Spalding, Holbeach and Market Deeping now have new bike racks installed thanks to Government coronavirus grant

New bike racks have been installed in three south Lincolnshire towns as a result of a Government grant to help the county recover from the impact of COVID-19.

Lincolnshire County Council has used some of the £100,000 to instal car shaped bike racks in Spalding, Holbeach and Market Deeping.

The racks are shaped in the form of cars in order to promote cycling as a more efficient form transport. One car parking space is large enough to accommodate 10 bikes.

Holbeach Parish Council and some residents have asked for their bike rack to moved to a different location as it does not fit with Church Street.

Coun Richard Davies, who is the executive member for highways at Lincolnshire County Council, said:"The Department for Transport granted us over £100,000 from the first round of the emergency active travel fund to support the installation of temporary projects to help aid the county's recovery from COVID-19.

"As part of that funding, we're installing more bike parking in towns across the county, to make it easier for people to cycle into their town centre.

"When we were awarded the funding, the DfT gave us very short timescales to install the changes, and there just wasn't time to get feedback from every community about each location. But the changes are all on a trial basis – if they work they'll stay and if they don't we can rethink. I'm grateful that residents and Holbeach Parish Council have let us know that they don't think this type of bike parking is suitable for the location, so we'll move it. It can instead be trialled in a different part of the county.

"We have another type of bike parking we've purchased as part of this fund, which is a bit more inconspicuous, and we're working with the local county councillor and the parish council to find a suitable location in Holbeach for this."