travel for all purposes, data collected by the DfT shows that around a quarter of adults in Brighton & Hove cycle at least once a month; and 84% of adults in Brighton & Hove walk at least once a week. While this is encouraging, in order to meet our local and national targets and commitments, we need to increase these levels by providing high-quality facilities in the city where people want to walk and cycle, and crucially where they feel safe in doing so.
Data from the National Travel Attitudes Survey shows the increased importance of active travel since the pandemic. When interviewed between May and September 2020, 34% of cyclists reported to cycle more and 38% of those who walk as a means of transport reported to walk more than before the outbreak of the coronavirus.
In terms of traffic levels in the city, annual average daily traffic counts on key inner routes into the city show a reduction in traffic of 23% between 2019 and 2020 (Brighton & Hove City Council, Key Performance Indicators for traffic on key inner routes into the city, 2019-2020), this is consistent with recent, national traffic flow trends which show a sharp decline in traffic levels across 2020.
Data from the National Highways and Transport Public Satisfaction Survey (NHT Survey) shows falling satisfaction levels for traffic levels and congestion.(National highways and Transport Public Satisfaction Survey (NHT Survey) 2020)
It is therefore critical that we continue to invest in and plan for a comprehensive network to make active travel safe, accessible and the first choice, especially for short journeys in the city in order to free up roadspace and ease congestion. It is important that the national rise in active travel for local journeys seen since the Covid-19 pandemic is adequately catered for in terms of infrastructure to support these journeys longer term.
The city’s current active travel network is illustrated on the council’s cycling map, which includes bridleways. This network will be further developed through the LCWIP.
Extensive mapping and auditing have taken place and been combined with stakeholder engagement feedback to help identify current issues and challenges for infrastructure.
Brighton & Hove is a compact city and while this offers opportunities for active journeys, it also brings challenges such as limited space and challenging geography, such as narrow streets and hills.
55% of respondents expressed levels of dissatisfaction with the walking environment in the local area. This shows that we need to make improvements. The top 3 comments relating to this refer to the condition of pavements, obstructions and clutter on pavements and pavement parking.
54% of respondents show levels of dissatisfaction with the cycling environment in the city. This shows that we need to make improvements. The top 3 comments are: a lack of safe cycle routes, cycle lanes end abruptly, and there a re gaps in the current cycle network routes.
The LCWIP aims to connect people to places by active travel, making it easy and safe to do so. It plans strategically for whole routes and areas in order to overcome problems that can arise where infrastructure is incomplete. The network has been developed both strategically and locally:
Strategic network:
Local network:
From DfT Local Cycling and Walking Plans Technical Guidance (2017) p17
Strategic corridors have been identified for the active travel network
Area-based treatments and routes have been identified on a local level – these provide opportunities for improvements for those travelling on foot and by bike, which also link with the strategic corridors.
Home origins and:
The LCWIP needs to support journeys to and from where people want to travel. It also needs to prioritise routes and areas for improvement based on where investment will be best placed and where the most uptake and benefit can be realised in future, therefore assisting in meeting the various national and local targets and commitments.
Various data and information have been gathered and mapped as part of the LCWIP process, to identify and understand the current network, its issues and potential for change. This helps understand the need for supporting active travel in the city through a network of infrastructure. Further details are available in the Technical Report (Available on request from transport.projects@brighton-hove.gov.uk).
Data reviewed and analysed in developing the LCWIP network included:
Initial mapping work showed origin – destination analysis for cycling, which helped form the strategic network. The local network was informed by analysis around movement within areas and by considering barriers to movement. Both networks will be for improvements for active travel as a whole.
Stakeholder engagement was undertaken to gather information from local users of the active travel network and to both supplement and challenge the data gathered.
The first set of stakeholder engagement (May – June 2020) involved workshops, supported by a survey asking stakeholders to identify on maps where there were issues / suggestions for active travel in the city. This, in conjunction with the data, helped inform the development of the emerging networks.
The draft emerging networks were then presented to stakeholders in autumn 2020 where comments were invited (via workshops and a survey) to feedback on the network and whether it met the needs of stakeholders and addressed issues / suggestions raised previously. Feedback received at this stage was very valuable in determining how to take the networks forward in the LCWIP development. The draft networks were then presented in the LCWIP public consultation.
The analysis to develop the strategic and local network has been split by walking and cycling in order to plan for the different types of journey. For example cycling journeys are generally longer in distance than walking and need more of a route-based focus; and walking journeys generally being shorter (on their own or part of a longer journey including other forms of transport), needing more of an area-based focus. However, the networks and areas for improvement have been developed in conjunction with each other to form a combined network. This is so that when improvements are taken forward for delivery, detailed consideration of all forms of transport, including interaction with public transport and other motor vehicles, will take place. This means that improvements will not necessarily be limited to just active travel.
To plan the strategic network, consideration has been given to cycling journeys as these are likely to be longer, however there are considerations within the process for walking journeys as well. The following tasks have been undertaken:
In order to enable strategic planning for routes, it is necessary to establish desire lines for where people want and need to travel to and from – both now and in the future. These desire lines are then compared with the road network and routes can be planned from this by considering in more detail at what exactly needs improving on these routes. By providing high quality infrastructure on these key routes, it is more likely to increase the levels of active travel in the city. We know that a key reason some people don’t cycle or walk is because they’re concerned about safety. Benefits of increased levels of active travel include better physical and mental health for residents, better air quality and reduced congestion. Consideration needs to be given not only to current movements but future journeys and mobility options as well, which would benefit from a joined up, high-quality network.
The process of developing the strategic network for the city started with an origin and destination analysis, including existing and planned locations where people are currently travelling to and from and will need to in future. Origins and destinations across the city were mapped and connected in a straight-line analysis. Routes were then mapped to the road network and were reviewed to ensure the most appropriate routes were taken to cater for the desire lines for journeys where people want to go. This initial map set out the strategic network, which then needed prioritisation in order to determine the routes where investment will bring the greatest benefits and therefore need developing earlier than others.
An early prioritisation exercise was therefore undertaken, with the following criteria used to determine which routes were highest priority:
These datasets were mapped and routes across the city were scored based on the above criteria. Links to neighbouring area networks and the Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) were also considered as part of this process. The outputs from this exercise are detailed in the Technical Report and the summary of this analysis is the prioritised network as shown in the network maps. Within the strategic network map, the top 17 priority strategic routes are shown in pink, with the remaining strategic routes in blue and key existing recreational routes in orange. The routes are also shown in the tables below, where some routes have been split into sections for logical delivery. Names of strategic routes shown on the maps are referenced in Appendix 1.
This first LCWIP document represents key routes for improvement at this point in time but there will be further routes that will need investigation and development as the LCWIP evolves.
With stakeholders we created an approach to developing the local network to meet the requirements of the city. This involved looking not just at linear routes to connect with the strategic network but also determining potential for area-based approaches across the city. For the local network a walking-based approach has been taken, however the improvements and benefits will be for active travel as a whole, including linking multi-modal journeys.
When planning strategically for local improvements, it is important to understand that there are many factors influencing and affecting the use of active travel in these areas. During the network development process it was determined that area-based approaches to walking were most appropriate rather than simply looking at linear routes to and from local centres. It is also important to recognise that while every street is part of the overall active travel network, the approach for the LCWIP is to identify routes and areas most in need of improvement over the next ten years. Taking an area-based approach ensures that broader benefits can be obtained for measures put in place.
A methodology has been developed to identify locations for local improvements, based on both area-based treatments and linear routes. These will complement any improvements as part of interventions proposed for the strategic network, and can be seen in the network maps which show the combined network.
The purpose of an area-based treatment is to improve the environment for active travel through a reduction of through-traffic. This discourages rat-running by reducing through-traffic, as it is re-routed to more appropriate roads. This results in a safer and more pleasant area for local residents. Although these areas have been identified through a process looking at walking, they will also provide an opportunity to enable cyclists to start or continue their journeys to and from the strategic network.
Area-based treatments have been identified in areas within the city which surround, and provide access to, an education facility and/or a train station. The areas themselves have been determined by considering the following:
To complement the area-based treatments and the strategic network, additional linear routes have been identified which focus on key walking routes, including:
The local areas and routes for improvement, shown in the network maps alongside the strategic network, highlight the areas and routes that can assist in creating liveable, healthy communities where active travel can become the first choice for all or part of a journey for a significant number of people. Areas and routes, as well as neighbourhood priorities, are described in further detail in Appendix 2. The local areas and routes are named on the maps, these denote names only and not priority order.
The additional maps show the prioritisation for neighbourhoods to be taken forward for local improvements, subject to funding and further design and consultation.
The pre-prioritisation criteria for strategic routes, noted in the previous section, formed the basis for identifying the strategic network including the top 17 priority routes. From this, the draft network was then discussed with stakeholders and refined further to form the final network. Further information on this process can be found in the Technical Report.
The table below shows the prioritisation for improvements needed for the top 17 priority strategic routes. These schemes are all high priority for delivery, with different timescales, and some have been split into smaller sections for delivery, with wider route references noted – these can also be seen on the network maps. The routes are set out by short, medium and long term time periods for delivery (short-term <3 years, medium-term <5 years, long-term >5 years); these have been determined by considering a number of factors including technical feasibility and alignment with funding streams and other workstreams.
| Scheme | Strategic route reference | Priority (short, medium or long term) |
|---|---|---|
| Church Street | 1 | Short |
| North Street | 2a | Medium |
| Dyke Road - Seven Dials to The Upper Drive | 2b | Medium |
| Dyke Road - The Upper Drive to A27 | 2c | Medium |
| Lewes Road (south) | 3a | Medium |
| Lewes Road (north) | 3b | Medium |
| A23 (Argyle Road to Patcham Roundabout) | 4a | Short |
| A23 (A259 to Marlborough Place) | 4b | Short |
| A23 (Valley Gardens to Argyle Road) | 4c | Medium |
| Eastern Road / Edward Street | 5 | Long |
| Madeira Drive | 6a | Short |
| A259 (Wharf Road to Palace Pier) | 6b | Short |
| A259 (western border to Wharf Road) | 6c | Medium |
| Chesham Road, St George's Road, Bristol Road and St James's Street | 7 | Long |
| Buckingham Place / Terminus Road / Queens Road / West Street | 8 | Medium |
| A259 (Marine Parade) | 9a | Short |
| A259 (Marine Drive) | 9b | Short |
| Western Road (Dyke Road to Montpelier Road) | 10a | Short |
| New Church Road / Church Road / Western Road | 10b | Medium |
| Queens Park Road | 11 | Long |
| Old Shoreham Road (Hangleton Road to Dyke Road) | 12a | Medium |
| Old Shoreham Road (east of Dyke Road) / New England Road / Viaduct Road / Upper Lewes Road | 12b | Long |
| Old Shoreham Road (western border to Hangleton Road) | 12c | Long |
| Ditchling Road (north) | 13a | Short |
| Ditchling Road (south) | 13b | Long |
| Upper Hollingdean Road | 14 | Long |
| Union Road | 15 | Medium |
| Nevill Road and King George VI Avenue | 16a | Medium |
| Sackville Road | 16b | Long |
| Wilson Avenue | 17 | Long |
The remaining strategic routes are shown in the table below. These have also been split into sections for delivery, with wider route references noted, however, the LCWIP is an evolving document and will be reviewed and updated over time. It will also help to guide investment. Schemes in this list are medium to low priority, and may be brought forward sooner if funding becomes available or there is overlap with other schemes such as road or pavement maintenance or proposals linked to development.
| Scheme | Strategic route reference |
|---|---|
|
Springfield Road (Preston Road to Beaconsfield Road) |
18 |
|
Springfield Road (Beaconsfield Road to Ditchling Road) |
18 |
|
Stanford Avenue and Beaconsfield Road |
19 |
|
Trafalgar Road, Locks Hill, Southdown Road and Croft Drive |
20 |
| Elm Grove and Warren Road | 21 |
| Argyle Road (A23 to Campbell Road) | 22 |
|
Argyle Road and Campbell Road (rest of area) |
22 |
| Boundary Road and Hangleton Road | 23 |
| Hangleton Way and Downland Drive | 24 |
| Vernon Terrace and Montpelier Road | 25 |
| The Avenue | 26 |
| Davigdor Road and Cromwell Road | 27 |
| Portland Road | 28 |
| Basin Road South | 29 |
| Gladstone Road | 30 |
| Carden Avenue | 31 |
| Coldean Lane | 32 |
| Grand Avenue and The Drive | 33 |
| Fox Way and Hangleton Lane | 34 |
| The Upper Drive | 35 |
| Mile Oak Road and High Street | 36 |
| Preston Drove and Millers Road | 37 |
| Rottingdean High Street and Falmer Road | 38 |
| Barcombe Place and Lucraft Road | 39 |
In order to establish where local improvements are most required, it was important to identify neighbourhoods across the city which have the greatest need for improvements, and where the improvements would have the greatest benefit.
To determine areas with the most need for improvements, the following criteria and datasets were used:
Areas with the most need:
Areas that would most benefit:
To determine areas that would benefit the most from improvements, the following sources of information were reviewed:
The overall prioritisation for the local network (for area-based improvements as well as local links), is shown below. The top priority areas for local network improvements, and associated area-based treatments and routes, are shown below, and form the high priority areas for the local network. This prioritisation was undertaken initially based on the criteria above, which helped inform the areas and routes for improvement within these neighbourhoods. Remaining neighbourhood areas are medium to low priority.
| Neighbourhood area | Priority |
|---|---|
| East Brighton / Whitehawk | 1 |
| Moulsecoomb | 2 |
| Portslade | 3 |
| Knoll / West Blatchington | 4 |
| Hangleton | 5 |
| Mile Oak and Portslade Village | 6 |
| Hollingdean | 7 |
| Woodingdean | 8 |
| West Hove | 9 |
| West Blatchington - schools | 10 |
| Wilbury & West Blatchington | 11 |
| Hanover & Elm Grove | 12 |
| Kemptown & Black Rock | 13 |
| Queens Park | 14 |
| London Road station | 15 |
| Round Hill | 16 |
| Bevendean | 17 |
| Hollingbury | 18 |
| Central Brighton | 19 |
| Sackville | 20 |
| Patcham | 21 |
| Hove and Wilbury | 22 |
| Surrenden | 23 |
| Preston | 24 |
| Ovingdean | 25 |
| Westdene and Withdean | 26 |
| Tivoli and Prestonville | 27 |
| Saltdean | 28 |
| Coldean | 29 |
| Tongdean | 30 |
| University | 31 |
| Neighbourhood area reference and priority | Neighbourhood | Area-based treatments | Local links |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Brighton/ Whitehawk | 11 – Kemp house Hospital & Whitehawk Hill 12 - Whitehawk |
Z – Manor Hill: north-south connection between Freshfield Road area and Whitehawk FF – racecourse link |
| 2 | Moulsecoomb | 1 – East Moulsecoomb | BB – Ashurst Road (across railway) |
| 3 | Portslade | 10 - Fishersgate | B – connection to Fishersgate station |
| 4 | Knoll / West Blatchington | 6 – Hove Park & Mill View | D – Nevill Avenue E – Link to Aldrington station |
| 5 | Hangleton | 7 – West Blatchington & Hangleton | |
| 6 | Mile Oak & Portslade Village | 10 – Portslade 11 – Mile Oak |
A – Chalky Road (access to schools) |
| 7 | Hollingdean | 2 – Hollingdean | U – Hollingdean Road Y – Moulsecoomb (connection across railway) |
| 8 | Woodingdean | 3 – Woodingdean | |
| 9 | West Hove | C – Station Road | |
| 10 | West Blatchington - schools | 5 – West Blatchington - schools |
The LCWIP does not include detail about the proposed improvements by route / area, but it is important to highlight some example approaches for this and set out the types of improvements that could be carried out.
The list below highlights examples of measures which are considered to be best practice, many of which are in place in the city already. Where appropriate, these measures and others will be explored and developed when schemes are taken forward for delivery, which will be subject to further engagement and consultation.
Improvements for each route or area would be considered as part of initial and detailed designs at a later stage, with measures considered as appropriate for the route or area concerned. Scheme plans would be subject to further consultation.
The core design principles from the DfT’s LCWIP Technical Guidance are listed below. These have been taken into account when developing the LCWIP network and will also be used when developing specific design solutions for routes and areas.
Coherent:
Direct:
Safe:
Comfortable:
Attractive:
Here are some of the types of improvement we will consider making:
Wider pavements cater for the high levels of demand. They allow people of all abilities to use them without difficulty.
We can make better pavements by:
Full or part-pedestrianisation of streets could happen, with restrictions in place for motor vehicle access. This could be in place only at certain times of the day as in George Street, Hove.
These should cater for 'desire lines', meaning building pavements where people want to walk but may not be able to at the moment.
These will include a raised junction to improve access for pedestrians
We can provide wayfinding maps and information. This can include signposts to destinations including the time it takes to walk or cycle to them.
We can improve existing crossings by:
We can also create new signalised, zebra or informal crossings where people want to cross.
We can improve the public realm and street furniture in the city by:
You can see examples of these types of improvement at the Valley gardens project in central Brighton.
We can improve the state of our streets by reallocating and repositioning street furniture and signage. We can also ensure that the pavements are well maintained.
We can improve or upgrade existing street lighting.
We can put in place Modal filters and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods.
Modal filters close roads using bollards or planters at key entry points. These prevent through traffic on residential streets. We already have many examples in the city such as Leighton Road.
Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (also called Liveable Neighbourhoods) are a neighbourhood approach to improving the look of streets within the neighbourhood and preventing through-traffic. This can be done by introducing measures such as modal filters.
We can look at reducing speed limits and introducing other traffic calming measures.
We can consider:
We will ensure walking and cycling improvements help out on longer journeys too by linking to bus stops and train stations.
We will:
Cycle lanes that are separated from motor traffic by kerbs. They can be two-directional or one-way such as on Grand Avenue and The Drive.
These cycle lanes will have a slight level difference between the road, cycle lane and the pavement. You can see examples of these already on Old Shoreham Road between Dyke Road and The Drive.
These cycle lanes will be separated using wands or low-height separation and planting
On-street parking would be next to the cycle lane, such as on the A259 cycle lane.
We can improve junctions for cyclists by:
This measure involves adding parallel circular lanes for cyclists separate from general traffic with dedicated crossings for pedestrians and cyclists such as with CYCLOPS junctions (Cycle Optimised Protected Signals)
Consideration of bridges and underpasses for pedestrians and cyclists.
We can consider adding parallel pedestrian and cycle crossings (signalised or unsignalised) next to each other
We can consider making more floating bus stops where the cycle lane runs behind the stop such as the ones on Lewes Road.
These allow cyclists are brought up to pavement level to pass in front of the bus stop, sharing this space with pedestrians.
This involves removal of the central white line on a road to reduce vehicle speeds, such as on Old Shoreham Road between Dyke Road and The Drive.
We can introduce restrictions to ensure safe access to pavement and cycle lane.
Enforcement of parking, cycle lanes, pavement parking and moving traffic offences in order to keep the roads safe and unobstructed.
Contraflow cycle lanes allow two-way cycling on one way streets such as in the North Laine.
Bus and cycle lanes combine the two types of lane where there is enough width to do so, such as on Lewes Road.
Colouring the surface of cycle lanes makes theme easier for people to recognise. We have chosen green as the single colour to use across the whole city.
We can provide secure cycle parking in residential areas, such as the lockable cycle hangars on Shaftesbury Road. We will work with employees, schools, visitor attractions and other destinations to put nearby secure and on-street cycle parking.
We can encourage Play Streets, resident-led temporary street closures to create a space for residents to use, including for children to play.
We can encourage greener vehicles for freight, such as e-cargo cycles which are being used by businesses in the city for the E-Cargo Accelerator Project
We can consider on-street cycle repair facilities which allow cyclists to repair their cycles when out and about without having to carry equipment.
BHCC already installs cycle parking in residential areas and has now committed to providing more secure residential cycle parking in the city, with an initial 100 cycle hangars being rolled out. A process has been developed alongside the LCWIP development, in order to assess demand and provision; locations are scored based on:
It is important that the LCWIP is embedded and integrated into the council’s wider plans, policies and decision-making so that it:
The LCWIP will also be influenced by policies, strategies and projects across many areas of the council It will be a key consideration in the planning process in terms of highlighting where investment in the current active travel network is needed; seeking funding or works where developments are likely to put further pressure on the transport network.
Key policy, strategy and project linkages for the LCWIP include:
The LCWIP will be a live document which will be updated fully every four years and reviewed every two years, including monitoring of progress against the plan. The LCWIP Member Working Group will continue to operate and have oversight of the delivery of the LCWIP.
There are a number of potential sources of funding available to deliver improvements identified in the LCWIP, which include:
This is provided annually to the council by the government’s Department for Transport (DfT) to enable investment in various transport and highway projects and programmes.
Council budgets to deliver projects to reduce carbon emissions and develop and deliver key recommendations from the city’s Climate Assembly.
Government frequently provides opportunities for local authorities to bid competitively for funding opportunities, with differing themes and objectives depending on the focus of the funding.
The council has been successful in securing recent government grants from the Emergency Active Travel Fund and the Active Travel Fund. This funding has assisted in delivering many schemes including Madeira Drive, the temporary Seafront cycle lane and the A23 improvements. We will utilise any further opportunities for government funding for active travel schemes, in line with the LCWIP network.
Government funding can also be made available for active travel improvements such as the cycle rail fund to improve cycle facilities at railway stations.
Through the Planning process, the council as Local Planning Authority will negotiate with developers in order to mitigate any potential impacts of new development or accommodate the expected increased travel demand, especially walking, cycling and public transport.
Developers are asked to pay for, or contribute towards, the cost of the additional infrastructure required. The level of contribution will be related to the scale of the new development and its impact on the local area. For transport, these specific funds can be secured via a legal (Section 106) agreement or works can be agreed that the developer fully pays for.
Alternatively, it is possible for works to be funded from the Community Infrastructure Levy process.
This budget is the money remaining after direct costs for parking enforcement, administration and equipment have been paid. It is a legal requirement that any surplus has to be invested into transport and highways.
The majority of parking surplus is spent on providing free bus passes for older people and people with disabilities, which the council has a legal duty to provide.
Money is also invested back into supporting bus services and other transport and highway projects.
The Coast to Capital LEP provides funding opportunities for the region and the council has been successful in securing funding for local transport and regeneration projects such as Valley gardens and the BTN BikeShare Scheme.
The LCWIP sets out the principle of networks of routes and areas and the commitment to active travel improvements on these.
The detail of specific improvements has not been considered at this stage as this is a strategic document. This will be developed once routes are taken forward for delivery. We will also work with neighbouring authorities to deliver continuous strategic routes across borders when taking schemes forward – there are many links with neighbouring authority strategic routes as shown in the network maps.
The process for developing high quality active travel schemes will be the following activities, which are all interlinked.
Consideration of local context including Healthy Streets indicators:
Collaboration with local stakeholders and the public
Engagement and consultation with the community, this could include:
Design development
Consideration of various design documents including:
Scheme consultations are where the public can have a say about the detail of what we plan to improve in LCWIP routes and areas. Consultations make our plans more effective by helping them to reflect local views.
The results of consultations help us to understand feedback on plans and how improvements could best be made. They also help us to understand priorities and concerns.
The principle of routes and areas for improvement is set out in the LCWIP. Schemes will then be developed further and shaped by consultation and engagement with the community and stakeholders. Taking into account feedback from consultations helps to shape the detail of schemes to suit local needs.
Results are fed back for consideration in the decision-making process where they are balanced against available resource, legislation and competing views.
Engagement involves working with key stakeholders in order to shape proposals further. This could include liaison with local councillors, disability groups, local interest groups and local residents’ groups. Engagement can help us to understand issues in more detail and come up with appropriate solutions in the scheme design.
| Route ID | Route name |
|---|---|
| 1 (priority route) | Church Street |
| 2 (priority route) | North Street and Dyke Road |
| 3 (priority route) | Lewes Road |
| 4 (priority route) | A23 |
| 5 (priority route) | Eastern Road / Edward Street |
| 6 (priority route) | A259 – WSCC boundary to Madeira Drive |
| 7 (priority route) | Chesham Road, St George’s Road, Bristol Road & St James’s Street |
| 8 (priority route) | Buckingham Place, Terminus Road, Queens Road & West Street |
| 9 (priority route) | A259 – Marine Parade & Marine Drive |
| 10 (priority route) | New Church Road, Church Road & Western Road |
| 11 (priority route) | Queens Park Road |
| 12 (priority route) | Old Shoreham Road / New England Road / Viaduct Road / Upper Lewes Road |
| 13 (priority route) | Ditchling Road |
| 14 (priority route) | Upper Hollingdean Road |
| 15 (priority route) | Union Road |
| 16 (priority route) | Sackville Road / Nevill Road / King George VI Avenue |
| 17 (priority route) | Wilson Avenue |
| 18 | Springfield Road |
| 19 | Stanford Avenue & Beaconsfield Road |
| 20 | Trafalgar Road, Locks Hill, Southdown Road & Croft Drive |
| 21 | Elm Grove and Warren Road |
| 22 | Argyle Road and Campbell Road |
| 23 | Boundary Road and Hangleton Road |
| 24 | Hangleton Way and Downland Drive |
| 25 | Vernon Terrace & Montpelier Road |
| 26 | The Avenue |
| 27 | Davigdor Road and Cromwell Road |
| 28 | Portland Road |
| 29 | Basin Road South |
| 30 | Gladstone Road |
| 31 | Carden Avenue |
| 32 | Coldean Lane |
| 33 | Grand Avenue and The Drive |
| 34 | Fox Way and Hangleton Lane |
| 35 | The Upper Drive |
| 36 | Mile Oak Road and High Street |
| 37 | Preston Drove and Millers Road |
| 38 | Rottingdean High Street and Falmer Road |
| 39 | Barcombe Place & Lucraft Road |
| Area ID | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | East Moulsecoomb |
| 2 | Hollingdean |
| 3 | Woodingdean |
| 4 | Aldrington |
| 5 | West Blatchington - schools |
| 6 | Hove Park & Mill View |
| 7 | West Blatchington & Hangleton |
| 8 | Portslade |
| 9 | Mile Oak |
| 10 | Fishersgate |
| 11 | Kemptown, hospital & Whitehawk Hill |
| 12 | Whitehawk |
| 13 | Hartington Road |
| 14 | Carlton Hill |
| 15 | Queens Park |
| 16 | London Road north |
| 17 | Moulsecoomb south & Bear Road |
| 18 | Hollingbury east |
| 19 | West of city centre |
| 20 | Hove Junior School & cricket ground |
| 21 | St Andrews Church |
| 22 | Hove station south |
| 23 | Hove station north |
| 24 | Preston |
| 25 | Varndean & Balfour |
| 26 | Patcham west |
| 27 | Patcham east |
| 28 | Coldean |
| 29 | Westdene & Withdean |
| 30 | Preston Park east |
| 31 | Preston Park west |
| 32 | Rottingdean west |
| 33 | Rottingdean & Saltdean |
| Route ID | Route name |
|---|---|
| A | Chalky Road |
| B | Station Approach (Fishersgate) |
| C | Station Road (Portslade) |
| D | Nevill Avenue |
| E | Amherst Crescent & Old Shoreham Road |
| F | Blatchington Road |
| G | Holland Road |
| H | Somerhill Road |
| I | The Deneway |
| J | Clermont Road |
| K | Dyke Road Drive |
| L | Upper North Street |
| M | Winfield Avenue |
| N | Stanford Avenue |
| O | Stroudley Road |
| P | Whitecross Street |
| Q | Trafalgar Street |
| R | North Road |
| S | Carden Hill |
| T | Shaftesbury Place |
| U | Hollingdean Road |
| V | Islingword Road |
| W | Lower Rock Gardens |
| X | Upper Bedford Street |
| Y | Queensdown School Road |
| Z | Manor Hill |
| AA | Paston Place |
| BB | Ashurst Road |
| CC | B206 Roedean Road |
| DD | Marina Way |
| EE | Goldstone Villas |
| FF | Albourne Close |
| ID | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 (priority area) | East Brighton / Whitehawk |
| 2 (priority area) | Moulsecoomb |
| 3 (priority area) | Portslade |
| 4 (priority area) | Knoll / West Blatchington |
| 5 (priority area) | Hangleton |
| 6 (priority area) | Mile Oak & Portslade Village |
| 7 (priority area) | Hollingdean |
| 8 (priority area) | Woodingdean |
| 9 (priority area) | West Hove |
| 10 (priority area) | West Blatchington - schools |
| 11 | Wilbury & West Blatchington |
| 12 | Hanover & Elm Grove |
| 13 | Kemptown & Black Rock |
| 14 | Queens Park |
| 15 | London Road station |
| 16 | Round Hill |
| 17 | Bevendean |
| 18 | Hollingbury |
| 19 | Central Brighton |
| 20 | Sackville |
| 21 | Patcham |
| 22 | Hove & Wilbury |
| 23 | Surrenden |
| 24 | Preston |
| 25 | Ovingdean |
| 26 | Westdene & Withdean |
| 27 | Tivoli & Prestonville |
| 28 | Saltdean |
| 29 | Coldean |
| 30 | Tongdean |
| 31 | University |
All maps contain public sector information licensed under the Open Government License v3.0. Contains Ordnance Survey data, Crown copyright and database rights 2018 Ordnance Survey. All rights reserved. Mott Macdonald. 0100026791
All photos Copyright Brighton & Hove City Council unless otherwise stated.