active travel budget cut

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“A backward move” – Government slashes active travel budget for England

The government has slashed the budget for active travel schemes in England outside London in what has been described as “a backward move” by the Walking & Cycling Alliance (WACA), which estimates that two thirds of previously promised funding will be lost, making it “impossible” to meet Net Zero and active travel targets.

The announcement of the cuts, which come ahead of Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt’s Spring Budget next week, was made yesterday in a written statement by Secretary of State for Transport, Mark Harper.

He said that since the current funding round was agreed, “headwinds” resulting from inflation relating to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and continued supply chain disruption following the coronavirus pandemic “have made it difficult to deliver on our capital programmes, and we recognise that some schemes are going to take longer than expected.”

Missing from that list of “headwinds” however was the shock to the economy brought on by former Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng’s ‘fiscal event’ last September which forced the Bank of England into a £65 billion emergency bond-buying programme and resulted in the cost of government borrowing soaring, leading to the collapse of Liz Truss’s Premiership and making cuts to public spending inevitable.

While it was delays announced in yesterday’s statement to the HS2 high speed rail project and the planned Lower Thames Crossing that grabbed the headlines in the mainstream media, it also covered cuts to active travel funding.

“We remain committed to supporting all forms of transport and have invested over £850 million in active travel between 2020/21 and 2022/23,” Harper said.

“Despite the need to deliver efficiency in all areas of our budget, we will still commit to spend at least a further £100 million capital into active travel over the remainder of the spending period, as part of a total of around £3 billion investment in active travel over this Parliament, including from City and Region Sustainable Transport settlements and National Highways. We will review these levels as soon as practically possible.”

While the various funding pots make it difficult to put a definitive figure on the size of the cuts, CAWA puts it at around two-thirds of the money previously promised for cycling and walking schemes in England outside London, which already received far less investment in active travel than the capital, as well as Scotland and Wales, where transport is the responsibility of the devolved administrations.

In a statement, WACA, which brings together a number of groups campaigning on active travel issues, described the cuts as a “backward move” and “disproportionate” compared to those made for other modes of transport, and would make it “impossible” for the government to meet walking and cycling, as well as Net Zero, targets.

> Government’s second cycling and walking investment strategy outlines almost £4bn funding for active travel – and aims to double the number of cycling trips by 2025

“It is heart-breaking to see vital active travel budgets wiped away in England, at the exact time when they are most essential to UK economic, social and environmental prospects,” WACA said. “It simply doesn’t make sense to withdraw investment in active travel at this time.

“Representing a two-thirds cut to promised capital investment in walking, cycling and wheeling, these cuts are a backward move for active travel and will counteract the tremendous progress we’ve seen in recent years.

“These cuts are disproportionate compared to those for road and rail and will leave England lagging far behind other UK nations and London, at a time when we need to be raising the bar everywhere.

“Promised Government targets of 50 per cent of all journeys in English towns and cities being walked or cycled by 2030, and for the UK to be Net Zero by 2050, are made impossible by these cuts.

“People walking, wheeling and cycling take 14.6 million cars off the road, saving 2.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year.

“More than ever, people want and need support to walk, cycle or wheel, and these cuts will impact those that would have benefited most, limiting our choice to travel healthily, cheaply and emissions-free,” WACA added.

The announcement of the funding cuts was also greeted with dismay by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling & Walking (APPGCW).

NEW: Significant cuts announced for walking and cycling £710m was approved for active travel in the 2021 Spending Review. £230m has been spent so far. Today’s announcement of £100m for the remaining two years, means a cut of £380m. https://t.co/Wf3bO2kkWC — APPGCW (@allpartycycling) March 9, 2023

APPGCW co-chairs Ruth Cadbury, the Labour MP for Brentford & Isleworth, and Selaine Saxby, the Conservative MP for North Devon, said in a statement: “It is incredibly disappointing that the active travel budget has seen extensive cuts at a time when we need to really make progress on decarbonisation and when people need cheap transport choices.

“We’ve witnessed the popularity of active travel increase in the capital but other parts of England will now not benefit from the same quality transport system. London now has three times as much funding per year for active travel than the rest of England combined.

“We understand that there are pressures on the public purse but active travel schemes frequently have much higher benefit:cost rations than road building schemes, many of which are still going ahead despite falling value for money for taxpayers.

“No other mode of transport will deliver the same health benefits and actually save the NHS money,” the statement continued. “If we’re serious about decarbonisation and giving people real choices on how they move, active travel needs to be properly and consistently funded.”

The announcement of the funding cuts comes little more than a year after the government set up the arm’s length body Active Travel England, with then Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his transport adviser at Number 10, Andrew Gilligan, both strong proponents of cycling and walking.

When Johnson resigned as Prime Minister last July, we wondered whether that might impact efforts to grow active travel in England – fears that have now been confirmed by yesterday’s statement from the Secretary of State for Transport.

> Boris Johnson resignation: A blow for active travel?

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Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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32 comments.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-complete-the-active-tr...

still, Im waiting for anyone to actually review what round 2 or even round 3 actually achieved.

but at least ATE have completed their ratings of local authorities so we know how bad they are at it https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploa...

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Meanwhile the same amount ( nearly 320 million) is being spent on one road junction at Wisely. Colour me shocked.

Looks like you've coloured yourself shocked - or at least your cyan hair is standing on end.

It's "electric aqua" I'll have you know.

My genetic predisposition to bad hair days is also a protected characteristic. So this is a hate crime. Or cyber bullying or whatever Nige's personas refer to it as. 😃😜

Clem Fandango wrote: My genetic predisposition to bad hair days is also a protected characteristic.

Thank goodness - we avoided the "helmet hair" sideshow!

As for spending a little (hundred millions) to save / get back a little more it would seem that providing for more active travel is a no-brainer. Cycling simply being the most efficient form of that, it would be the thing to preferentially fund.

However going in a different direction after several generations of mass motoring (heavily pushed - and subsidised - by our governments) is a political and psychological poser. The actual "how to" is *almost* * as simple as Googling "Dutch cycle infrastructure", or better "sustainable safety". Or given that we are cheap and right at the start of the change maybe "copenhagen cycling"...

* "Almost" because the concept of mass cycling is apparently just too advanced for UK politicians and planners to understand. At least the majority of "Dutch" infra in the UK is strictly cargo-cult lookalike stuff. Or maybe they do know but just can't see beyond the motor vehicle?

chrisonatrike][quote=Clem Fandango wrote: Or maybe they do know but just can't see beyond the motor vehicle?

They can't see past the bonnet of the car and can't see that they are driving over a cliff.

Obesity, pollution, congestion, health, climate change; cycling is one of the best answers to all these modern problems, but, hey, mustn't upset the great car economy.

The human race is descended from lemmings; discuss.

I think there was a commitment in England that 50% of journeys in towns and cities should be walked or cycled by 2030? Walking (easy, common but inefficient / slow / very limited distances for most) is at around 30% modal share by trips IIRC, cycling about 2%.

This clearly is a goal that has minimal political commitment and shows little sign of being met. Quite frankly if they'd committed to an increase to 5% cycling modal share nationally and 35% walking I'd have called that ambitious. And probably unachievable with the current pace and sense of urgency.

I remain hopeful... but it will take policy changes and a lot *more* cash, not less.

They certainly can't see past the next general election. They know their cliff is in Dec 2025.

IanMK wrote: They certainly can't see past the next general election. They know their cliff is in Dec 2025.

Do you know, I read somewhere that governments in the olden days used to think 'long term' (defined as 'beyond the next election')..

brooksby wrote: Do you know, I read somewhere that governments in the olden days used to think 'long term' (defined as 'beyond the next election')..

Is that a quote from Seneca? I'm assuming Marcus Aurelius wouldn't criticise himself in that way? Or possibly from the Epic of Gilgamesh?

chrisonatrike wrote: brooksby wrote: Do you know, I read somewhere that governments in the olden days used to think 'long term' (defined as 'beyond the next election')..

I think it was Inherited-Wealthicus Twaticus

I wasn’t thinking of the olden days being quite that olden, tbh…

They just need to add up all the fuel duty rises they put on hold and drop the whole lot at the next budget. Should free up a bit of money for active travel schemes.

HoarseMann wrote: They just need to add up all the fuel duty rises they put on hold and drop the whole lot at the next budget. Should free up a bit of money for active travel schemes.

Howard Cox and certain right wing newspapers have already started ranting about how it would be a Terrible Mistake to remove the fuel duty freeze at the next budget.

brooksby wrote: HoarseMann wrote: They just need to add up all the fuel duty rises they put on hold and drop the whole lot at the next budget. Should free up a bit of money for active travel schemes.

"State subsidies are for free loading scum, except when I'm being subsidised which is the natural order of things. Give me your tithes peasants"

I think that's what they said anyway.

Though I suspect they may want to protect the car finance bubble from bursting until a tory govt isn't in power.

Welfare bad, subsidies good 🐷

Let me ser if I've got this right..... The government have committed to building the London to Birmingham branch of HS2 along with ensuring capital spend for active travel in London is maintained, while the rest of the country can go fuck itself. So much for levelling up! I hope no one is considering voting for these Tory bastards at the next GE. They are intent on throwing the country, including London into the abyss of climate breakdown, but at least their grubby pockets will be lined with filthy lucre.

Owd Big 'Ead wrote: Let me ser if I've got this right..... The government have committed to building the London to Birmingham branch of HS2 along with ensuring capital spend for active travel in London is maintained, while the rest of the country can go fuck itself. So much for levelling up! I hope no one is considering voting for these Tory bastards at the next GE. They are intent on throwing the country, including London into the abyss of climate breakdown, but at least their grubby pockets will be lined with filthy lucre.

This has been predictable as they made so many promises and plans about reducing CO2 in the future and they never had any intention of going against the oil/motor lobby.

Can we start lining them up against a wall for shooting yet?

At the risk of getting banned from presenting MotD, my observation is that the Tories only have one overriding policy which is how to extract the tax take into private hands, given that all state assets have been sold off. They do also have a secondary policy of ensuring that the last pennies of the poor who can't earn enough to be taxed are also up for grabs to private companies.

Most government decisions seem to follow on from that. They'd quite happily cancel HS2 knowing that the Government would probably have to pay out penalties of a similar amount, but even they can see limits to what they can blag their way out of. It would not surprise me to find that north of Birmingham is already effectively bought and paid for, delivered or not.

English devolution when?

For 'd' read 'r'.

Careful now

Backward step, of course.

Will this affect Sustrans? What about the 2030 target?

Do we know how much will be left after funding the new central structures just set up in York? 50 staff = £5 million ? Plus whatever will exist in the regions.

Perhaps we need to focus on low cost interventions, like getting rid of all the illegal barriers !

Can we apply an Ego Tax to Boris Johnson and Gary Lineker?

So they're looking to "deliver efficiency" with the budgets, yet active travel produces a far greater return on investment than e.g. building roads or giving oil companies money to invest in drilling for oil.

This is clearly the right-wing pushing back against the climate catastrophe and the need for change as evidenced by their tampering with the BBC yet again:  https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/mar/10/david-attenborough-bbc-wild-isles-episode-rightwing-backlash-fears

They're going for the last cash-grab before the inevitable collapse of civilisation due to people continually kicking the can down the road and making false promises rather than actually doing what's necessary.

hawkinspeter wrote: So they're looking to "deliver efficiency" with the budgets, yet active travel produces a far greater return on investment than e.g. building roads or giving oil companies money to invest in drilling for oil.

hawkinspeter wrote:   They're going for the last cash-grab before the inevitable collapse of civilisation due to people continually kicking the can down the road and making false promises rather than actually doing what's necessary.

Very much this, I'm afraid.

Have the people in Govt maybe got a ticket to some sort of Elysium style orbital platform?

They're cutting funding for active travel, not bothering about restrictions on sewage discharges, banning David Attenborough from talking about the collapse in the British ecosystem (OK, not ' banning'  per se, but not broadcasting the episode of his new show that talks about it), firing up the coal fired power stations because they haven't got any alternatives in place (still!), pretty much every power company and utility is owned by overseas entities (even overseas states ).

<shakes head sadly>

I think it's only covid, lawlessness at the top and Conservative party infighting* which has kept the government from reversing a hit list of legislation. Given the magnitude of the change though we should maybe wait a generation or two to see all the positive effects though.

* which Brexit strangely didn't put an end to.

Not so much a backward move as turning right round and riding at GannaSpeed head first into the Net Zero targets . FFS.

Quote: The plan focuses on increasing ambition in the following areas: advancing offshore wind driving the growth of low carbon hydrogen delivering new and advanced nuclear power accelerating the shift to zero emission vehicles green public transport, cycling and walking ‘jet zero’ and green ships greener buildings investing in carbon capture, usage and storage protecting our natural environment green finance and innovation

Bold and strikethrough added to the first to be knocked off the list.

Just to correct the economics the Bank of Englands £65 billion emergency bond-buying programme, was just the notional amount the Bank said they were willing to commit to buy gilts.

In the end they spent only 19billion buying them and made about 3.8billion profit from selling them back...

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All part of Rishi's plan to crackdown on the "war against motorists". Political jingoism at it's finest!

"Anecdotally" tyre fitters are reporting EVs wearing out tyres in as little as 10 000 miles, and tyres on my ICE cars are lasting at least 25 000...

Calipers: not  apealing.Red  Levers: The Most Beatiful Levers In The World ! Gonna work some overtime.

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Suvi is getting paid way too much. Needs a wages review. And quick....

They're not losses - they're "negative profits"!

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That's probably cost you over a minute now across all your rides.

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Urgent call on Government to reverse devastating cuts to active travel budget

Published: 15th MARCH 2023

In an open letter to the Prime Minister, we're joining a coalition of charities, professional organisations and businesses representing millions of citizens to demand a reversal of the proposed cuts to active travel funding announced by Transport Secretary, Mark Harper.

Photo: Transport for Greater Manchester

Worryingly, the announcement sees the Government backtrack on the level of investment that was promised.

And this investment is imperative to deliver on the Government's own statutory Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS2), calling into question its commitment to the strategy and to supporting active travel at this critical time.

The letter confirms that the devastating cuts - which include a two-thirds reduction to promised capital investment in walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure - make it impossible for the government to meet its 2050 net-zero targets.

And it makes it impossible to reach its goal of 50% of all journeys in English towns and cities being walked or cycled by 2030.

A backward move for the economy, the climate and health

The coalition includes members of the Walking and Cycling Alliance alongside a further 28 organisations and over 118 cycle training providers.

We have joined together to express our deep concern at the wiping away of vital funds.

We are emphasising that the cuts “are a backward move for the economy, the climate and health” and “leave England lagging far behind other UK nations and London, where per capita investment is many times higher, at a time when we need to be raising the bar everywhere”.

Our research estimates that active travel contributed £36.5 billion to the UK economy in 2021.

It saved 2.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by taking 14.6 million cars off the road.

And it has prevented 138,000 serious long-term health conditions.

Cuts will impact those that would have benefited most

Xavier Brice, Sustrans Chief Executive said:

"More than ever, people want and need support to walk, wheel or cycle and we know that these cuts will impact those that would have benefited most, limiting their choice to travel healthily, cheaply and emissions-free.

"In the current economic climate, this funding is more important than ever to help everyone access the things they need without having to rely on a car.

"That’s why we’re urging the Government to maintain its commitment and reassure us that revenue funding will remain at the levels promised in July 2022’s Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy."

Read the open letter to the Prime Minister demanding that the government stops active travel funding cuts.

See what you can do to help us reverse these cuts to active travel funding now.

Take a look at our response to the funding cuts announcement.

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• Urgent call on Government to reverse devastating cuts to active travel budget

by Hannah Dobson March 16, 2023 3

It feels like, given the response to our original story on this , this press release from the Walking and Cycling Alliance is worthy of a share . For what it’s worth, the Department for Transport still hasn’t answered the questions we asked them:

In an open letter to the Prime Minister , a coalition of charities, professional organisations and businesses representing millions of citizens has urged a reversal of the proposed cuts to active travel funding announced by Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, on 9 March.

Worryingly, the announcement sees the Government backtrack on the level of investment that was promised and that is imperative to deliver on its own statutory Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS2), calling into question its commitment to the strategy and to supporting active travel at this critical time.

The letter confirms that the devastating cuts – which include a two-thirds reduction to promised capital investment in walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure – make it impossible for the government to meet its 2050 net zero target and its goal for 50% of all journeys in English towns and cities being walked or cycled by 2030.

The coalition, which includes members of the Walking and Cycling Alliance alongside a further 28 organisations and over 118 cycle training providers, has joined together to express its deep concern at the wiping away of vital funds, emphasising that the cuts “are a backward move for the economy, the climate and health” and “leave England lagging far behind other UK nations and London, where per capita investment is many times higher, at a time when we need to be raising the bar everywhere”.

Research by walking, wheeling and cycling charity, Sustrans, estimates that active travel contributed £36.5 billion to the UK economy in 2021, saved 2.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by taking 14.6 million cars off the road, and prevented 138,000 serious long-term health conditions.

Xavier Brice, Chief Executive of walking and cycling charity Sustrans , said: “More than ever, people want and need support to walk, wheel or cycle and we know that these cuts will impact those that would have benefited most, limiting their choice to travel healthily, cheaply and emissions-free.

“In the current economic climate, this funding is more important than ever to help everyone access the things they need without having to rely on a car. That’s why we’re urging the Government to maintain its commitment and reassure us that revenue funding will remain at the levels promised in July 2022’s Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy.”

Signatories to the letter include:  

The Walking and Cycling Alliance   

·       The Bicycle Association, Phillip Darnton OBE, Chairman  

·       Bikeability, Emily Cherry, Executive Director  

·       British Cycling, Caroline Julian, External Affairs Director  

·       Cycling UK, Sarah Mitchell, CEO Ramblers, Ross Maloney, CEO  

·       Living Streets, Steven Edwards, CEO  

·       Sustrans, Xavier Brice, CEO 

While you’re here…

After Slashing Active Travel Funding, Government Keeps £4.8 billion Fuel Price Discount

Government Slashes Funding For Cycling And Active Travel

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I came to Singletrack having decided there must be more to life than meetings. I like all bikes, but especially unusual ones. More than bikes, I like what bikes do. I think that they link people and places; that cycling creates a connection between us and our environment; bikes create communities; deliver freedom; bring joy; and improve fitness. They're environmentally friendly and create friendly environments. I try to write about all these things in the hope that others might discover the joy of bikes too.

• This topic has 3 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 1 year ago by ratherbeintobago .

In case anyone hasn’t seen this, the Cycling UK petition is here – get signing/emailing, people!

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MPs issue statement as Active Travel funding is cut

This week has witnessed a new low for UK micromobility and active travel campaigners, one which, deeply ironically, was announced on the same day – Thursday March 9th – as the “European Commission Executive-Vice President Frans Timmermans, announced the EU institutions will complete an ambitious cycling plan this year, including commitments to increase funding for infrastructure and industrial growth.” This followed the European Parliaments February call on the Commission and Member States to take actions to double cycling in the EU.

In stark contrast, UK government announced, “ a devastating £200m cut to the active travel budget in England.” As Sustrans reports , “ This sets us on the completely wrong path for society, the economy and the environment. And it sees the government backtrack on its previous pledges for active travel investment.”

Other sources have the budget cut closer to £380 million.

Making a statement directly addressing the announced gutting of Active Travel funding, Selaine Saxby MP and Ruth Cadbury MP comment:

“It is incredibly disappointing that the active travel budget has seen such extensive cuts at a time where we need to really make progress on decarbonisation and when people need cheap transport choices.

We’ve witnessed the popularity of active travel increase in the capital but other parts of England will now not benefit from the same quality transport system. London now has three times as much funding per year for active travel than the rest of England combined.

We understand that there are pressures on the public purse but active travel schemes frequently have much higher benefit:cost ratios than road building schemes, many of which are still going ahead despite falling value for money for taxpayers. No other mode of transport will deliver the same health benefits and actually save the NHS money. If we’re serious about decarbonisation and giving people real choices on how they move, active travel needs to be properly and consistently funded.”

For many this will, regrettably, come as no surprise, yet no less a shock. In September of 2022 Chris Boardman stating that Active Travel England was (is) some £15+ billion underfund , based on the bodies stated aims.

This week also saw the government rule out road user charging with the ‘Chancellor of the Exchequer respond(ing) to the Transport Select Committee on Road User Charging with a 1 page letter concluding “the government does not currently have plans to consider road pricing”. It took 13 months for this reply to be provided compared to the expected 2 months.’

All this whilst RAC Foundation Director, Steve Gooding , highlighted that ‘ Based on current trends, getting the car fleet up to 35% pure battery electric by 2030 – without reducing driven miles – looks like a monumentally steep challenge, like climbing Everest on a bad day ’.

Draw what conclusions you will, but one thing is abundantly clear; UK government has once again show itself to be incapable of leadership in the face of increasingly interconnected challenges, and roundly embarrassed by the performance of EU neighbours acting as a collective body, working to remodel transport for a fast approaching, climate challenged, future.

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DfT’s active travel budget has ‘more than halved’

14 Mar, 2023 By Thomas Johnson

The Department for Transport (DfT) has slashed £380M of the £710M promised in 2021 for the UK’s active travel budget, claims the All Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling & Walking (APPGCW).

In a statement written by secretary of state for transport Mark Harper last week, it was announced that £100M would be spent on active travel in the next two years.

With £230M already having been spent so far, according to the APPGCW, the amount slated for active travel has more than halved from the Spending Review in 2021, which set out the £710M spending plans.

Echoing the APPGCW's concerns, the Walking and Cycling Alliance (WCA), a body consisting of British Cycling, Living Streets, Ramblers and Sustrans, stated Harper’s announcement means at least a two-thirds cut to promised capital investment in walking and cycling.

APPGCW co-chairs Ruth Cadbury and Selaine Saxby jointly stated: “It is incredibly disappointing that the active travel budget has seen successive cuts at a time when we need to really make progress on decarbonisation and when people need cheap transport choices.

“We’ve witnessed the popularity of active travel increase in the capital but other parts of England will now not benefit from the same quality transport system. London now has three times as much funding per year for active travel than the rest of England combined.”

Harper’s statement claims £850M has been spent on active travel by the government since 2020.

It continues: “Despite the need to deliver efficiency in all areas of our budget, we will still commit to spend at least a further £100M capital into active travel over the remainder of the spending period, as part of a total of around £3bn investment in active travel over this parliament, including from City and Region Sustainable Transport settlements and National Highways.

“We will review these levels as soon as practically possible.”

Conservative mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street and West Midlands Cycling and Walking commissioner Adam Tranter wrote to active travel minister Jesse Norman urging the DfT to rethink the new figures.

The letter reads: “The £710M approved for active travel in the 2021 Spending Review was hugely welcomed by the West Midlands.

“However, yesterday’s announcement represents a reduction of £380m from that commitment. This is a very deep cut at a time where we urgently need to decarbonise, provide people with low-cost transport options, and work to improve the nation’s health.

“Given the current economic challenges we appreciate that difficult spending decisions have to be made, especially in the DfT’s capital programme. However, what seems incredibly difficult to justify is the disproportionate cut in the active travel budget.

“No other transport schemes can be delivered as quickly and cost-effectively as active travel, with benefit-cost ratios of 4.7 to 32.8 for cycling schemes compared to 3.1 to 5.1 for road schemes.”

The cuts were announced in the same statement that revealed the two year "rephasing" to High Speed 2, the Lower Thames Crossing and other major road projects. Harper referenced “headwinds” the government was facing from inflation in relation to the Russia-Ukraine War and supply chain disruptions arising from the pandemic.

The statement reads: “These headwinds have made it difficult to deliver on our capital programmes, and we recognise that some schemes are going to take longer than expected. Refocusing our efforts will allow us to double down on delivering the rest of our capital programme.

“This will place our transport investments on a sustainable footing and allow us to support the government’s priorities of halving inflation, growing the economy and reducing debt.”

Cadbury and Saxby’s statement continued: “We understand that there are pressures on the public purse but active travel schemes frequently have much higher benefit:cost rations than road building schemes, many of which are still going ahead despite falling value for money for taxpayers.

“No other mode of transport will deliver the same health benefits and actually save the NHS money. If we’re serious about decarbonisation and giving people real choices on how they move, active travel needs to be properly and consistently funded.”

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Cycling uk writes to prime minister as cycle lane funding cut by 75 percent.

Cycling UK has joined its partners in WACA and more than 146 other organisations, including Campaign for Better Transport and Asthma + Lung UK, to write to the prime minister protesting at the disproportionate level of cuts to funding for cycling and walking infrastructure. The coalition of organisations is also seeking a reversal to the cuts and commitment to maintain previous levels of funding.  

Despite recent government acknowledgement of the likely failure to achieve its modest target of doubling current cycling levels in England from two per cent to four per cent of all journeys, on Thursday 09 March in an update to Parliament , the transport secretary announced massive cuts to future spending on cycling.

This government has effectively devastated the legacy of successive Conservative administrations and their work to get Britain cycling Sarah Mitchell, Cycling UK chief executive

The news has been met with dismay by active travel groups and councils which say these unnecessary cuts will set back growth in cycling by more than a decade.

Sarah Mitchell, Cycling UK chief executive said: “In one move, this government has effectively devastated the legacy of successive Conservative administrations and their work to get Britain cycling.

“At a time when people are faced with a cost of living crisis where they are questioning their transport choices, making cycling and walking easier is a cost effective area for government investment.

"We know that protected spaces for cycling can help save lives. Cycle lanes are cheap to build, and the consequent uptake in health and wellbeing benefits are well documented, as are the impact on reducing emissions when we have people drive less and cycle more for shorter journeys.”

In 2020, the government committed to invest £2 billion on active travel by 2025 but as the cycling minister admitted to Parliament, they are currently underspending their current allocation for active travel.

The minister stated that to date, the government has only invested £850 million in active travel, which until yesterday left £1.25 billion to be spent over the remaining two years leading up to 2025.

The cuts announced last week were tucked away in a wider statement about continued delays to HS2 and other major road projects.  They effectively reduce funding for cycle lanes and other schemes outside of London to encourage more walking from £200 million a year to £50 million – a 75 percent reduction.

The government announced it would spend over £40bn on transport schemes in the next years, which included only £100m on cycling and walking. This means that in England, less than 0.25 per cent of capital funding - which goes on infrastructure projects like HS2, building new roads and cycle ways - is now to be invested into active travel. This is despite walking and cycling making up for two percent of all journeys.

Unlike other major infrastructure projects, the level of cuts effectively puts a halt to the modest progress the current administration had made at increasing cycling and walking over the last 10 years.

During this period, local authorities have slowly developed the staff expertise in implementing active travel measures. With the latest cuts, unlike in advanced manufacturing or major projects like HS2, this expert knowledge will not be retained and councils will have to start from scratch when funding returns.

“Government should be providing more for active travel not cutting it. This funding decision is disastrous, and will set back the growth of cycling and walking in England for another decade at least,” said Ms Mitchell.

The reaction of the Walking and Cycling Alliance, made up of Sustrans, British Cycling, Cycling UK, Living Streets, the Ramblers and the Bicycle Association, was as expected. Xavier Brice, Sustrans CEO speaking on behalf of WACA said it was “heart-breaking”.

It is heart-breaking to see vital active travel budgets wiped away in England, at the exact time when they are most essential to UK economic, social and environmental prospects Xavier Brice, Sustrans CEO

“It is heart-breaking to see vital active travel budgets wiped away in England, at the exact time when they are most essential to UK economic, social and environmental prospects,” said Mr Brice.

“It simply doesn’t make sense to withdraw investment in active travel at this time. 

“Representing a two-thirds cut to promised capital investment in walking, cycling and wheeling, these cuts are a backward move for active travel and will counteract the tremendous progress we’ve seen in recent years. These cuts are disproportionate compared to those for road and rail and will leave England lagging far behind other UK nations and London, at a time when we need to be raising the bar everywhere.

“Promised government targets of 50% of all journeys in English towns and cities being walked or cycled by 2030, are made impossible by these cuts.

“People walking, wheeling and cycling take 14.6 million cars off the road, saving 2.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year.

“More than ever, people want and need support to walk, cycle or wheel, and these cuts will impact those that would have benefited most, limiting our choice to travel healthily, cheaply and emissions-free.”

Currently the National Audit Office is investigating “whether government is set up to achieve its ambitions for increased cycling and walking by 2025 and beyond and deliver value for money through these investments” and anticipates publishing its findings in summer 2023.

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Streets Ahead

Active travel budget cuts.

A pre-budget announcement on HS2 last week revealed a £380m cut to cycling and walking funding. This represents a two-thirds reduction of funding in England, and leaves just £100m for active travel in the current financial year. 

Cycling and walking contributed £36.5bn to the UK economy in 2021, according to Sustrans. 

Ned, Laura and Adam convene to discuss what's happening and the impact it'll have.

We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode:  http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsahead

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HS2 to be delayed by two more years due to soaring costs

Birmingham to Crewe stretch put on hold and major roadbuilding schemes slowed in response to inflation surge

HS2 will be delayed by another two years and major roadbuilding schemes will be mothballed, ministers have confirmed, after soaring inflation added billions to the cost of transport infrastructure projects.

Ministers insisted they remained committed to Britain’s high-speed rail network scheme, but the budget constraints have cast further doubt over prospects for the rail project’s full implementation.

Parts of the HS2 line between Birmingham, Crewe and Manchester will be “rephased” by two years, meaning the line to Crewe may not be open until 2036, and Manchester not until 2043.

Trains may now not run all the way to and from central London until years later than planned as the government “takes time to ensure we have an affordable and deliverable station design” at Euston.

One of the biggest road schemes will also be kicked into the long grass as transport budgets face swingeing real-terms cuts from 2025. The flagship Lower Thames Crossing, a £7bn tunnel and road scheme linking Essex and Kent, will be deferred for at least two years, into National Highways’ next five-year phase of roadbuilding.

In a written statement to MPs, the transport secretary, Mark Harper, said other transport investment projects would also have to lapse in “difficult decisions”.

Active travel budgets, including cycling schemes in cities, will also be slashed for the next two years to a total of about £100m, compared with £850m in the last three years.

On HS2, Harper said: “We have seen significant inflationary pressure and increased project costs, and so we will rephase construction by two years, with an aim to deliver high-speed services to Crewe and the north-west as soon as possible after accounting for the delay in construction.”

Harper said that the government remained committed to HS2 trains eventually reaching Euston in central London, but was “prioritising HS2’s initial services between Old Oak Common in London and Birmingham Curzon Street to provide delivery of passenger benefits as soon as possible”.

Sources close to the project suggested that the completion of the line into London Euston could now be pushed further back until the 2040s, with the full capacity of the London terminus only required when the line to Manchester is open.

Under the last announced schedule, London-Manchester trains were due to start to run some time between 2035 and 2041.

Labour politicians and business groups expressed dismay and labelled the delay a false economy.

Louise Haigh, the shadow transport secretary, said: “Tens of thousands of jobs, and billions in economic growth are dependent on this project. Delays pile costs up in the long run – ministers now need to come clean on precisely how much their indecision will cost taxpayers and the north.”

The High Speed Rail Group, representing rail industry suppliers, said it was “alarmed” by the news, which it said would “only add to the total cost of the project. The cheapest way to deliver HS2 is quickly.”

John Dickie, chief executive at BusinessLDN, said: “Delaying construction of HS2 to save money is a false economy. Failing to invest now will likely increase costs over the long-term while also delaying the benefits for people and businesses across England.”

Andy Bagnall, chief executive for the industry lobby group Rail Partners , said: “While inflationary pressures make infrastructure projects more challenging, it is critical for Britain’s economy and meeting net zero targets that large sections of HS2 are not delayed, which will ultimately increase the overall cost.”

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At least £2bn more is believed to now be needed for the first London-Birmingham stretch alone since the last official budgetary update in October, well above the contingency sums in the initial £44.6bn funding.

Harper said the government would “address affordability pressures to ensure the overall spending profile is manageable”. Designs for Euston station have already been ripped up once, at a cost of more than £100m.

Initially, the line will run to the new Old Oak Common station in west London, despite the widespread demolition and years of preparatory work already conducted around the eventual Euston terminus.

HS2 Ltd and the Department for Transport (DfT) had been working on cost-saving options under two tightly guarded initiatives, entitled Project Silverlight and Operation Blue Diamond.

Much of phase 1 of HS2, London to Birmingham, is well under way, with five of 10 tunnelling machines already underground in Warwickshire, London and Buckinghamshire. Half the Chiltern tunnels have been dug and significant work completed on the controversial Colne valley viaduct, cutting through the regional park west of London.

But senior civil servants and ministers told the Commons transport select committee in January that “tough decisions” would be needed, possibly putting other rail – or even wider transport projects – on hold if HS2 was backed.

The news will increase fears over wider rail investment. Harper told northern leaders earlier this week that the government remained committed to a high-level £96bn rail plan drawn up last year. But inflation may mean even less is likely to be built for that money than originally anticipated.

Campaigners welcomed news of the roadbuilding delays. Laura Blake of the Thames Crossing Action Group said: “Rather than delay, the government should put the scheme out of its misery and cancel it for good, rather than continuing to blight people’s lives.”

The DfT’s budget was frozen from 2025 in the autumn spending review, which could mean a significant cut in real terms.

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Labour Slams UK Government’s Active Travel Cut

• By Ben Hubbard
• by Ben Hubbard
• 10 March 2023

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The Labour Party has called the UK Government’s decision to cut £200 million from the active travel budget in England “devastating” and “short sighted”.

The Active Travel fund is designed to support local transport authorities with producing cycling and walking facilities.  

Labour MP for Exeter Ben Bradshaw told Zag Daily: “This huge cut is devastating and so short sighted. It goes against everything the UK Government claims it wants to achieve in terms of zero carbon, modal shift, reducing congestion, improved health and air quality. England is already way behind comparable countries on active travel and this cut will leave a capital budget of just £50 million for the whole country – the same as Prime Minister Sunak is spending on a new helicopter.” 

Organisations opposed to the cuts have been quick to point out that active travel contributed £36.5 billion to the UK economy in 2021, took up to 14.6 million cars off the road and prevented 2.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

Gill Furniss, MP for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough and Shadow Minister for Roads, told Zag: “The Government’s cuts to active travel funding have left their own targets lying in tatters.

“This is yet another Tory broken promise. People up and down the country have already seen their bus services decimated, train timetables cut to the bone, and roads left in disarray. Time and time again the Tories have proved they are utterly unfit to govern. They must now come clean on the impact these latest cuts are going to have on active travel targets and our legally binding net-zero obligations.”

While the popularity of active travel has increased in the capital, other parts of England will now not be able to benefit from the same quality transport system. London now has three times as much funding per year for active travel than the rest of England combined. 

President of The AA, Edmund King OBE, said: “The slashing of expenditure on active travel by two thirds is particularly harsh as even 68% of drivers think local roads require more investment to make cycling safer. Teaching safer cycling through Bikeability schemes is also an essential life skill for millions. Some real progress had been made in convincing more people to make short trips to local shops and services by foot and bike during and after the lockdowns, which now may be under threat.”

Sustrans believes the cuts will now make it “impossible” for the UK Government to achieve its target of 50% of all journeys in English towns and cities being walked or cycled by 2030, and to be Net Zero by 2050.

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Active Travel Budget Cuts Catastrophic for Health

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As a physical activity charity working in deprived areas, we at Together Active are deeply concerned about the recent government decision to cut the active travel budget. This move will have a significant impact on our work to promote and encourage walking and cycling in some of the most disadvantaged communities in the country.

According to the news reports, the government has reduced the active travel budget to £100 million, representing a spending cut of £380m.This decision comes at a time when we are seeing a surge in demand for active travel options, particularly in urban areas where there is a growing awareness of the health and environmental benefits of walking and cycling.

At Together Active, we have been working hard to promote active travel in deprived areas, where people are more likely to suffer from health problems related to inactivity. We‘re passionate the transformative effects of encouraging active travel, for both communities and the environment. Most recently, this sees us working with the recently announced Green Social Prescribing programme in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

However, these gains are now at risk due to the government’s decision to cut funding for active travel. As a result, we are likely to see a decline in active travel infrastructure, including the development of cycle lanes and pedestrian walkways, as well as a reduction in programmes aimed at encouraging people to adopt active travel habits.

This is particularly concerning for us as a charity, as we work primarily in deprived areas where people often face barriers to accessing alternative modes of transport. Without proper funding, it will be difficult to address these issues and to ensure that everyone has equal access to active travel options.

We welcome the response from organisations such as Sustrans, who have spoken out against these cuts and called for greater investment in active travel. We believe that the government must reconsider its decision and commit to providing the necessary funding to support active travel initiatives across the country.

We are also disappointed to see that Stoke-on-Trent has missed out on its share of funding for active travel, despite being one of the areas in greatest need. This further highlights the need for a fair and equitable distribution of resources, to ensure that all communities have access to the benefits of active travel.

We urge the government to reconsider its decision to cut funding for active travel. We believe that investment in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent is essential to promote healthy and sustainable transport options for all, and to reduce health inequalities across the area. We call on the government to listen to the voices of those who are working on the ground to promote active travel and to provide the necessary support to enable us to continue our important work.

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Episode Details

Active travel budget cuts.

A pre-budget announcement on HS2 last week revealed a £380m cut to cycling and walking funding. This represents a two-thirds reduction of funding in England, and leaves just £100m for active travel in the current financial year. 

Cycling and walking contributed £36.5bn to the UK economy in 2021, according to Sustrans. 

Ned, Laura and Adam convene to discuss what's happening and the impact it'll have.

We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode:  http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsahead

If you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a rating and write a review? It helps us more than you probably think.

Episode edited by Clare Mansell

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Cycling and walking

£200 million to improve walking and cycling routes and boost local economies

New fund to help local authorities make improvements that enable more people to choose active travel.

• millions of people in England will benefit from improved walking, wheeling and cycling routes thanks to a £200 million government fund
• funding will improve crossings and junctions to increase safety, in consultation with local residents and businesses
• investment in active travel will grow the economy by improving transport links, boosting high streets and creating skilled jobs

Schools, high streets and main roads will benefit from improved crossings and junctions to support walking and cycling, reduce emissions and boost local economies, thanks to a £200 million fund announced today (6 February 2023).

Active Travel England is today inviting local authorities in England to apply for funding to make improvements to enable people to choose active travel, which can help them save money and stay healthy. Schemes could include:

• creating more paths in rural areas
• developing safer routes for children to walk to school
• improved safety at junctions for people walking and cycling

Funding will also be used to support people in wheelchairs and mobility scooters by making street designs more inclusive.

Projects will be designed in consultation with residents and businesses to ensure schemes are safe and work for local communities. The successful projects will be announced later this year. Guidance has been created to help local authorities develop active travel schemes that are well-designed and completed to a high standard.

Walking and cycling charity Sustrans has estimated that active travel generated £36.5 billion for the economy in 2021 through increased spending on high streets, reduced pressure on the NHS and better access to jobs. This investment could also generate up to 16 million additional walking and cycling trips a year.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

This £200 million investment for hundreds of upgraded routes and paths across the country will help to reduce emissions, boost local economies and create jobs. These new schemes will make it safer for children to walk to school and will better connect rural communities, helping more people choose active travel as an affordable and healthy way to get around.

Previous funding rounds saw a new cycle lane built in Coventry which generated 10,000 trips in its first month and a new walking and cycling route in Manchester, where people travelling on foot and by bike are separated from motor vehicles.

Active Travel Commissioner Chris Boardman said:

Active travel is convenient, cheap, low carbon and health-giving. It’s a choice we need to make sure everyone has. Sometimes it only takes relatively small changes, such as crossings on school routes or convenient places to park a bike, to give us the option to walk, wheel or ride. Our job is to help local authorities across the country ensure that everyone has more attractive options for their daily trips and we are excited to help them deliver those options.

The funding could see more young people choosing a healthier and greener way to travel from home to the classroom. With less than half of children aged 5 to 16 walking or cycling to school, this investment aims to boost uptake. The government’s objective is to enable 55% of all primary school children to walk to school by 2025.

Studies show that 1 in 2 women feel unsafe walking after dark in a quiet street near their home. Local authorities will also need to show that their proposed schemes take women’s safety into account.

Head of Communications, Active Travel England

Email [email protected]

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