Cycling shifts up a gear at Havant Borough Council

Cycling infrastructure shifts up a gear at Havant Borough Council, where a pro-cycling islander, Councillor Tim Pike, has been appointed as Cabinet Lead for Strategic Innovation, Infrastructure and Projects. This is a new role, reflecting the council’s growing realisation that our infrastructure needs a massive boost.

Although a councillor for St Faith’s ward, Tim has always lived on Hayling, and is very aware of the challenges we islanders face. He also knows that cycling must play a key role in fixing the transport and infrastructure problems caused by all the past house building (whether or not the new developments go ahead). When we asked Tim whether a particular project would be ‘cycle-friendly’, he said “all projects have to be cycle-friendly these days!”.

Members of Cycle Hayling have met Tim three times recently to lobby for our programme of cycling infrastructure improvements, so we know he’s actively working with council officers to push through some of them. We’re going to see big cycling improvements during 2017, both on the island and in Langstone and Havant, much of it funded by the controversial Bellway development north of Goldring Close through the Community Infrastructure Levy.

So Cycle Hayling congratulates Tim on his appointment, and looks forward to working with him to make Hayling a happier, healthier and more cycle-friendly island.