CYCLING IN ROTHER ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES This report provides an overview of the current situation regarding cycling in Rother District, to identify problems as well as opportunities which might be addressed in the forthcoming Rother Cycling & Walking Strategy being prepared by East Sussex County Council (ESCC). The report is intended to inform the work being done by the Rother Cycling Working Group chaired by Rother Voluntary Action and also to feed into local strategies including the Rye and Battle Neighbourhood Plans. Funded by the Rother Environmental Group from the Rye Transport Action Group (RTAG) fund. Prepared by Nick Hanna and Sue Burton October 2013 Cycling in Rother – October 2013 Table of Contents 1. Overview............................................................................................................................4 1.1. Goals...............................................................................................................................4 1.2. Types of cycling environment: where can cyclists go................................................4 1.3. Bridleways and Byways................................................................................................5 1.4. National cycle route ......................................................................................................5 1.5. Types of cyclists: who are they ....................................................................................5 2. Issues around cycling in Rother: what makes cycling difficult....................................6 3. What are the opportunities for cycling in Rother .........................................................7 4. The National Cycle Route (NCN2)..................................................................................7 4.1. Fairlight (and Hastings Country Park) ......................................................................7 4.2. The transit of Rye .........................................................................................................7 5. Cycling Provision in the Rother Towns......................................................................8 5.1. Battle ..............................................................................................................................8 5.2. Bexhill ............................................................................................................................9 5.3. Rye..................................................................................................................................9 6. Proposed Cycle Schemes in Rother ..............................................................................10 6.1. Battle Schools Greenway............................................................................................10 6.2. Robertsbridge to Bodiam route.................................................................................10 6.3. Rye Greenway .............................................................................................................10 6.4. Peasmarsh, Iden, Playden and Rye Network ...........................................................11 6.5. Hythe-Rye Multi-use Path .........................................................................................11 7. A21 Cycle Facility Improvement Study .......................................................................11 Page 2 of 17 Cycling in Rother – October 2013 8. Rother Rural Routes ......................................................................................................11 9. Off-road activities...........................................................................................................12 9.1. Multi-activity off-road centres...................................................................................12 9.2. Battle Great Wood......................................................................................................12 9.3. Other smaller wooded locations ................................................................................12 9.4. Bridleways ...................................................................................................................13 10. Other initiatives to increase numbers of cyclists .....................................................13 10.1. Welcome Walkers and Cyclists .................................................................................13 10.2. Mapping.......................................................................................................................14 10.3. Funding........................................................................................................................14 11. Developing Rye Bay and environs as a Cycle hub...................................................14 11.1. Encompassing Camber, Rye Harbour, Iden, Winchelsea and Winchelsea Beach14 11.3. The Battle and Brede Landscape Partnership Scheme...........................................16 12. Conclusions..................................................................................................................16 Page 3 of 17 Cycling in Rother – October 2013 1. Overview The variety of benefits created by cycling are considerable and range across issues including personal health, the environment and the economy. Cycling is an efficient, cheap, fun and environmentally friendly way to travel. Cycling is an excellent form of exercise: people who regularly cycle are fitter, healthier and less prone to medical problems. Cycling can also help to create new job opportunities, especially within tourism and leisure, where demand for cycling holidays and day trips increases, so does the demand for tourism and leisure facilities and services. 1.1. Goals 1.1.1. Make cycling safer. 1.1.2. Increase the number of local journeys made by bike. 1.1.3. Support the local economy by developing a market for cycling holidays and sustainable tourism. 1.2. Types of cycling environment: where can cyclists go 1.2.1. Main “A” Roads These are designed for fast-moving traffic. “A” roads are not cycle-friendly unless they have a cycleway separated from the main highway by some sort of physical barrier. This could also be in the form of a shared-use path (with pedestrians). There are virtually no cycleways of this nature within Rother to our knowledge (although see following Section 7. A21 Cycle Facility Improvement Study). 1.2.2. Secondary “B” Roads “B” roads and lesser designations such as country lanes are usually only suitable for experienced cyclists, due to the fast nature of much traffic. Many country lanes are narrow and require high levels of confidence even for adults, with speed limits which are often 40 mph but can be as high as 60 mph, the national default limit. As Rother is within the densely populated south-east of England, roads tend to be busy whether they are “A”, “B” or rural. 1.2.3. Traffic-free cycle routes Bexhill and Hastings seafront promenades are excellent locations for families with young children to start to acquire cycling skills. The smooth surface is highly suitable for bikes with stabilisers and the flat scenic nature of the route also makes it an appealing location. There are other short sections of traffic-free routes in the Rother area including Winchelsea Beach to Rye; Galley Hill to Glyne Gap; and Rye to Camber. From West Marina, St Leonard’s to Glyne Gap the recently completed seafront link between Hastings and Bexhill, funded under Sustrans’ Connect 2 programme, has proved enormously popular. The surfaces of these routes vary, some level and tarmaced and others rough surfaced. Shared-use paths i.e. widened footways where cycling is permitted provide excellent facilities particularly in the approach to schools and where there are places of employment which are situated on busy roads. In Rother, there are only 2 examples of shared use paths, one in Bexhill and the other at Rye Harbour. Page 4 of 17 Cycling in Rother – October 2013 1.3. Bridleways and Byways There are public bridleways, mainly unsurfaced, spread over Rother. They are maintained by ESCC’s Rights of Way team and are signed by the standard markers. They are often unusable in times of wet weather. They generally lack continuity and it requires considerable map-reading preparation to locate and follow them. At present, they hold limited appeal apart from use by local mountain bikers. Where they are surfaced, for example between Netherfield Hill in Battle & the A271 and the bridleway from Battle Abbey to Catsfield, there is virtual all year round usage. Byways can be used by cyclists and vary in their surface. They are often farm tracks. 1.4. National cycle route The National Cycle Network - Route 2 (NCN2) runs along the coast through Rother from Norman’s Bay to Glyne Gap, through Hastings to Fairlight and on to Jury’s Gap (east of Camber). This route forms part of a signed nationwide network which is a mixture of scenic traffic- free paths, quiet roads & lanes and signed on-road routes, but always on a surfaced path. The NCN2 in Rother follows this same pattern with a mixture of off-road and on-road sections. The enormous popularity of the Bulverhythe link (which may soon be re-named) shows what can be achieved in terms of delivering cycle infrastructure and dramatically improving the number of people cycling. 1.5. Types of cyclists: who are they There is a big variety of cyclists which means that different routes and surfaces suit different people. A person does not always have the same needs. For example, the same