Office cycle racks face the chop as workers opt for e-bikes

The London Property Alliance (LPA), representing numerous developers in central London, has welcomed proposals to reduce the mandatory amount of bike rack space required for new offices. The LPA claims that existing regulations mandating significant cycle parking have led to vast amounts of unused space, with over three quarters (76 percent) of cycle parking in 21 London office buildings going unused during peak times.

The LPA's research suggests that the current bike parking requirements, which stipulate one long-stay bike space for every 75 square meters of office space, are overly generous. To be more precise, the industry body argues that offices only need to provide one bike space for every 433 square meters. Most of the existing bike spaces are located in basements, which are the most expensive and carbon-intensive parts of these buildings to develop.

Simon Swietochowski, vice chair of the City Property Association, stated that bike racks are "wasted space." The popularity of e-bike providers like Lime and Forest has surged, with Lime reporting nearly a 50 percent increase in trips into the Square Mile last year. Lime's CEO, Wayne Ting, has called for more bike parking spaces in central London, acknowledging that the current offerings are turning streets into an "obstacle course."

The existing London Plan assumes that 19 percent of employees cycle to work, but a new draft plan sets this figure at 10 percent, a more accurate reflection of current cycling habits. LPA CEO Charles Begley welcomed the shift towards staff-based requirements, stating that it could reduce costs and wasted space without compromising cyclist facilities, while still supporting the modern workspace needed for jobs and growth.