A beachside bike rack is being moved to stop thieves driving alongside and loading up with stolen cycles.
Sea Lanes in Madeira Drive wants to move the existing bike racks onto the pebbles where they would be overlooked by by reception.
And they’ve asked for permission to put a small retail unit next to the pavement where the racks now stand.
The application to Brighton and Hove City Council, written by Evolution architects, says: “A large number of users, particularly swimmers, travel to Sea
Lanes by bike. A user survey indicated that 38% of swimmers travel by bike. The existing bike shelter is well used; however there have been a number of issues with bike thefts from the shelter.
“Its location immediately adjacent to the road enables thieves to quickly cut through locks and load bikes into waiting vehicles.”
It adds: “The new building to replace the bike shelter will be a swim retail unit, offering swim related products/equipment to pool users and sea swimmers.
“This position on site will be important to the success of the retail offer as it is by the pool entrance and beach crossing.
“Swim retail has previously been provided but the location away from the pool proved problematic. A swim retail offer is fundamental to Sea Lanes’ vision for a National open Water Swimming Centre.”
Brazen bike theft is common along Madeira Drive. In September 2023, a thief broke a bike lock and rode an expensive ebike away even though he was openly being filmed by a member of the public.
A subsequent appeal failed to track him down.
However in 2024, serial bike thief Rolandas Gaidys was jailed for a year after being caught on CCTV cutting locks of bikes, including one he stole from Sea Lanes.
At his sentencing, the owner of the electric bike taken from Sea Lanes, Lesley Shaw, praised Sea Lanes staff but said the theft had left her feeling physically sick.
Glad I have a rubbish bike. Sad for those who spend their hard earned money on a nice one.
A big shame that CCTV is now pointless as it doesn’t lead to arrest or act as a deterrent. Perhaps we should switch it all off and cut some costs ?
How on earth are people to be encouraged to be ‘greener’ if unsupported by the council to ensure bike safety is rectified?
Bike thieves are notoriously men / boys who WALK up and have the lock off in seconds who then cycle away.
This reason to move the bike racks is total rubbish and ONLY about using the site for a shop.
So don’t bother tackling the actual issue of the bike thieves themselves then? I obviously hope less bikes get stolen but these low life scum will go elsewhere to rob so you just moved the problem, a bit like just moving the bike shelter. No problem solved. Just moved.
I’m pretty sure “give us a shop or your bikes will get stolen” is like some kind of blackmail but here we are
That’s Brighton. Actually, it’s most towns now. People have changed.
If your bike’s re-sale value is over £100, it will get stolen no matter where you leave it locked up in Brighton.
Only a complete and utter cretin will leave an expensive bike locked to a bike rack.. but that’s what the ‘bike snobs’ do… ‘look at me on my expensive bike and look at you on your lump of crap’… then next week they are whining that it’s stolen while you’re still mobile on your unstolen ‘lump of crap’
Only a complete and utter cretin would blame the victim of a crime instead of the thief. I don’t know about bike snobs, but you come across as an inverted snob, sneering at people who own more expensive stuff than you.
Don’t get upset because you ride around on an expensive bike with your nose pointed up in the air and regularly get overtaken by an old lady on a mountain bike with a dog in her front basket
Police are spineless. That’s the real issue.
This will continue to happen while people stand around like wet lettuces watching people angle grinding through the locks.
Bike theft occurs right across the city. This site is no different and moving the bike stand will do nothing to encourage cyclists to the general area.
I’m suspicious that this is an attempt to change the original planning permissions after a while and gain another retail space.
I’d want to see the numbers of reported thefts to validate the claim it is worse than elsewhere before considering retail creep.
Am sure Labour will sort us tories fault because of black hole
Excellent more building on the beach . I think a light industrial estate stretching along the shingle from black rock to the pier would greatly enhance the front.
More building less shingle!