Campaigners want extra cycle parking spaces in new-build homes (From Ealing Times)

Campaigners want extra cycle parking spaces in new-build homes

2:07pm Friday 28th September 2012 in News By Danielle Mendel

EALING Cycling Campaign is urging the council to increase the number of cycle parking spaces.

It would like to see residents of newly-built homes have one space per person.

This would mean altering Ealing’s current planning model of one space for a two-bedroom home and two spaces for a home with three or more bedrooms.

Cycle campaigners also suggest the space should be secure and more easily accessible than any car parking space, to encourage the healthier transport option.

They argue that bicycles left outside are often stolen but residents are reluctant to clutter their homes by storing them inside.

Their ideas mirror the British Medical Association’s recommendation that all planning applications for new homes should encourage a healthy, active lifestyle.

An ECC spokesman said: “All too often new residential developments provide only a tokenistic number of cycle parking spaces that barely meet the current demand and which certainly don’t take into account the future growth of cycling.”

He added that Ealing had been appointed as one of the Mayor of London’s 13 Biking Boroughs and had a responsibility to set high standards.

An Ealing Council spokeswoman said they were committed to making it safer and easier for more people to cycle in the borough and welcomed input from ECC as part of the recent consultation.

A public inquiry will follow the consultation next year.