Brighton and Hove council have set a precedence for other UK towns and cities by being the first to close off a major road to allow local people to get their daily exercise in safety (whilst adhering to social distancing rules).

The closing off Maderia Drive will be daily, from 8am-8pm, starting from Monday 20th April.

In a statement on the council site, councillor Anne Pissaridou, chair of the city’s environment, transport and sustainability committee, said: “Madeira Drive is a long, wide road right by the seafront and will create an extra safe open space for local people in the area to use for their daily walk or bike ride. It will provide a traffic-free place for the many residents in that area who do not have access to a garden.

“Practising social distancing is making us all aware of the importance of public spaces and making us rethink how we use them, but I would also ask that cyclists and pedestrians respect each other’s space and safety in this shared area. We’re all in this together.

“We are pleased to be able to offer this change so quickly and are considering other locations to see if we can extend this to other roads in the city.”

With reduced traffic in major cities, it was reported last week that Manchester, Brighton and Hackney councils were considering such a move; it's great to see Brighton leading the way in what will be an easing of crowding in other places like parks.

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