Borough of Havant Cycling Strategy

Havant Borough Council is committed to:

promoting the positive sides of cycling - health, enjoyment, costs and convenience
developing safe cycle routes
providing more safe cycle parking at council centres for those who cycle and encouraging industry and commerce to follow this example
encouraging leisure cycling as a desirable social activity
producing suitable publicity material and advising everyone within the Borough of the advantages and benefits of cycling

Our updated and wide-ranging Active Travel Study (adopted March 2012) addresses the development of the walking and cycling network across the Borough.

We have published the second edition of the Havant Borough Cycle Map which has comprehensive information about current cycle facilities across the Borough at the time of press (May 2011).

For more information about cycling in Hampshire, including the county's cycle path network, follow this link to the County Council's web site >>.

Statistics

In the Havant area only 4.2% of journeys to work are made by cycle compared to 6.5% in neighbouring Portsmouth and 11.1% in Gosport (2001 census).

However within the Borough there are considerable differences between individual Wards. The topography of the area highlights this point and shows up particularly when comparing the hilly areas west of the A3(M) with less than 3% cycling to work, with the flatter, more level Wards such as Battins, Bedhampton, Bondfields and Hayling Island which are all over 6%. Interestingly, over 35% of journeys to work are of less than 5km distance, and are so ideal for cycling (or walking).

Our Cycle Network

Havant Borough Council has taken opportunities to provide lengths of cycle routes during the past few years with sections being continually added as funding permits. The intention is to eventually link up what may at present be individual lengths, into a coherent pattern forming a core cycle network across the Borough. This expansion has been funded not only by the Borough Council but also from contributions made by developers of housing and business schemes.

We aim to establish a network of cycle routes linking into the cycle networks of our neighbouring authorities, to serve the following purposes:

provide cycle routes to work
provide cycle routes to public transport interchanges
provide safe cycle routes to schools and colleges
provide leisure routes
make crossings at junctions and roundabouts as safe as possible

The detail of the network will no doubt change over time, if only to reflect a decade of development and changing government priorities. As funding becomes available, we seek to implement additional cycle facilities in order to eventually produce the network described above.

Progress to Date

So far we have achieved the following:

Widley (Portsmouth boundary) to Cowplain (East Hampshire boundary) provided as part of the A3 bus priority route and completed in 2008;
Havant to Cowplain (East Hampshire boundary) is complete as far south as Barncroft Way. North of the Middle Park Way / Woolston Road junction the route includes a traffic-free crossing of the A3(M). A further traffic-free section runs alongside the Hermitage Stream; the two sections are linked with an on-street section along Middle Park Way past Park Community School;
Havant to Rowlands Castle (East Hampshire boundary) via Petersfield Road is complete (forming part of National Cycle Network route NCR 22);
Emsworth to Portsmouth via Havant and Broadmarsh is mostly complete except between Denvilles and Havant town centre (forming part of National Cycle Network routes NCR 2 and NCR 22);
Havant to Westbourne is complete between Denvilles and Hollybank, along Southleigh Road;
Denmead to Waterlooville and Cowplain is complete with off road routes along Maurepas Way and Milton Road, and a signed route through the 20mph zone in Hart Plain Avenue;
Park Lane Cowplain is complete as a signed on-road route;
Emsworth north-south route is complete between Southleigh Road and Victoria Road with a mix of on-road and off-road facilities;
Hayling Billy Trail between Havant railway station and Hayling Island (forming part of National Cycle Network Route NCR 2) is almost complete, with a mixture of on-street and off-street sections. The only sections still to be completed are those short sections leading onto Hayling Bridge.

There are also many other short sections of the routes being completed which will eventually combine to form the comprehensive network.

Other facilities

A more balanced choice of transport will lead to improved conditions and greater freedom for all, rather than restrictions which are the lot of many at present.

We worked with South West Trains to provide additional cycle parking at Havant railway station. This seeks to establish the station as a principal interchange point on the journey to work using the Hayling Billy Trail as a key point of access.

The Borough Council aims to encourage cycle and motorcycle use through the planning process. Advice to developers regarding the expected measures they should take to cater for cycles and motorcycles in any of their developments is also available on this site.

More information (external web sites)

National Cycling Forum >>

Cyclists' Touring Club >>

British Cycling (sport related) >>

Why Cycle? (advice for potential or new cyclists) >>

Hampshire County Council Cycling Pages >>

Portsmouth Cycle Network >>

East Hampshire Cycle Plan >>

Chichester Cycle Network >>

Havant Borough Council, Civic Centre Road, Havant, Hampshire PO9 2AX