Brompton Bike Cycling Initiative
In London’s recently released Transport Strategy, The Mayor announced that by 2041, 80% of journeys in the city should be made by either walking, cycling or public transport. Other ambitions look towards 70% of Londoners living within 400 meters of the London-wide cycle network. This emphasis on and support for active, low-carbon methods of travel is part of a broader acknowledgement that cycling and walking will be integral to safeguarding London’s future sustainability.
Through this drive for healthier streets and healthier people, we formed our Cycle42 initiative at our Colliers Wood site in 2020.
Our hope was that by getting people into cycling and onto bikes, the health of residents and the environment around them would improve. Inspired by Brompton’s Wheels4Heroes campaign, which provided free cycle hire for NHS workers during the pandemic, the scheme offered residents a bike for hire at no cost on a 90-day trial basis. The bikes are kindly donated in partnership with our friends at Brompton Bikes, a London-based manufacturer of the UK’s most iconic and memorable folding bicycles.
Residents can apply to use the bikes for commuting, leisure or both. To establish who will benefit most from the scheme, we take the advice of local cycle charities, ward members and other community figures to understand which groups of residents to engage with. To make the process as simple as possible, we only ask applicants to let us know why they should have a bike and what difference it would make to their daily lives. It’s as simple as that.
After the 90-day free hire period, residents are encouraged to buy a subsidised, up-cycled bike from our charity partners, The Bike Project, if they wish to continue cycling.
The first incarnation of the initiative was hugely successful, with over 85% of residents stating that they felt improvements in their mental and physical health and would continue cycling. We have since introduced the initiative across all three of our live sites.
As Hadley prioritises the delivery of sustainable, progressive and inclusive housing-led developments, our focus goes beyond providing new homes. Our cycling initiative is part of a commitment to breaking down the barriers to cycling and encouraging sustainable transport.
If you're a woman living in Newham and would like to apply for our March 2023 Brompton Bike Cycling Initiative, you can apply here.
