What about the Council? Surely the event brings financial benefit into the City and surrounding area?
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ah, well, the Council was Green until last year, so you could look at the investment in traffic management and cycle lanes on that strip of road, and wonder if the Green Council was bothered that they were killing off an historic event - or that they saw it as a benefit of their other changes.
That whole area needs investment - and it's beginning to happen. There's the very smart Sea Lanes swimming pool development on the beach, and work is finally starting to restore Madeira Terrace - the fabulous cast iron terraces between the beach and apartments high above.
There's, of course, been a lot of faffing, during which time the cost of things has gone up. Most notably over eliminating the roundabout at the West end of Madeira Drive, as part of a pro-cycling scheme to link the Palace Pier to the City Centre.
Sadly it never seems to have occurred to the city planners that the one bit of tarmac they really did need to improve was the strip used by the Speed Trials, and many other motoring events across the year, not least the London-Brighton Veteran Car run.
They all bring in visitors, who spend money in shops, restaurants and hotels.
Meanwhile, we are plagued by empty cycle lanes taking up road space... empty cycle racks & the latest wheeze, and Residents' Cycle Hangars located in parking spaces a few steps away from (you guessed it) empty cycle racks.
meh,
Will
