Request a Bike Hangar on your Street

[first mate]

I agree, if you have a back garden and room for a shed I am not clear why you'd need a bike hangar at the front of your house or on the street. The latter options are more convenient, it is true.

BrandNewGuy Wrote:

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> At the risk of reigniting SE22's street-based

> class war, I would hope that the council look at

> the make-up of each road to decide where best to

> place the hangars. Roads with predominantly

> single-occupancy need hangars less than those with

> flats, where inside space is at a premium. The

> road I used to live in was nearly all

> single-occupancy with front gardens and yet it

> received one of the first hangars. Daft and

> inequitable.

[northernmonkey]

Technically the position is that if you're installing a bike shed in front of your property, you need planning. In reality this is rarely enforced. I'd imagine in the event of a neighbour complaint, that you could apply for prior permission and that i'd expect given the council's wider views on bike hangers and the climate emergency that this should be granted (unless it was some custom unit that was oddly high or something). We have a shed in our front garden, the neighbours think it looks good (and means the bins are further away from their windows) so everyone is happy! Getting on with your neighbours seems to be the more important step!

If you're within the Dulwich Estate though I'd imagine you have to get permission, again this seems to be granted if the number of hangers are anything to go by.

Rockets Wrote:

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> Cllr McAsh, whilst we wait to see whether we get a

> hangar what is the council's policy towards cycle

> storage units in front gardens? I saw a report on

> the BBC that Islington were telling householders

> to remove Asgard (and other similar bike storage

> structures) from front gardens as such "out

> buildings" were not permitted beyond back

> gardens.

>

> As someone who does not have a side return I have

> ordered an Asgard cycle storage unit for our small

> front garden. Does Southwark permit such units?

> The unit complies to all permitted development

> thresholds (but apparently so do the ones that

> councils like Islington seem to have a problem

> with when people out them into front gardens).

[Nigello]

I agree that pettyfogging rules about bike sheds in front gardens are a pain, but I have seen some that are much taller than the average bicycle that, in small front yards, must affect the amount of light that gets into windows of the owner and the neighbour. Why do they need to be so tall? It's not a big deal but I don't like the idea that anything can be installed at any height; it just looks unpleasant when it could look more pleasing to the eye.

[northernmonkey]

I think thats why no one wants to give a blanket 'go ahead and build a bike shed' mandate though Nigello. The Asguard / Trimetals /Brighton ones are all a similar size -and frankly ours is way nicer to look at than the wheelie bins (though obviously we still have those - just not next to our neighbours now!)

[jamesmcash]

Hangars are allocated on the basis of a few factors e.g. demand, proximity of nearest hangar, space available. I don't think the issue is that these criteria are wrong, but that the council struggle to keep up with demand. More money has been put into it so hopefully there will be a significant acceleration over this financial year.

Best wishes

James

[Broyal]

Can you clarify Councillor why on Dunstans Road we now have 3 hangars? All in very close proximity to each other and at the top end of Dunstans where it adjoins Upland Road. Parking outside my home is already a nightmare because the road is unrestricted parking. And now a further 3 spaces are taken up with hangars. Two of these barely used!!!

[northernmonkey]

According to bike hanger all three of those hangers are full and you can go on the waiting list.

The thread was started by James McAsh - in terms of specifics for Dunstans Road you'd be better off asking your own councillors who I think are the Dulwich Hill ones?

[Broyal]

My reason for adding to this thread is because of the discussion about the way in which the hangars are allocated. Clearly it?s not based on demand if some streets are crying out for them where others have too many. Dunstans is probably accommodating Upland Road because residents there refused to allow it!

[northernmonkey]

But the hangers are full with a waiting list - even the ones you think look empty. Looking at SE22 the only street i could find that was't full was the one on Upland Road. The thing I'd take from all hangers being full and having a waiting list is that more cycle storage is needed.

[Lebanums]

The street I live in has a Whatsapp chat group with both streets perpendicular to ours, who both want cycle hangars, but none are prepared to have them in front of their own home because they also own a car, and think they look ugly, but are completely prepared for others to have the burden.

We recently had a letter proposing 2 cycle hangars on our street. It is a small street with around 25 houses. Most, if not all, of us who own a bike already have a shed in our front garden, and parking is already tight due to overflow from other streets. So obviously, we have all written with our objections.

[Metallic]

Trust northernmonekey (councillors' helpmate) to put everyone right. Can't you ever accept what people find in their own road, or do you patrol everywhere?

[northernmonkey]

No - i can't because its factually incorrect. The hangers might not have visible bikes in them - but they are full with a waiting list - see link:

https://community.cyclehoop.rentals/resultsmap?postalCode=se22

Metalic - do you have anything helpful at all to add or are you just here to snark?

[bels123]

Someone from Cyclehoop was upgrading the locks recently - apparently they recommend using 2 locks to secure bikes within the hangar, as you would if the bike was on the street.

[Rockets]

We finally got offered a single space in a bike hangar two streets away from our house....which wasn't much use as we applied for spaces for each of our bikes.

Now had to spend ?234 to get the council to review planning permission to put an Asgard in our front garden. Expensive business trying to embrace active travel if you don't own a house with a side return......

[first mate]

I cannot understand the demand for cycle hangars by those who have a front or back garden.

Lebanums Wrote:

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> The street I live in has a Whatsapp chat group

> with both streets perpendicular to ours, who both

> want cycle hangars, but none are prepared to have

> them in front of their own home because they also

> own a car, and think they look ugly, but are

> completely prepared for others to have the

> burden.

>

> We recently had a letter proposing 2 cycle hangars

> on our street. It is a small street with around 25

> houses. Most, if not all, of us who own a bike

> already have a shed in our front garden, and

> parking is already tight due to overflow from

> other streets. So obviously, we have all written

> with our objections.

[alex_b]

first mate Wrote:

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> I cannot understand the demand for cycle hangars

> by those who have a front or back garden.

Because front gardens often don?t have space for weatherproof bike storage and carrying bikes through the house isn?t great either. Plus bike storage in front of the house requires planning permission.

[Nigello]

Plus bike storage in front of the house requires planning permission. ....

Is this still the case? If so, plenty of householders have either gone through this channel or haven't because I see a fair few overly-tall-for-a-bike shelters in front gardens/yards. I can understand why bike owners need to feel their property is safe and secure but also know that those shelters are not thief-proof.

[Rockets]

Yes it does require planning. I just parted with ?234 for the pleasure. Apparently the council views the applications favourably but do require you to pay for the pleasure - a bit surprised they don't waive the fee for bike storage given their commitment to active travel and their inability to satiate the demand for cycle hoops.

[first mate]

Of course, given the choice of carrying my bike through the house or having a cycle hangar outside to put it in, the latter is definitely much better for me. I can store my bike within my home/ garden, but heck if I can get a cycle hangar place for me and the kids, why not. It saves me mess and clutter. I guess if every member of the family has a bike that roughly means there'll need to be a cycle hangar every three houses on each side of the street?

[peckhamside]

Parking is bad enough now-

Scrap the car and get a bike then!! Bike shed is approx 1 car space and holds 6? bikes (I think)

[first mate]

I already have one and use it a lot. I keep mine on my premises, no need to impose a hangar onto the street, although it would be more convenient, I grant you. I also need to use a car; it is essential for certain journeys. My point is if most households, many with children, wish to keep bikes for all the family in a cycle hangar on the street we'll be needing an awful lot of hangars.

In reality, I don't think cycling as the main form of transport will ever take off, not in the way some hope. We have very steep hills either end of Dulwich and winter weather will see off all but the most dedicated.

[Otto2]

For those hills - electric bikes are amazing. There are also routes around them going north that are flat. And winter is pretty mild here.

[geh]

1 child family, 3 bikes 1/2 a hangar,electric bikes, ?1.5K, can't see it myself. Great ideal, oh as a previous poster alluded:

Gipsy Hill

Herne Hill

Dog Kennel Hill

Champion Hill

Tulse Hill

One Tree Hill

Forest Hill

??

we need solutions that work across our society

[first mate]

But they are expensive. Who'd want to keep an expensive e-bike in a hangar where it can get broken in to and stolen? Lugging one of those in and out the house would be too much. Too heavy to lug around tubes or trains. Too expensive to leave tethered somewhere if you want to go shopping- I'd be worried it would be stolen.

Great if you have a large house with a side entrance to your garden and you have time to tootle around and don't need to leave it anywhere but for the majority who need to work, shop ferry kids around etc.. No, I am far from convinced.

I don't think winter is that severe in terms of cold but rain is the deal breaker, it also makes cycling less safe, as do shorter, darker days because roads are in such poor shape, with potholes.

There are some flatter routes but many, many hills everywhere.

Otto2 Wrote:

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> For those hills - electric bikes are amazing.

> There are also routes around them going north that

> are flat. And winter is pretty mild here.

[Sally Eva]

Quite a lot of people live in flats where they are forbidden to take bikes inside under the lease.

Someone who books a space in a cycle hangar pays for a year. If they then move away the space appears, and in fact is, vacant but Cyclehoop cannot let it to someone else because it is already contracted to the original person.

Maybe returning un-used portions of the initial year's payment would free up the space for re-letting. It might be an administrative problem for Cyclehoop who wouldn't gain financially from it. The sums of money involved would be quite small so people moving away might not bother to reclaim it.