MCN

Worrying plan to ban bikes from Brighton’s famous Madeira Drive

• Council plan to close Brighton's iconic Madeira Drive to vehicles

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Much-loved events such as the Brighton Speed Trials and Ace Café Burn Up could be in trouble if plans to ban motor vehicles from the seafront Madeira Drive get the go-ahead. The road was temporaril­y closed in response to the coronaviru­s pandemic to allow more space for walking, cycling and jogging but the closure could now become permanent pending a review by Brighton & Hove City Council.

The news has sparked petitions both for and against. At the time of writing, the petition for permanent closure has 2672 signatures, while one for reopening has 5924.

The Brighton Speed Trials date back to 1905 when the stretch of road along the sea wall had been freshly tarmac’d for the first time. But now the future of the 115-year-old event run by Brighton and Hove Motor Club is uncertain. “What we can’t get a clear answer from the council on is whether the road will be able to be opened specially for events if the closure is made permanent,” said the club’s chairman, Len Wooller. “Clearly it would be a tragedy for us and also the businesses that operate on the seafront. We can’t even drive to the clubhouse that we’ve spent thousands on.

“The road generates the council £1.2m in parking revenue per year and if you add to that the influx of business brought by the speed trials and other events like InCarNatio­n and Brightona, I’d estimate it would mean at least £13m of lost revenue.”

In a meeting of the council’s Environmen­t, Transport and Sustainabi­lity Committee on Tuesday, June 23, Green Party member Jamie Lloyd specifical­ly asked about the future of vehicle rallies on the seafront. The question was answered by Mark Prior, the Assistant Director for city transport, who said: “Given government restrictio­ns and emerging restrictio­ns, the events programme is unlikely to take place for the foreseeabl­e and is not a considerat­ion. “If it remains closed, then events will not be the main considerat­ion.”

• ‘It will be a real tragedy for the Speed Trials’

LEN WOOLLER, B&H MOTOR CLUB

Have your say before July 22 at https://bit.ly/BrightonPe­tition

 ??  ?? Madeira Drive is synonymous with bikes but for how much longer?
Madeira Drive is synonymous with bikes but for how much longer?

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