A NEW bike hangar - with bicycle parking spaces that can be rented for six months - will be trialled in York.

The locker will be installed between 29 and 31 Heslington Road - where cyclists will be able to hire a bike parking space for £43.20 for six months.

The bicycle hangar will have space for six bikes and takes up less room than one car parking space, according to Fishergate councillor Andy D’Agorne, who has organised ward funding to be used for the trial.

Cllr D’Agorne said: “In terraced houses there are not many places to put a bike - you can leave it outside but risk it getting damaged or stolen or if you’re lucky enough to have a hallway you can put it there, but it can be in the way.

“Bike hangars have been successful in other parts of the country and as a councillor it’s something I put forward for ward funding.

“There are more than 1,000 across London, where lots of boroughs have been putting funding towards them.”

He added that bike parking, such as cycle racks in the city centre, is often full.

And that the new lockers offer secure spaces where residents could also leave their bike helmets.

He said: “We are doing this as a trial because it’s something new for York.

“It has to be safe and not create a hazard.

“They are bolted in place and work like those old-fashioned bread bins with a lid that slides up.

“It keeps bikes under cover, it’s convenient, it will be close to where people live and it saves space in the house.

“This is very much a trial and it will be installed on a trial basis. But it’s far easier to promote the concept once it’s there on the street.

“And there are a high proportion of student houses in Heslington with little space for bikes.

“Once we have had a chance to see how it works, I would hope that we can put something into next year’s budget to provide more across the city.”

The new bike hangar is due to be in place by the end of the month.

There is a cost to the council to install it, but the locker is then managed through the Cyclehoop company website.