Ever struck upon a great idea only to discover soon after that said idea has already been set in motion. You have? Then you’ll know my plight.

The “hey! That’s our idea” feeling set in last week when reading news that a new cycle hub has been given the go-ahead at Brighton station.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s great news for commuters and fellow cyclists – those who saw my last blog (If cycling’s our only genuine Olympic legacy, it’s one to be proud of) will know that I’m all for a more cycle-centric city – but developing a kernel of an idea only to see it realised elsewhere can leave you feeling a bit frustrated.

Earlier this year, we were working on the promotion of a new leisure site, which formed part of a multi-million pound local authority-led sports facility redevelopment in mid-Scotland.
As an afterthought, it was suggested that a cycle hub be considered for installation, which, similar to what’s now in the pipeline at Brighton, would allow provision for cycle storage, shower facilities and decent lockers for users.

That facility is still to be realised but it’s good to know that it was not the result of a bad concept. Every idea has its day and it may yet proceed if the cycling movement takes hold in Scotland like it seems to be doing in England.
With the Commonwealth Games, to be held in Glasgow, only a year away, and Sir Chris Hoy already visible with a velodrome named after him, who knows what may happen.

But that’s the point about innovation: you have to prepare for your grand vision to fall on its face but in this case, Brighton Council and Southern spotted a gap in the market that was ripe for the picking. Regular travellers through the train terminal will be familiar with the hoards of bikes lining the car park entrance; it was calling out for such a structure.

The three-storey construction, due to open to the public in spring 2014, will provide shower and changing facilities, a bike shop, café, cycle repair outlet and bike hire, as well as storage for 500 bikes. The £850,000 not-for-profit scheme is part of a joint investment by the Department for Transport, Southern Rail, Network Rail and Brighton and Hove City Council, with £550,000 of the total cost coming from the DfT’s Cycle-Rail initiative, which is helping to lift projects like this off the ground.

In much the same way that the RHI is alerting consumers to the greater financial benefits of energy efficiency, likewise Cycle-Rail could prompt councils to invest in cycling and help usher in a wave of new hubs.

No longer will commuters be forced to cycle to the station only to board the train hot and sweaty. Shower and storage facilities are fast being recognised as a necessity in – mainly London – workplaces, that see the value in offering their employees a service that makes cycling to work more practical, thus reducing reliance on the car. The Brighton hub is the litmus test, and, if popular, could trigger a cycling revolution among other local authorities.

The potential for councils to position cycling provision at the heart of commuter travel is substantial but there’s also much scope for linking local businesses with such schemes.
Brighton station – like many others across the UK – is surrounded by offices and centres of business and enterprise, so rather than merely hope that individual employers invest in similar schemes off their own back, the opportunity for collaboration could help foster a cycle nucleus where workers from offices across the city can refresh and safely store their belongings, which could, I believe, go a long way towards radically reducing train congestion and car use while planting the seed of a genuine cycling legacy where biking is embraced from grass roots to elite level.

It’s unsurprising, but warming nonetheless, to also discover the ‘green’ dimension to the project, which will deliver a fully sustainable service and realise a host of energy saving measures including: a water catchment system for storing rain water for the toilets, a living green roof, energy efficient LED lighting and glass curtain walling.
I have little doubt that the initiative will be a success, I just hope that quality is not sacrificed and the user experience is considered throughout the design.