The Hayling Billy Trail Project - Background
THE NATIONAL CYCLE NETWORK
The National Cycle Network project
was the first Millennium Project to be awarded Lottery Funds. It is
intended to be a high profile endeavour designed to persuade the
British public that cycling is a thoroughly modern way of
travelling and a responsible way of moving into the next
Millennium.
Many of our neighbouring countries have five or ten times the
level of cycling - our 2% in 1996 compares with 10% in Sweden with
its more severe winters; 11% in Germany with its higher wealth; and
15% in Switzerland with its hiller terrain.
The very low levels of cycling in Britain are a consequence of
the failure to make provision for cycling in transport policies
over the last two generations with the result that cycling is very
much more dangerous in Britain than in these other countries - for
example it is ten times more dangerous mile for mile, or trip for
trip, than in Denmark and perhaps not surprisingly the level of use
here is only a tenth of theirs'.
In July 1996 the Government published its National Cycling
Strategy document which aims to quadruple cycling over the next
decade. This Strategy calls for 'road space (and time) to be
reallocated from private vehicles to cyclists' and points out that
'cycling is a high quality way to enjoy the countryside and a good
way to introduce people to cycling for everyday transport needs'.
Havant Borough
Council has its own local strategy.
The National Cycling Network (NCN) is a key component in this
cycling strategy. It aims to provide each local authority with the
opportunity to create a flagship project for the encouragement of
those who generally don't cycle to start cycling again. To this end
National routes should be safe and attractive for
novice cyclists, should be useful for everyday
journeys to work and school, and should be
memorable such that the public is persuaded to
cycle more frequently. To meet this ambition the NCN should reach
from town centre to town centre wherever possible providing radial
routes through the town for everyday journeys , links into the
countryside for casual recreation and longer distance routes for
tourism.
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THE HAYLING BILLY TRAIL
The Hayling Billy Trail from Fairfield Road to Langstone Ferry
is highlighted as a strategic leisure route in the proposed Cycle
Route Network, and is included as such in the Council's Cycling
Strategy. The Hayling Billy Trail will link to the South Coast
Cycle Route (SCCR) which is Route 2 of the
NCN
, and will form part of it in an
option to route the
SCCR
via the Ferry rather than
following a route down the eastern part of Portsea Island.
At present the high level of traffic on Langstone Bridge in
effect truncates any possible journey by bicycle for all but the
most experienced. Sustrans considers that the early completion of
this route will demonstrate the popularity and potential for
cycling in the area and will become the catalyst for wide ranging
changes in transport practice for the benefit of local citizens and
visitors alike.
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The intention of the Hayling Billy Trail is to create one of
the premier routes in England with the provision of:
- A safe and attractive path for cyclists, pedestrians,
wheelchairs and prams, and in part a route for equestrians
- A safe crossing of Langstone Bridge
- Links to the
NCN
designed by Sustrans, including the
SCCR
and the London to Portsmouth
routes
In order to create this
potentially popular Trail, Havant Borough Council has teamed up
with Hampshire County Council, Sustrans (the civil engineering
charity which specialises in railway path work) and with A & J
Bull (Southern) Limited (now part of the Veolia Group) who have
agreed to fund much of the project through donations under the
Landfill Tax Credit Scheme. The development is an iterative process
over a number of years.
Construction of Phase 1, from
Fairfield Road to Langstone Road and detailed
elsewhere on this site,
started on 29th October 2001, and was mainly completed by the end
of December. Final completion of this Phase, including the dressing
of the top surface by a textured coating, was carried out during
the week commencing 22 April 2002 with the completed Path
officially opened on 30th August 2002 by Steven Norris.
The intention is to create a
quality path, with good landscaping and sculpture, providing a
largely traffic-free way for those in wheelchairs and prams and a
good path for pedestrians and cyclists. Development of the detailed
design for further Phases of the Hayling Billy Trail into Hayling
Island will be developed as the project progresses and further
planning applications will be made in due course.
Phase 1A across Havant Station
car park was completed in 2003, with
Phase 1B into Havant Station forecourt and
including a new cycle shelter being constructed in Spring
2006.
Phase 3
linking the Hayling Bridge to the southern end of Phase 1 is
planned for construction in 2008.