Cabinet members will discuss plans for an active travel scheme on Hove seafront next week following the support of residents in a public consultation earlier this year.
A report will be presented to members on Thursday 13 November which will recommend measures which could see construction begin next year.
The A259 Hove to Portslade active travel scheme would see several improvements made to the area between Fourth Avenue and the city’s western boundary, including
The scheme would make walking, wheeling and cycling better and safer in a key part of the city which includes the new Hove Beach Park facilities and will be home to a new King Alfred Leisure Centre.
A 6-week consultation was launched in the summer to gather feedback on the scheme and its design.
We received more than 900 responses with almost two thirds (65%) of those being from people living in the Hove and Portslade area.
Results showed strong support for widening pavements, better pedestrian crossings, upgrading cycle facilities and routes, and improving the public spaces.
A majority also felt it would improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists and make them more likely to visit the seafront, local shops, businesses and attractions.
Read the consultation findings.
Thanks to the positive and constructive feedback we received from residents, businesses and other stakeholders, we’ve made several changes to the original design of the scheme. They include:
You can read more about the changes being made in the report.
Councillor Trevor Muten, Cabinet member for Transport and City Infrastructure, said: “This is an excellent scheme and a real chance to improve roads, pavements, accessibility, crossings, cycle lanes and public spaces along this part of the seafront.
“The feedback we received from the consultation was very positive and I’m so pleased to see that we’ve been able to take on board comments and suggestions from the public to make tangible changes to further improve our design.
“By working in collaboration with residents, businesses and other stakeholders, we can deliver improvements that work for everyone.”
We have been awarded £4.3 million by Active Travel England to deliver the scheme with another £2.7 million coming from our Local Transport Plan funding over the next 3 years.
Cabinet members will also be asked to approve plans to pursue external funding to extend the A259 active travel scheme further east. This would improve the current temporary infrastructure which was installed in 2020.
This would again be subject to public consultation.
Councillor Muten added: “We want to continue delivering improvements across the city and we have aspirations to make further changes along the seafront should resources become available.
“The A259 is not just a key transport route, it’s a gateway to a vibrant seafront and should be safe and accessible for all our residents, businesses and visitors.”
