A new cycle hub and car park could soon be built in Newchurch to enhance access to the National Cycle Route 23, as well as supporting a local café.
Planning permission is being sought by the owners of Pedallers Cafe, Mr and Mrs Hughes, to build a cycle ‘hub’ building off Mersley Lane, at the former Langbridge playing field.
The hub will offer cycle hire, repair and storage, as well as wash and toilet facilities for riders. The 1st floor will be dedicated office space.
18 free car parking spaces will also be created under the plans alongside 64 cycle parking spaces – all with electric charging points. Further parking would be enabled in the field itself, described as ‘overspill parking’.
According to planning documents, the proposals are based on an aspiration to create a sustainable rural business, attracting cycle-based visitor stays and encouraging park and cycle leisure/commuter journeys. It is also planned that locals will be able to store bicycles safely and those without their own bike will be able to hire one and easily access the cycle network.
The creation of the hub and sought-after parking will create new jobs and investment which includes supporting the existing cycle-based business, Pedallers Cafe. It’s also hoped that the car parking facilities will help to alleviate problems of on-street parking in Newchurch.
Although not taken into account at this stage, it’s said to be a future aspiration of the Hughes’ to use the rest of the playing field to provide holiday pitches.
Good luck Emma & Dave. It is a wonderful plan..
NOT a wonderful plan, unless you have vested interests in profits.
Whilst it seems delightful, the future of cycle paths is due to change beyond recognition.
As electric cycles become mainstream and more affordable, these once lovely tracks where dog walkers, horses, and elderly and familes would go for a stroll, will, within a decade turn into mini highways, with electric cycles wizzing along, and happily taken up by the ignorant, selfish low end fraternity of illegally speeding them up (easy to do) not caring about any ineffective ‘laws’ of speed or respect for others.
These paths once a joy will be ruined FOREVER.
A ‘Sprat to catch a Mackerel’, beware of these tiny pop-up, friendly businesses, jumping in on the ‘green’ issue of cycling.
That is how they move to gain planning permission in areas which would otherwise be difficult.
They purchase cheaply, land in areas of beauty, which, ordinarily would not give planning permission, then build up a friendly ‘green’ business, next will follow a home ‘necessary for the owners’ to be near to their growing business interests.
Same is likely to happen off Victoria Avenue, whereby another cycle path ‘cafe’ is set up in the corner of a large field. Guess what will be applied for there next?
S
Yes, we can’t possibly have someone building a new business on the island.How dare they earn a honest day living, don’t they know it’s better to live of benefits.
Charging points, what a good idea. As a septuagenarian cyclist who uses a leccy bike I would like to ride the full red squirrel route but I would not be able to get back because of my range. Now looking forwards to a few more bike caffs to join in.
As I recall there used to be a cycle hub at Cheverton Farm near Bowcombe. Is it still there?
LoL at the anti electric mob posting negative comments on any green story because it threatens their fossil fuel cars and their manhood.
From what I see every day the biggest threat to cyclists manhood is the tight lycra squashing their small privates.
Oh come on, put a sock in it.
Fred, it has nothing to do with people worried over driving fosil fuel vehicles.
The point is, NOW anyone riding a fossil fuel motor bike, moped etc on these cycle routes would be rightly despised of by walkers, dog owners, horse riders, and other cyclists.
IF such were allowed, it would not be long before all the chavs swarmed into the country to cause havoc.
Now it requires effort to cycle, or plenty of money to buy an electric cycle.
Once second hand ebikes are available to the chavvy masses, the towns misery will be bought to Alverstone and other now quite areas. Crime, fires and anti social behaviour will follow.