After 7 ridiculously long years of negotiations over this ill thought out, dangerous and discriminatory rat-run, this fiasco of a development in Alexandra Park comes to a head on Thursday 15th December.

That evening at a full council meeting at 6pm Hastings councillors will vote as to whether construction starts on the "shared" cycle path this winter, or not.

It is VITAL that as many of you as possible come to Muriel Matters House (the Council Information building, right of Iceland's store) to view those council proceedings and to endorse your opposition to this crazy plan of grade II listed park destruction.

As the works on Buckshole reservoir end and the construction vehicles move out this will mean more contractors move in. Many paths in the park need to be dug up to be widened to 3m (still a full 1m narrower than the government's recommended minimum for a 2 way unmarked shared lane). This park is narrow. Widening so much of the footway will not only ruin this listed park but it can hardly be claimed to be "green" as trees, lawns, shrubs and wildlife have to make way for it. In fact it only seems to generate carbon emissions, this does NOTHING to ease pollution whatsoever.

This summer has seen assaults reported to the police where elderly pedestrians have literally been pushed off the paths into bushes by cyclists riding (illegally) in the park. This is without the large number of verbal altercations there have been between law breaking cyclists and pedestrians. 

Should this plan proceed these events will only increase. HBC promised 7 years ago that the no cycling bylaw would be enforced. It readily admits that despite a promise of wardens stopping illegal riding not a single dismount request has been recorded whilst at the same time dog owners have been ordered to put dogs back on leads. There has been one law for the cyclist, one for everybody else.

We are expected to therefore believe that HBC will stick to its promise to enforce this new plan with wardens who will educate cyclists and enforce the set out routes. Given that the council has no funds available to accomplish this in the current financial crisis this will probably mean redeployment of existing traffic wardens to tell people to get off their bikes where cycling isn't permitted, reduce speed etc. 

Given that the council is desperate for revenue from parking fines can you really see this happening? No, me neither. In addition the council has said these "wardens" will only be highly visible for 6 months. So what is the point?

And how exactly are a couple of wardens going to be highly visible in a long, narrow park of 109 acres much of which is tree covered and secluded?

Let's just recap before this final council vote. The country is currently in financial turmoil, in debt up to it's eyeballs. The general public is having to deal with minimal pay rises, inflation over 10% and struggling to afford food and heating. Food banks are running low on stock where they are in such demand.

Yet when we are being told to budget sensibly we have Hastings Borough Council and East Sussex County Council willing to watch £560,000 being frittered away on a poorly designed, dangerous, so called shared cycle path which discriminates against the elderly, disabled and vulnerable. It will be virtually impossible for the visually impaired and families to enjoy a leisurely stroll in this park anymore. Even the toilets are affected.

In short there is no common sense whatsoever within this scheme and a drastic lack of discussion with the disabled and elderly. There has been no thought of groups like MENCAP who have regular large group strolls through the park. It has been clear whilst obtaining signatures on this petition that the council's "public consultation" was not even noticed by most. Even now, at the 11th hour, this development is not mentioned on a single park noticeboard. It is like a dirty little secret nobody wants to mention. Those who have heard about the plan believe it is an independent cycle lane where bikes and pedestrians cannot meet. Nothing can be further from the truth. Not even a dividing white line. Just a 3m wide path to cater for all park users, of all physical abilities, in both directions. Running through an, often secluded, park with some of the steepest gradients and twisty turns found in any park in the country.

Even seasoned cyclists tried this planned route this year and have voiced concerns. But every question asked , every concern raised has been ignored.

So in this final week before decision day can you please....

1. Sign this petition if you haven't and please share it even if you've done so before?
2. Email your own Hastings Borough Council councillor requesting why you believe they should vote NO to the cycle path plan on 15th December. Advise them NOT to take the coward's way out and abstain. It needs a decisive no vote. We did not elect councillors to sit on the fence but to represent US.
3. PLEASE come along to the meeting at Muriel Matters House on Thursday 15th December.
*Note you do need to be there at least 15 minutes before the 6pm start.
We need as many attendees as possible. This plan affects the most vulnerable the most so it would be good to have attendees of all physical abilities. We want this to be one of the biggest peaceful displays of public feelings ever seen in HBC chambers. 
This is your opportunity to see if YOUR councillor actually has the guts to vote for what is right for public safety and in line with public opinion or whether they just tow their political party's line or whether they take the easy abstaining cop-out of an abstention.

I look forward to seeing as many of you on the 15th as possible. Let's see if HBC really can fritter away over half a million pounds when people can't even afford to heat their homes this winter. Granted this is government money held by ESCC but it's still taxpayers money which should be spent more wisely when we are expected to tighten our belts and freeze.