MORE than 100 people have signed a petition calling for a promise that a controversial cycle lane will not return.

Jeremy Horne, who created the petition, said the cycle lane on Old Shoreham Road was a nightmare for people living in the area until it was removed earlier this year.

He says he is concerned over the road featuring as a priority cycle route in Brighton and Hove City Council's Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan.

Mr Horne, who lives on Old Shoreham Road, wants reassurances from the council that the cycle lane will not be reinstated.

His petition has received more than 130 signatures in less than 24 hours - although a rival one calling for a new cycle lane has more than 1,000 backers.

Mr Horne said: "Three months ago, we agreed the cycle lane had failed and to get rid of it and move on. Yet here we are, and I'm filling out a consultation where it is still listed as a priority route.

"As a resident, and it's not just me, that's quite concerning - we've had 16 months of hell of the cycle lane being here and causing problems, and I want to make it clear to them that it is still not wanted no matter what.

"If the council are serious about creating a successful active travel scheme, it's time to move on from the Old Shoreham Road and invest in better alternatives."

The cycle lane was one of a series of “active travel” schemes introduced across Brighton and Hove during the first national coronavirus lockdown at the behest of the Conservative government.

The emergency active travel schemes were introduced when the government was urging people not to use public transport.

Supporters of the cycle lane say it made the busy road far safer for cyclists and was an important step in fighting the climate crisis.

However, Mr Horne said that he was forced to keep his young son's window closed while the cycle lane was operating, due to the amount of pollution along the road from increased congestion.

The cycle lane was removed around a year after it was first installed after a series of consultations found it was unpopular.

The council is developing a Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan, which has been put to public consultation.

Mr Horne says the reaction to his petition has been positive and that many people have shared his concerns about the prospect of the controversial cycle lane returning.

The petition is set to be presented to the council on April 7 next year.

It comes as another petition, which calls for the installation of "well-planned and high-quality" permanent cycle lanes along Old Shoreham Road surpassed 1,000 signatures.

In October, the creator of that petition, Pascale Palazzo, told The Argus that the removal of the temporary cycle lane had made travelling by bike along the road more dangerous.

She said: "We need well-planned permanent cycle lanes on the Old Shoreham Road that take into account the needs of current and future cyclists, as well as drivers."

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