Further debate promised on any Alexandra Park cycle path proposals

On Monday (September 5), Hastings Borough Council’s cabinet gave its support to changing the bye-laws which govern what is and isn’t allowed in the town’s public parks and gardens.

Cabinet members had taken a similar decision back in June, but due to a technical error the version of the bye-laws supported at the time were not the same as those approved by the Secretary of State. This meant a fresh decision was required.

The proposed changes are mostly technical, intended to replace a series of (in some cases out-of-date) bye-laws with a single consolidated set which would cover all parks and open spaces across the whole town.

However, it also includes a subtle change to when and where cycling would be allowed, making it so cyclists could ride on ‘designated routes’ in places where it would otherwise be prohibited.

This change had seen fears raised by campaigners who oppose plans to create a new cycle path running through Alexandra Park.

In light of these fears, several councillors asked cabinet members to confirm that voting through the new bye-laws would not automatically give the go ahead to the cycle route (which had been given in-principle backing by a previous council cabinet in 2016).

In response, council leader Paul Barnett (Lab) confirmed there would be further debate on the Alexandra Park cycle route should the bye-laws be approved.

He said: “What we heard at the last cabinet meeting was that cabinet does not need to be bound by a decision made in 2016.

“Since then we have we have looked into this matter further and I think we are all clear now that any proposal for any designated cycle path anywhere in Hastings will require a fresh cabinet report first of all, whatever the proposal. That includes Alexandra Park.

“Where the proposal is in any way controversial, as clearly Alexandra Park is, then it will also be a report that cabinet make a recommendation to full council. So it will be debated at full council, where the final decision will be made. I don’t think we can be any clearer than that.”