Brighton & Hove is 8^th in the league of bike-theft hotspots in the country.  The average insurance claim for a bike theft in the city is £361.  In this age of environmental awareness, and with more people owning a bike, not only do we need more facilities (and we need lots more space to park bikes around the city – where I live there is just space for 8 bicycles for 120 households) we also need more safe and secure storage facilities - especially at Hove & Portslade stations.  

Most bike thefts are not as opportunistic as you might expect.  In 2006, 89% of all bikes stolen had been left locked-up in a public place. 10% were left unlocked in public places and 1% were stolen from within the victim's property.   

In 2005, West Brighton & Hove was selected from 30 authorities to receive an annual grant of £500,000 over the next three years to encourage cycling in the city. The city council will match this funding from Cycling England each year - totaling a £3 million investment in cycling over the next three years.  Unfortunately, not enough (if any) of this money has been spent on bike security.

Brighton and Hove City Council have set a target of reducing reported cycle theft by 25% before 2011 compared to the 2000 - 2003 average.  I fully support the new Conservative administration's efforts to achieve this.

I would particularly like to see more cycle parking facilities, more done to promote bike registration schemes, CCTV monitoring cycle racks at all times, and good lighting in cycle parking areas.  If we all are to live leaner, greener lives, bike security must be part of the equation.

 
Mike Weatherley