Cycle Parking

At our Campaign meeting in April 2000, Roger Hopkinson of the North Walsham
Amenity Society and the North Norfolk Cycle Forum gave a talk and slide
presentation about the importance of cycle parking in encouraging people to
use their bikes for short journeys.

Roger had carried out a survey of cycle parking facilities in his home town
of North Walsham and found these to be basically of three types.  The type
he called A were the Sheffield stands; there were 4 of these, all at the
railway station.  Type B were the front-wheel grip type; there were 10 of
these, at the supermarket.  Type C were the slot-in-a-paving-stone type,
usually filled out with earth and weeds.  There were 32 of these, situated
in various locations throughout the town.

Observations at superstores, in North Walsham and elsewhere, showed that
cycle parking facilities were usually tucked away in dark corners or round
the side, well away from the main entrance.  The ideal positions were taken
up with rows of trolleys, often under cover, a benefit denied to the cycle
parking facility.  In spite of planning regularions requiring provision of
minimum numbers of cycle parking spaces for customers and staff, depending
on the floor area of the store and the number of staff employed, these were
usually ignored - with impunity, it seems.

At North Norfolk District Council offices, Cromer, a council which prides
itself on its 'green' credentials, cycle parking consists of a single rail
situated at the far end of the carpark, hardly a position likely to
encourage their employees to commute by bike.  A casual visitor would
probably lock their bike up in the porch.

Our 'fine city', Norwich, appears to be better endowed with cycle parking,
possibly due to its being on the National Cycle Network.  North Walsham, on
the other hand, appears not to be interested in encouraging bicycle use,
either by locals or tourists.  Indeed, it seems to be discouraging
cyclists - they get in the way of cars, you know - while shopkeepers
definitely don't want pedestrianisation; trade would surely suffer if
streams of pedestrians, rather than cars, were passing their doors.  North
Walsham is 30 years behind the times in its outlook, and missing out on
opportunity as a result.

The message came through that the concept of cycle parking provision needs
far more thoughtful consideration than it currently receives.  If people are
to be encouraged to use bikes for shopping and commuting, where they feel
happy about leaving those bikes unattended needs reappraising.  Cycle
parking is not just an 'add-on' when everything else has been allocated a
place.  It needs to be planned in from the start.

I hope Roger is offered the opportunity of giving his presentation to groups
of people and in places where its findings can have an effect.  Please
contact the Campaign if you can suggest or arrange some of these.
Meanwhile, perhaps an award similar to the annual CycleMark awards can be
devised for the best examples of good practice.  Currently Roger's
recommendation for one of these would go to Morrison's, the superstore on
Norwich's new Riverside development.  Where would you suggest?

Update on Roger's presentation (as at August 2002)

Not a lot has changed.  The railway station now has two lockers, for which
one supplies one's own padlock.  Other Bittern Line stations have been
similarly provided (maybe that's where the lockers which used to be at
Norwich station have disappeard to!).  The supermarket (Sainsbury's) is
being extended, along with the carpark which will provide an extra 315
parking places plus an extra 7 wheel-grabbers for bikes.  The cycle parking
was to have been outside the main entrance but, hey-ho, the main entrance
has now been moved to the side, without the cycle parking moving too.  A new
Lidl will open on 5th September.  Will there be any cycle parking there?
The NN Cycle Forum have protested about not being consulted.  As for
pedestrianisation of the market square / town centre, a big NO TO
PEDESTRIANISATION campaign by shopkeepers has put paid to that for the next
10 - 20 years.  The only compromise has been an 18 inch widening of the
footway in one place only, along with Pedestrian Priority which basically
means nothing at all.  MP Norman Lamb is investigating.

Roger is still willing to talk to any people / groups on the subject of
Cycle Parking.


Phyll Hardie