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Belfast City Council has outlined a plan to deliver a host of new covered cycle stands, cycle repair kits and secured cycle parking provision throughout the city.

The service is part of the council’s "Active Travel Enablers" projects supported by Green and Blue Infrastructure Fund coming from Stormont’s Department for Infrastructure.

At the council’s recent City Growth and Regeneration Committee elected representatives approved ten new covered cycle stands, costing £100k, and also approved the acceptance of a Letter of Offer for £207,500 of capital funding from Stormont, for further covered cycle parking, as well as secure cycle parking and cycle repair stands.

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A council report states: “Sustrans was appointed by the council to identify appropriate locations for cycle parking across the city, identifying key attractors and locations aligned with the DfI Belfast Cycle Network.

“Based on their developed criteria and type of cycle stands, locations were identified and approved for installation as a first phase within this programme. Following a competitive procurement competition, the council appointed Externiture to produce ten covered cycle stands. These units are currently under production and will be installed later this summer in the locations agreed by this committee in September 2021.”

The new covered cycle stands will be at the Gasworks, St George’s Market, Grosvenor Community Centre, Shankill Leisure Centre, Belmont Park, Inverary Community Centre, Belfast Zoo, the Waterworks, Belvoir Activity Centre, and the Mary Peters Track.

With the new Stormont funding the council has proposed a host of new covered cycle stands, and a programme of fitting some of the cycle units with five repair kits.

Proposed locations for the next round of units are Avoniel Leisure Centre, Ligoneil/Wolfhill Centre, Botanic Gardens, Brook Leisure Centre, New Park Colin, Cherryvale Park, Lisnasharragh Leisure Centre, Crumlin Road Gaol, Ormeau Park, Templemore, Andersonstown Leisure Centre, Writer’s Square, Belfast Castle, Connswater Community Greenway, the Linen Quarter, Shaftesbury Centre, the Four Corners, Musgrave Park, and the Kennedy Centre.

The report says 13 to 16 of these 20 proposals will be realised in the next round of funding.

The Department for Infrastructure is also offering the council funding of up to £20k funding for secure cycle infrastructure provision. Council officers recommended two out of four bids for the secure cycle stand pilot - at Castlecourt and Victoria Square. Bids by Savile’s at Murray’s Exchange and the Linen Quarter were not recommended.

The Castlecourt plans a unit in the car park providing 24 secure cycle stands beside the security office, with lighting and CCTV coverage. It would be accessible from Berry Street and Gresham Street during normal car parking hours, with overnight parking available.

The Victoria Square plan is proposed in conjunction with Spokesafe as a pilot project. It would be located within the Multi-storey car park, providing a cycle hub with 30 to 35 bike parking spaces (including e-cargo) on existing parking spaces. There would be an online customer booking process including PAYG, with weekly and monthly booking options.

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