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‘Save our Island’ video

A view on Havant Borough Council’s new Hayling Island plan. It demonstrates how the plan will change the nature of the island. It doesn’t, however, make alternative suggestions for how HBC can meet the demands of central government. If it doesn’t meet those demands, it risks losing control over development altogether.

We will, of course, be keeping a close eye on developments, not least the planned upgrade to West Lane which should include a provision for cycling.

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I can’t do hills

Well, Hayling Island is the right place to be. There are some that claim there is a ‘hill’ in St Peter’s Road but it’s an undulation at most.

Once you get off the island, however, it’s a different story. We have some fantastic cycling in the South Downs Country Park but hills are virtually unavoidable if you want to enjoy the scenery, or commute any distance.

Let’s be clear about one thing: there’s no shame at all in getting off your bike and pushing it up a hill. None at all. Everyone’s had to do it. If you’re not used to hills, the chances are you’ll be pushing at some point. Don’t let it spoil your ride.

I’ve written an article that explores different aspects of cycling hills. You can read it here.

 

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Hayling needs Haylink…

… a safe, child-friendly, all-weather cycle route to the bridge.

This is the article we submitted for the November edition of the Hayling Islander. The published article was subject to editing by the Islander.

You may have seen the road works in Langstone alongside the main road. Havant and Hampshire councils are building a shared path to allow cyclists to ride safely between the Billy Trail at Mill Lane and the Langbrook Restaurant. The next phase will link all the way to Tesco and beyond.

Continue reading “Hayling needs Haylink…”

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A cycle ride around Langstone Harbour

This very accomplished video shows how to use the Hayling Ferry to cycle all the way around Langstone Harbour.

The illustrated route uses the new cycle path from Langstone Technology Park south along the main road. Havant plans to extend the path all the way down to the existing path to the bridge but, for the time being, it’s pavement cycling along this stretch. A quiet alternative is to cross the main road to Woodberry Avenue which becomes Southbrook Road. Turn left into the small cul de sac after Hamilton Close (also called Southbrook Road) and use the tucked-away cut-through on the right to join the Langstone section of the Billy Trail and on to rejoin the described route.

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Are you 55 or over?

According to the Hayling Islander, Havant Borough Council has been awarded a £147,000 grant from the National Lottery’s Sport England to promote sporting activities by residents aged 55 or older.

HBC is looking to find out from you what kind of activities it should support. If you are in that age category and would like to see HBC help you get into cycling or other sporting activities, please complete their questionnaire.

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Hayling Island traffic consultation

Havant Borough Council is conducting a short consultation about traffic on Hayling Island. This includes a section about cycling and a specific question about use of an all-weather surface for the Billy Trail.

You can get printed copies of the questionnaire at the library or the community centre, or you can complete the survey (which is just 21 questions) online at www.havant.gov.uk/hayling-survey.

Completed surveys have to be in by 10th December.