Borough Cycling Strategy

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council adopted a Cycling Strategy in March 2016, which is intended to:

• Ensure that cycling is fully taken into account in future planning proposals;
• Encourage participation and involvement in cycling; and
• Support other activities to promote and encourage the uptake of cycling, such as training, safety, promotion and awareness raising.

The Strategy was prepared following public consultation which included seeking views on issues with existing facilities and provision.

Recognising the significant benefits that cycling provide, including improvements in health and wellbeing, helping to reduce the number of people driving cars for their journeys, and economic, the overall vision of the Strategy is to:

'Create an environment that is a safe, attractive and practical choice for cyclists in the borough so that more people are enabled to cycle safely in the area and to encourage a shift towards more sustainable transport choices and healthy lifestyles.'

To achieve this, the following objectives have been established, which are supported by a series of specific themes:

• To encourage more people who live and work in the borough to walk and cycle for local everyday journeys;
• To promote cycling for the health and wellbeing benefits that can result;
• To encourage visitors to the borough to travel more sustainably;
• To link smarter choices delivery with planned infrastructure developments; and
• To ensure effective stakeholder and community engagement in the actions contained in this strategy.

The identified objectives will be achieved through a series of actions, which have been grouped into a number of themes as set out below:

• Connectivity and Permeability
• Improvements in Other Facilities
• Safer Cycling
• Cycle Parking
• Promotion and Encouragement
• Maintenance and Signage

Through the implementation of associated actions, the targets of this Cycling Strategy are to:

• Double the number of trips to work made by bicycle by 2021 from a baseline of 1,930 in 2011; and
• Double the number of bikes travelling over the identified cycle counters in Basingstoke by 2021 from a baseline of 1,007 in 2011.

The Cycle Strategy includes within it a series of actions in an Action Plan, and also a proposed Strategic Cycling Network across the town. This identifies a series of routes radiating from the town centre and linking to key destinations within and around the town centre (shown as an inset on the Strategic Network Map), including the main development sites contained in the Local Plan. It also highlights the need to do further work to address accessibility issues linked to the town centre, which has been identified as a major issue by cyclists in the borough.

The strategy and proposed Strategic Network Map are available to download below.

The first study which undertook feasibility work on three of the identified corridors aimed at seeking opportunities to improve provision for cyclists across Basingstoke is now complete, and a shortened version of the report is available for download below. A full electronic version of the report can be obtained on request by emailing PETTransport@basingstoke.gov.uk

Please note that Hampshire County Council are in the process of developing a Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan for the Borough and it is anticipated that they will adopt this in Spring 2023.