The planning application for the whole of the seafront sea defences was submitted in late July with responses due by 6 September, and in the next few weeks it will be considered by the city council planning committee. We’ve been involved with some of the consultation and we’d like to see what’s best for cyclists, without adversely affecting other users of the seafront.
Although we recognise the need to improve our sea defences we are disappointed that the designers have not committed to a genuinely safe cycle route along the seafront. Portsmouth City Council’s Seafront Masterplan envisages a continuous cycle route from Gosport ferry to Hayling ferry. The coastal defences do not cover this length in full, but where they do, we expect them to provide a route fit for purpose.
The plans show some very modest improvements on what we have today, but some of their plans make cycling more hazardous, or less enjoyable, with little separation of bikes and cars. They have also failed to do anything about the existing problem faced by cyclists of having to switch sides at several points along the seafront. You can read our response in full below: