A ‘great turn out’ for Eastbourne’s first ‘Kidical Mass’ bike ride

Around 60 people of all ages joined Eastbourne’s first Kidical Mass on Saturday (October 15) which set off from Gildredge Park. The ride was organised by Bespoke, a group that campaigns to make it safer and easier to cycle in Eastbourne.

Gem Aelleh, chair of Bespoke, said: “The great turnout for Eastbourne’s first Kidical Mass, run by Bespoke, should send our borough and county councils a clear message that demand for safe cycling and cleaner, greener streets is high in our town. For years the motto of Bespoke has been ‘not just a cycle path, our children’s future path’. The full weight of this message has never been more apparent than now.

“Put simply, more people travelling by bikes means less cars on the road. Yet, it is becoming increasingly obvious that East Sussex County Council has abandoned cycling in our town. We find ourselves in a ludicrous situation of being in a cycle desert - surrounded by some wonderful cycle routes that require cars to access safely. We also find ourselves in a dangerous situation where we need and want to cycle on the road, yet this is clearly an unsafe thing to do in Eastbourne. While mobilizing for this ride, we found so many people saying they would love to use a bike to do school runs, travel to work or do their shopping but were genuinely scared to do so.

“We have an urgent need in Eastbourne for joined up, sensible cycle routes, 20mph zones, and a change in attitude from our planners. These are entirely reasonable and achievable requests, yet we find ourselves in a constant battle over them. So we will continue to ride out again and again, as part of the international Kidical Mass movement, until our town catches up with the rest of the country.”

An East Sussex County Council spokesperson said: “We recognise the huge benefits cycling and walking have on people’s health and wellbeing, as well as improving air quality and reducing carbon emissions, as outlined in the East Sussex Local Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Plan. The council is working to improve the wider cycling network in Eastbourne and is currently completing the detailed design for four new cycle routes which were approved by the Lead Member for Transport & Environment in February this year, following a public consultation. Further schemes will be developed, designed and delivered to support active travel in consultation with key stakeholders and the public as funding becomes available.”

On behalf of Eastbourne Borough Council, Councillor Colin Swansborough, cabinet member for climate change, said: “Increased cycling must play a much greater part in the reduction of carbon emissions in Eastbourne over the coming years. There have been improvements in the town’s cycling infrastructure but more is needed, with a fully integrated network of cycle paths established. The new routes being designed by East Sussex County Council are welcome, but we have to go further and faster to meet our broader ambitions for the environment and the health and wellbeing of residents.”

Photo by Brian Booker