‘Woke’ Brighton council wages war on motorists by replacing parking bays with 150 bike shelters

Motorists are furious with the ‘awakened’ Brighton and Hove council after it replaced much-desired car parking with bike racks.

The municipality of Groen has demolished dozens of parking spaces for residents to make room for a maximum of 150 bicycle sheds, each of which can accommodate six bicycles.

The £500,000 scheme has enraged residents, many of whom have paid up to £385 for an on-street parking space, as they claim they can no longer park outside their homes.

They say the policy victimizes motorists and the elderly or disabled and has been pushed through it “undemocratically.”

A few bicycle sheds have been placed between two permit places, so that parking is not possible in either place.

The council has faced controversy over a range of measures penalizing motorists, including the construction of a cycle path along the coast road.

They are seeking to ban parking along a busy road and said voting against the measures would be a vote to “weaken air quality measures in the city.

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The council was accused of “waking up” after banning disposable barbecues on beaches and public parks, claiming they contributed to global warming.

Last year the council was also branded a ‘laughing stock’ after it banned weed killer but blamed the resulting scourge on Brexit.

Brighton and Hove City Council has been accused of taking space in much-needed residents’ car parks and transferring them to bike hangars around the city (photo: Frustrated resident Laura King by a poorly placed hangar)

Brighton and Hove City Council will build up to 150 bike racks, each of which will hold six bikes

Drivers in Brighton and Hove currently pay the council between £60 and £385 a year for a resident parking permit, depending on the vehicle’s emissions.

But as the council rents out bike sheds for £60 a year, that means each hangar brings in £360 a year.

Laura King, who lives in Hove, said: ‘This is absolute madness and appears to be another weapon in the Greens’ bid to drive ordinary motorists out of town.

These hangars are too large for the parking spaces and encroach on the sidewalk making them unsafe for pedestrians, especially wheelchair users and the visually impaired.

“They also don’t have reflective strips to make them visible at night, making them dangerous to motorists.”

“The hangars have been forced upon us and have cost the council taxpayer £500,000 in a cost-of-living crisis as the council closes public toilets and other public facilities. It’s shockingly undemocratic.’

Ms King, a member of the Friends of Brighton and Hove Citizens’ Action Group, said: “The scheme must be stopped immediately and an inquiry launched to investigate where the money came from and how the public was consulted.”

One of the 60 bicycle sheds, which can hold up to 150, is placed in a Hove car box

Tory councilor Robert Nemeth said: ‘I am deeply concerned about this latest attempt by the Green/Labour Council to push through a controversial policy without the necessary democratic oversight.

“Bike hangers should be left on the shelf until a way is found to install them that won’t have too many detrimental effects on the nearest occupant.”

Ellie Reid, 34, said: ‘These hangars are madness and a perfect example of yet another pet project by our Green Council that makes no sense.

‘They should focus on other green issues such as improving our recycling levels as Brighton and Hove has the second worst record in the country.

“We also have sidewalks that are so covered in weeds and leaves that they are unsafe to walk on, huge potholes in the roads and public facilities are closing in the city, but projects like this get the green light. This council should be placed in special measures.”

Brighton and Hove City Council says it has plans to install around 150 bike hangars by spring 2023, creating a total of 900 spaces for bikes.

The council hit back, saying there was grassroots support for the hangars and they proved incredibly popular with cyclists.

Councilor Steve Davis, co-chair of the Environment, Transport and Sustainability committee, said: ‘We started installation on July 20 and saw a 100 percent take-up rate within a few weeks.

‘Since then we have placed 40 more and all but one of the total of 360 places are occupied. This means that 359 residents now have a safe place to park their bicycles.

‘We know that if we want more people to travel actively and sustainably, we have to give them the right infrastructure. Bicycle sheds offer people who live in houses with little or no storage space the opportunity to park their bicycles safely.

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A spokesperson for the council said: ‘We are aware of concerns regarding bike parking at Norfolk Square and are looking into this. We have nothing further to say on this particular issue.”