A JUDICIAL review has been granted on a council's decision to remove a temporary cycle lane.

West Sussex County Council voted to remove the pop-up cycle lane in Upper Shoreham Road, Shoreham, in November 2020. Charity Cycling UK applied for a judicial review in February 2021.

The review was initially refused by the High Court but has since been accepted by the Court of Appeal.

Duncan Dollimore, Cycling UK’s head of campaigns, said: “Cycling UK is delighted the Court of Appeal agreed that the issues raised in this case, especially the requirement for highway authorities to properly consider the government’s statutory guidance, must be fully considered.”

The cycleway was implemented last year as part of the government's Emergency Active Travel Fund during during the lockdown. The council was given £781,000 by the fund for seven pop-up cycle lane schemes.

The charity is challenging the council's decision in this case, and says it is increasingly concerned by other councils ignoring government guidance to promote active travel.

Mr Dollimore said: “The reallocation of road space to people waking and cycling is a key element of the government’s statutory guidance to reallocate road space for cycling and walking.

“Cycling UK believes West Sussex County Council failed to have regard to or comply with that guidance when making the decision to remove the cycle lane."

Shoreham resident Karen Murphy, 48, is the mother of two children who attend St Nicolas’ and St Mary's Church of England Primary School, she used the cycleway regularly before its removal.

She said: “We used to frequently ride along the cycle lane, often joining another safe route travelling from Shoreham to Steyning, but we haven't since it was removed. I’m nervous about travelling along the Upper Shoreham Road without it. I'm not the only one.

"Parents are still taking their kids to school by bike but sometimes the children have to ride on the pavement as it is no longer safe without visible markings.

"I don’t understand why the council removed what had swiftly become a valuable community asset, and hope they rethink their position.”

Cycling UK said it hopes to have the final hearing before the end of the year.

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