Brighton & Hove Friends of the Earth

On 6 November we’re showing ‘A Plastic Ocean’; a fascinating documentary about the truth of plastic pollution in our seas and oceans.

Free entry but book your place before they’ve all gone.

A PLASTIC OCEAN begins when journalist Craig Leeson, searching for the elusive blue whale, discovers plastic waste in what should be pristine ocean.

Join Brighton & Hove Friends of the Earth at St Augustine’s for a screening of this adventure documentary, as Craig teams up with free diver Tanya Streeter and an international team of scientists and researchers to travel to 20 locations around the world. Together they explore the fragile state of our oceans, uncover alarming truths about plastic pollution, and reveal working solutions that can be put into immediate effect.

Book your place.

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Too often do planning authorities have a jaundiced view on transport. South Coast Alliance for Transport and Environment, an alliance that campaigns for a better transport system and one to which BHFOE is part, offer an alternative.

Friday last week they released their integrated transport vision for Sussex, offer[ing] a new approach to help town and country along our beautiful coast.”

The wide range of measures proposed in the report include enhanced rail and public transport opportunities and improved facilities for cycling and walking.

New technology, it is pointed out, also has the potential to change the way transport is provided and used and recognises new homes and jobs need to be provided in locations served by enhanced public transport and attractive walking and cycling connections.

This balanced approach could help solve the well-known problems surrounding the A27 and support sustainable economic growth without the negative impact of extensive new road building.

Find out more about their positive vision here: SCATE A New Vision for Transport

To join in on our campaign to save the Sussex Pad Crossing follow this link, or contact SCATE for more opportunities to campaign for better transport.

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Over 1,600 people signed our petition to save the Sussex Pad crossing. Thanks to everyone for your support.

Can you spare 30 minutes to help keep the pressure up?

Tomorrow Adur District Council will decide the New Monks Farm development – and with it the fate of the Sussex Pad crossing of the A27.

We’ve organised a rally, to show our  support for the Sussex Pad. Can you join us?

When: Wednesdays 3 October, 6.00-6.30pm
Where: Sir Robert Woodard Academy, Upper Boundstone Lane, Sompting, Lancing, BN15 9QZ.

We need good numbers to show the strength of feeling about the loss of the crossing and the lack of safe and attractive walking and cycling infrastructure.

If you are local, walking and cycling are the best way to get there.  From further afield it’s a 19 min walk or a 5 minute cycle from Lancing station.

We hope to see you there!

Thanks for your support.

Chris and the rest of Brighton & Hove Friends of the Earth

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We are urging anyone who cares about cycling or car free access to the National Park to object the loss of the Sussex Pad junction on the A27 between Shoreham and Lancing.  On the weekend of 30 June and 1 July we counted nearly 900 cycles using the crossing (mostly on road) plus numerous groups of walkers and 3 horses.  It is a well-used and much loved route out into the South Downs – send 2 emails today:

Act now before it’s too late!

Email the South Downs National Park Authority before 12 July – vicki.colwell@southdowns.gov.uk

Objection to SDNP/18/00434/FUL River Adur to Coombes Road Non Motorised Users Route

Use your own words to say:

• The Sussex Pad crossing is busy/well used – why it is important, etc
• The proposed alternative – a new bridleway in the National Park would be unsafe as it is too narrow to cope with the large groups of cyclists and walkers who currently use the Sussex Pad crossing.
• It is pretty pointless without a link south to the Tollbridge for which there are no sensible proposals. The current plans show an effective path width of only 2m which is far too narrow to be attractive, let alone safe.  An effective path width of at least 4m is required.
• Anything else you want to add such as the surface needs to be suitable for road bikes, a grade separated junction at Sussex Pad would be better, etc

Remember to give your full name and postal address

Email Adur and Worthing Councils before 18 July – planning@adur-worthing.gov.uk & James.Appleton@adur-worthing.gov.uk

Objection to planning application: AWDM/0961/17 Land West of New Monks Farm, Mash Barn Lane, Lancing, West Sussex

Use your own words to say:

• The Sussex Pad crossing is busy/well used – why it is important, etc
• The proposed alternative – a new bridleway in the National Park and upgrading the footpath alongside the River Adur would be far too narrow to cope with the large groups of cyclists and walkers who currently use the Sussex Pad crossing plus existing users of the footpath. The plans show an effective path width of only 2m alongside the Adur which is far too narrow to be attractive, let alone safe.  An effective path width of at least 4m is required.
• Anything else you want to add such as the surface needs to be suitable for road bikes, a grade separated junction at Sussex Pad would be better, etc
• That the main cycle access to the housing and Lancing is badly designed being routed through a bus stop and crossing lots of roads, making it off-putting and dangerous. Call for a new traffic free route south of the existing access road instead.

Remember to give your full name and postal address

If you live in the area, copy your objection to your local councillors: https://www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/councillors-and-mps/councillors-adur/

Thanks for your support!

Useful documents:

BHFOE & others letter of objection supported by Bricycles, Cycling UK representatives, Shoreham-By-Cycle, Sustrans Worthing Co-ordinator, The British Horse Society, West Sussex Cycle Forum, Worthing Cycle Forum

BHFOE New Monks Farm NMU Design Critique

BHFOE call for National Park application to be deferred

South Downs Local Access Forum (SDLAF) objection

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We’ve heavily criticised the plans for cyclists and pedestrians in the New Monks Farm planning application in Adur for 600 homes and a new Ikea store next to the A27.  The plans will force pedestrians and cyclists into conflict as the shared paths are too narrow, indirect and potentially dangerous and will put off many from cycling.  The cycle route out of the housing estate has 6 stages of road crossing heading east to the Downs Link and Shoreham.  Coming back again there are 8 crossing stages.  Crossing points are too narrow and central islands too small and will be difficult to get on and off.  Anyone taking a child on a trailer or tag-along will find it difficult if not dangerous to use these paths.  The Country Park has ridiculously narrow paths and bridges plus a loop that will send pedestrians and cyclists through a car park.

The other big impact is the direct and popular crossing of the A27 at Shoreham Pad is being replaced by a convoluted set of crossings at a new roundabout approx 600 m to the west or a sub-standard (too narrow) path along the River Adur and under the A27 before connecting up with Coombes Road.

What’s worse is that West Sussex County Council as the highways authority has only picked up one or two minor issues and ignored the fact that the facilities overall are completely dysfunctional, if not dangerous.  Is it any wonder that there is so little cycling in West Sussex when you have an authority that cares so little about cycling and public health?

Read our press release here

Our formal response to follow, but issues highlighted to date can be read here

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Brighton & Hove Friends of the Earth (BHFOE) is challenging Network Rail to start putting the needs of Brighton & Hove above its own convenience.  During the May bank holiday weekend, the start of the Brighton Festival and one of the busiest and most important times for the local economy, engineering works will mean there will be no direct trains to London or Gatwick Airport.

BHFOE are calling for Network Rail to be made more accountable locally.  It believes that Network Rail needs to better understand the needs of local communities and to plan its activities accordingly.  BHFOE is pleased that the City Council and local MPs backed its calls to get services reinstated and the engineering works rescheduled.  It also feels that GTR and its subsidiaries Southern and Thameslink should be backing the city, looking to put on more services on this busy weekend, not fewer, and challenging Network Rail to do better.

BHFOE news release Bank holiday trains

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Thank you for everyone for coming to our Campaigns Social last week!!! Was a lovely evening and great to see so many people keen to make a lasting change in our wonderful city. For everyone that didn’t come, it’s only up from here!

Get involved on the next one. We’re meeting again on the 25th at Kiki’s Cafe, 63a Holland Road, Hove, BN3 1BA.

From hearing everything on the night and looking through all the ideas we discussed last week and it’s clear we’re going to achieve some great things.

Some ideas from the night were as follows:

• Lobbying the council to install attractive recycling bins along the seafront
• Working with local businesses and the council in a variety of ways to stop single use plastics – for example straws and plastic cups at music events,
• Campaigns around engine idling to help protect our lungs
• Working towards a clean-air zone in Brighton and Hove
• Many many more

Now is the time for next steps. We’ll be getting together on the 25th of April, to discuss everyone’s ideas and take them to the next stage. It would be great if we were all singing from the same sheet so if you could think about ideas within the following it would be great:

For Air Pollution or Plastics what would the following look like?

• Actions to raise awareness of the issues
• Goals winnable in the short-term
• Long Term Goals

More information to follow. Looking forward to working together!

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Are you sick of breathing in toxic fumes from road traffic? Fed up of the plastic waste which blights our beaches and streets?

Come along to our campaigns social to join us in improving the city’s environment.

Whether it’s the needless plastic waste that our economy produces, the detritus left on our beaches after every sunny day or sporting event or the polluted air we’re stuck breathing every day – enough is enough!

Brighton and Hove Friends of the Earth are meeting to combine forces in our response to the issues of air and plastic pollution – working together to create lasting solutions for our city. There’ll be opportunities to hear more about the challenges and solutions around plastics and air pollution and help shape the direction of our local campaigns.

When: Wednesday 28th March 2018, 7:30 – 9:30pm

Where: Kiki’s Café, 63a Holland Road, Hove, BN3 1BA

We will be offering refreshments and the first drink is on us!

To help us plan the event, please let us know whether you’ll be joining us – register here now!

The more local voices we hear the better. So, feel free to share the event info with others in your area – the more the merrier.

Come along and help improve your local environment.

Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/brighton-and-hove-friends-campaigns-social-tickets-43401293437

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