Eastbourne's long talked about cycleway facing more delays

Wednesday, 13 February 2019

Eastbourne Community Board chair Virginia Horrocks is leading the fight to get the Eastern Bays shared pathway built.

A long-planned cycle/walkway for Eastbourne is once again facing uncertainty.

Now known as the Eastern Bays Shared Pathway, it was started by the Eastbourne Borough Council in the early 1980s. Despite numerous reports and endless submissions by locals, progress remains elusive.

Ruby Barton, 9, pictured in 2016 cycling home from school on a section of the road between Days Bay and Eastbourne. Her father, Francois, headed a group that wanted the road upgraded.

The path would create a safe space for cyclists and walkers on the sea side of the road between Days Bay and Pt Howard.

The route is part of the Remutaka Cycle Trail. In places the adjacent road has a 70kmh limit, despite cyclists having less than a metre-wide strip and a steep drop to rocks below the road.

Virginia and John Horrocks regularly ride the narrow cycleway at Days Bay.

**READ MORE:

* Riding the Remutaka Cycle Trail

Virginia Horrocks, front, said cyclists risked their lives everytime they used the existing Eastbourne cycleway.

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As well as creating more room for cyclists, the pathway would provide some protection against rising sea levels.

The council's draft annual plan said the latest cost estimate of $20 million left a $5m shortfall.

'The decision has been taken to proceed with consenting and then re-assess the programme of work,' officers said.

Eastbourne Community Board chair Virginia Horrocks said she was mystified to see that in the draft plan.

As far as she was aware the project was on track and she questioned who had made the decision to re-assess it.

On Tuesday, Mayor Ray Wallace told the draft annual plan meeting that politicians had not made any decision to delay construction.

The $5m overrun, however, would need to be addressed, he said.

Corporate services manager Brent Kibblewhite said that once it gained Resource Consent, officers would re-assess the project

Horrocks urged councillors to get on with construction. There had been a 'piecemeal approach' over many years and it was time to finally make progress, she said.

After the meeting, she predicted locals would be angered by the latest move, which she said failed to acknowledge how dangerous the road was.

'People will be devastated to discover it is not a done deal, which we all thought it was.'

General manager of city development Matt Reid said working in a 'complex' marine environment created many difficulties, including how to accommodate little blue penguins.

The council was committed to providing a safer option for cyclists but officers had an obligation to ratepayers to take a fresh look at projects when the cost increased, he said.

Former community board chair Derek Wilshere said the delay would shake local confidence in the council. The 76-year-old said he hoped to use the cycleway before he turned 80 but that no longer looked likely.