active travel fund 4 guidance

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What does the latest round of active travel funding mean for local authorities in england.

Active Travel Fund 4 (ATF4) is the latest funding round of Westminster Government’s second Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy. Bankrolled by the Department for Transport (DfT), with allocations determined by Active Travel England (ATE), this new capital funding is ring-fenced for 265 approved schemes and expected to generate up to 16 million extra walking and cycling trips every year.

Sounds good, right? However, the cynics amongst us may ask where this ‘new’ funding has come from.

Smoke and mirrors

In March, Westminster announced investment in cycle lanes, junction safety improvements and other active travel projects would be reduced from £308m to just £100m over the next two years, the remaining £100 accounting to a miniscule 0.25% of investment announced for all transport infrastructure. Cycling UK, alongside the Walking and Cycling Alliance (WACA), wrote to the Prime Minister , calling for these cuts to reversed urgently. We also ran a supporter action , during which close to 3,000 of you wrote to your MP urging them to speak up for investment in cycling, which led to this issue being raised in parliamentary debate.

While the local authorities who received this funding will undoubtedly have breathed a sigh of relief to have finally received last year’s funding for active travel, cycling and walking in England still faces a dramatic reduction in funding, unless the government reverses its cuts announced in March Duncan Dollimore, Cycling UK head of campaigns

The £200m pot announced last Friday, which Cycling UK have found  to in fact only add up to £170.6m, is framed as ‘new funding’ in the DfT’s statement. What the allocations reflect are active travel projects that were bid for in the last financial year which ended on 31 March 2023, with the money being released to local authorities on that final day. The announcement then delayed due to the 'purdah' period before May's local elections, when national and local politicians are meant to refrain from policy announcements.

Ultimately, it’s a good thing to see projects funded to enable active travel, allowing a lot more people to go about many of their everyday journeys by walking and cycling as a safe and convenient option.

However, it’s impossible ignore the imminent reality of these prospects being lost, as we approach the cliff edge with funding for these projects plummeting for 2023/24 and 2024/25. The cuts make it even harder to see how ATE can achieve the Government's unhelpfully-defined objective to make 50% of journeys in towns and cities walked or cycled by 2030.

Duncan Dollimore, Cycling UK head of campaigns said:

“While the local authorities who received this funding undoubtedly have breathed a sigh of relief to have finally received last year’s funding for active travel, cycling and walking in England still faces a dramatic reduction in funding, unless the government reverses its cuts announced in March.

“Cycling UK understands councils are still to be invited to bid for the remaining £100m that was announced in March for the next two years. However, if government is serious about achieving its own goals for increasing cycling and walking levels, it will have to allocate a lot more funding, and assure councils that it will be available over the longer term.”

The funds allocated to local authorities for ATF4 (£170.6m) are, unsurprisingly, more plentiful for some, but piecemeal for others.

Cycling UK has broken down the funding in terms of pound sterling per person using population data from the 2021 Census , to provide insight into the proportional share across the land, identifying areas which are richer and poorer.

Three authorities: Brighton and Hove (£3m), Suffolk (£7.9m) and Telford and Wrekin (£1.9m) have been awarded over £10 per head. This may sound impressive, but we must remember this provision is dwarfed by that seen in Wales and Scotland, estimated at £17 per head and £50 per head , respectively.

Over 40% of authorities have been allocated under £2 per head, including South Yorkshire Combined Authority (CA) (£2.4m). Here, funding per head to be distributed across Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster, and Barnsley is around a fifth of that devoted to projects in nearby Liverpool CA (£14.4) and Greater Manchester CA (£23.7m).

Around 42 million people live in regions which will benefit from ATF4, 37% of them residing across the nine combined authorities. These administrations have been allocated over half the funding pot, despite seven of these regions also being eligible for shares of the DfT’s £5.7 billion City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements , noting this pot is not solely ring-fenced for investment in walking and cycling.

Effect of Active Travel England’s ‘Capability Ratings’

In March, ATE released their eagerly anticipated capability ratings for local authorities . These ratings, proposed initially by a local authority’s self-assessment, were validated against internal evidence held by the DfT, and given a score 0-4. A score of zero reflecting no obvious leadership, plans or delivery for complex active travel schemes, a score of four reflecting an established culture of walking, cycling and wheeling, underpinned by a network of infrastructure and supportive policies. These ratings effect the funding local authorities can access, alongside other factors.

Of the £170.6 million allocated in ATF4, the thirty-two local authorities rated ‘1’ received £21.2 million between them, equating to 12% of the pot; the twenty-nine rated ‘2’ received £92 million, making up 54%; and the five authorities rated ‘3’ were allocated £57.3 million, 34% of ATF4. It’s clear then that the recent ratings have largely been enforced as promised by ATE. Local authorities may be able to access capability funding to improve their rating ahead of future funding rounds.

66 out of the 79 authorities assessed by ATE's capability ratings had schemes funded by ATF4. Oxfordshire County Council was the only authority rated ‘2’ which did not receive any funding. Publicly, Transport Secretary Mark Harper has advocated that ATF4 schemes were designed to offer choice of transport mode, and not to be used for Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs).

Councillor Emily Kerr, Oxford City councillor and founder of ShareOurCars said:

“We know Oxfordshire’s ambitious walking and cycling plans are already delivering – Sport England’s data from this week shows that 44% of adults in Oxfordshire, and 59% in Oxford cycle. 50% of adults in Oxford cycle for transport, and Oxford was recently ranked the UK’s greenest city.

The Oxfordshire projects applied for as part of ATF4 were sensible pragmatic projects, improving cycle routes at hospitals and safety around schools – and none of them were for LTNs.”

Elsewhere, eight administrations with ATE capability rated ‘1’ also missed out on ATF4, alongside all authorities rated ‘0’: Leicestershire, Rutland, West Sussex and Worcestershire. A caveat that funding is awarded for specific schemes, as opposed to a general monetary award, based upon a competitive bidding process.

Whether this model is adequate for transport authorities to forward plan effectively for their infrastructure projects is a matter of debate. But ultimately, councils with a good Local Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP), and a good track record of delivering schemes in accordance with the Government's Cycling Infrastructure Design guidance (Local Transport Note LTN 1/20) are more likely to be funded.

Where do we go from here?

Whether you feel your local area is well-funded, underfunded, or missed out altogether – the release of ATF4 is a vital opportunity to renew calls to your local authority for delivery.

In many parts of England, delivery of numerous projects funded from previous rounds has stagnated, such as five high profile schemes in Sheffield . Or, in the instance of Grantham, shelved altogether until the town’s bypass is completed. This doesn’t paint the whole picture, such as local authorities like Leicester, whose Transforming Cities project  has yielded 16 kilometres of new cycle tracks since its inception, cycle levels having increased by 80% since 2011.

But we can’t afford to wait. With inflation remaining at historically high levels, the value of funded schemes is eaten into by the day. Communities must raise their collective voice and call local authorities to get spades in the ground, to deliver the infrastructure we desperately need.

In areas where funding is low or absent, everything’s not lost. With many local authorities in England due to revise their Local Transport Plans (LTPs) over the coming year, we must urge them to develop or strengthen their LCWIPs, which will become become a key element of the LTP process, when the Government unveils some long-awaited new guidance to councils on preparing their LTPs. We must also encourage active travel teams to engage with ATE to improve their capability to deliver, via the training and support ATE offer.

Yet ultimately, the branches of funding from the active travel tree will only find their way into our communities with sufficient, consistent provision from Westminster. Cycling UK, alongside our partners in WACA will continue to lead the way in this fight.

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Ways to travel

Active Travel Fund

We provide advice and support to the Welsh Government, including assisting in the review of guidance associated with the Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013. We’re also responsible for the administration of the Active Travel Fund programme on behalf of the Welsh Government.

Local authorities are able to apply for funding through the Active Travel Fund (ATF) programme, via a combination of core funding and a competitive bidding process, to support the delivery of active travel schemes across Wales. Further information on the ATF programme is available here .

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Cycling in Yorkshire & Beyond

Ten Points about Active Travel Fund 4

Active Travel England (ATE) has published the guidance it gave to local authorities to enable them to complete their Active Travel Fund 4 (ATF4) bids .

The bids have already been submitted and decided upon, but the guidance is nevertheless interesting. It helps explain why some bids failed and others succeeded; and presumably guidance for future ATF bids will be similar, so it will be relevant then.

Also, it gives an insight into how councils are expected to deliver their schemes.

Here then are ten points drawn from the ATF4 guidance.

1) Objectives of the Fund

The principal objective of ATF4 is to help deliver the CWIS2 goals including:

• double cycling from 2013 to 2025
• 55% of primary school children to walk to school by 2025
• increase active travel from 41% of short urban trips in 2018 to 46% in 2025
• 50% of short urban trips to be walked or cycled by 2030

2) Most of the Money Goes to Competent Local Authorities

Most of the money has gone to competent local authorities or, as ATE puts it, ‘ensure the majority of investment is focused on authorities with high capability, defined by the authority self-assessment tier…’

Later, the guidance reminds councils that they should put forward schemes that reflect their capability to deliver. In the case of Level 1 authorities like North Yorkshire, they are not deemed capable of delivering cycle schemes in urban areas.

ATE are looking for schemes that can convert high volumes of journeys to walking, wheeling and cycling relative to the cost of the scheme and the needs of the area (urban vs rural).

3) Schemes Must Comply with National Design Standards and Local Strategies

Schemes must comply with:

• Manual for Streets
• inclusive mobility

Authorities should develop Local Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs); the LCWIP forms part of the local transport strategy. Bids should fit in with the local transport strategy as well as strategies for:

• sustainable development
• air quality
• deprivation
• cost of living

4) Value for Money

ATE wants to maximise Value for Money (VfM) and meet minimum quality standards. VfM should be assessed using the Active Mode Appraisal Toolkit, shortened to AMAT.

Schemes should offer:

• Medium VfM (BCR of 1.5 to 2) or
• (most schemes) Medium to High VfM (BCR of >2)

This does not exclude schemes with high strategic importance or network effects.

There is an important sentence in the guidance, which may indicate where North Yorkshire fell down in its ATF4 bid:

‘To note: high quality cycling schemes that conform to ATE quality standards may struggle to reach medium or high VfM. It is therefore recommended that schemes of this type demonstrate benefits to people walking as well.’ guidance on atf4 and value for money

5) Assurance that Design Standards Can Be Met

The guidance says that ATE wants to ensure at the bid stage that national design standards can be met.

It therefore asks for preliminary checks to be made on the space available. ATE has produced design tools for this purpose, ‘to test whether a desired layout is feasible along the length of the proposed route’.

‘Overall, this provides a sense check that major constraints along a route have been considered prior to funding being allocated to a scheme’. Atf4 guidance on design information and constraints

6) Assessing and Scoring Bids

The criteria on which bids are assessed and scored are:

• compliance with key principles
• design quality
• deliverability based on past record and robust construction scheduling
• propensity to convert short journeys to walking, wheeling and cycling
• tackling deprivation and poor health outcomes

‘Schemes prioritised by local authorities within their proposed funding allocation will be funded if they meet minimum scoring thresholds. Where these are not met, funding will be recycled and provided to remaining unfunded schemes with the highest scores’. atf4 guidance on assessment criteria and scoring process

7) Delivery Dates and Change Control

ATE wants councils to set out a schedule that includes timings for:

• consultation
• feasiblity and design
• construction
• date open for public use

Timeline information is ‘a key delivery metric’.

ATE has a change control process where there are changes to the timetable. This is presumably designed to prevent councils like North Yorkshire letting milestones slip endlessly, with no on-the-ground improvements ever achieved.

8) Equality Approach

Schemes should comply with DfT Accessiblity guidance, and there should be engagement and consultation with representatives of people with protected characteristics who may be affected by the scheme.

Bids should detail outputs of the schemes, such as miles of new cycle track.

This helps ATE measure success and make the case for continued investment in the right types of infrastructure.

10) Monitoring and Evaluation

ATE’s aim here is to generate evidence on the delivery and impact of active travel schemes. There will be revised monitoring and evaluation guidance in early 2023.

Monitoring appears to relate to the progress of the scheme, and ATE expects councils to provide data every 3 or 6 months.

The data should include details of budget spent, project status, miles/number of schemes built.

If I’ve understood it correctly, evaluation relates to the impacts of the schemes once built. It can include cycle counters.

The guidance recommends using a ‘counterfactual’ – i.e. collecting data at the site and at a comparable site, before and after the scheme is implemented.

Councils can also use Road User Intercept Surveys.

A sub-set of councils will be asked to work with a national evaluation partner responsible for analysing data.

• ← Active Travel England to be Consulted on Planning Applications from Today
• Active Travel England Annual Report →

Save money, improve health, and help the environment

Arbed arian, gwella eich iechyd a helpu'r amgylchedd.

Overindulged at Christmas? Looking to get fit and healthy in the New Year? Then why not try out one of the many walking and cycling routes on your doorstep?

Whether you’re looking to swap from the car to a healthier and more cost-effective commute, thinking of taking a weekend stroll, or simply planning a bike ride with friends and family, there’s likely to be an opportunity nearby with more than 2000km of high-quality local walking and cycling routes already available across Wales.

Following months of public consultation and working closely with the Welsh Government, local authorities have published their Active Travel Network Maps, which include a comprehensive list of fully approved and accessible active travel routes, which can be accessed on Data Map Wales .

The maps bring together both existing routes as well as plans to deliver new and improved routes over both the short and long term with funding from the Welsh Government’s Active Travel Fund.

The 2023-24 funding round is now open for applications and the Welsh Government is encouraging local authorities to apply for funding from the £55m pot to help them realise their ambitions for active travel in their community.

Deputy Minister for Climate Change, with a responsibility for Transport, Lee Waters said:

“Getting people out of cars for short journeys and encouraging them to walk or cycle instead is a huge challenge for us, but one that has to be met if we are to reach our net zero carbon emission target by 2050. “We need to create the right infrastructure and have the right routes in place so that people have the choice of walking and cycling for their everyday journeys - we need to make the right thing to do, the easy thing to do. “There is still a long way to go, but I’m pleased to see we’re moving in the right direction.”

Notes to editors

Active Travel Fund

The Active Travel Fund is administered by Transport for Wales (TfW) on behalf of Welsh Government. The fund supports schemes that deliver the following grant objectives:

• Encourage modal shift from car to active travel in isolation or in combination with public transport
• Improve active travel access to employment, education, key services and other key traffic generating destinations
• Increase levels of active travel
• Connect communities

Since 2018 the Welsh Government has invested up to £70m each year in Active Travel Funding and will continue to do so in 2023-24, following an announcement as part of the draft Budget published earlier this month.

Local Authorities can now apply for funding and are encouraged to do so before the deadline of 2 February, 2023.   Each local authority will be able to access a minimum of £500,000 to undertake minor works to improve their active travel networks and undertake preparatory work on larger schemes.

The application guidance can be found here: Active Travel Fund: guidance for applicants 2023 to 2024 | GOV.WALES / Teithio llesol: canllawiau 2023 i 2024 | LLYW.CYMRU

The application form can be found here, however applications are submitted using TfW’s funding portal: Active travel fund: application form 2023 to 2024 | GOV.WALES / Teithio llesol: ffurflen gais 2023 i 2024 | LLYW.CYMRU

Active Travel Mapping:

The Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013 requires local authorities in Wales to produce maps of walking and cycling networks in their local area, known as Active Travel Network Maps (ATNMs). These maps are designed to show two main things:

• Existing routes – current walking and cycling routes that meet Welsh Government active travel standards and that can be used for everyday journeys, and
• Future routes – new routes that the local authority proposes to create in the future, as well as routes that are planned for improvement to bring them up to the standards.

Existing routes: The maps include a small number of existing routes that fall slightly short of the required standards, but which are deemed important enough by the local authority to be included. Where this is the case, there will be a short ‘route statement’ available explaining the route’s limitations, to enable users to make an informed decision about whether the route is suitable for them or not.

Future routes : These are intended to show how the walking and cycling network will develop over a fifteen-year period, and information about whether a route is planned for development in the short, medium or long term will be available on the maps. Local authorities use criteria such as the number of people a route could benefit, and the extent to which a route addresses local needs, to help determine the order in which routes should be developed or constructed. Timescales provided by the local authorities are indicative and may be subject to change. In particular, within the context of infrastructure development, ‘short term’ is likely to indicate an intention to build within the next five years, rather than a commitment to an imminent start date.

Active Travel Network Maps | DataMapWales (gov.wales)

Mapiau Rhwydwaith Teithio Llesol | MapDataCymru (llyw.cymru)

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Active Travel Fund Guidance

Active Travel Fund Guidance note is issued by the Welsh Government and sets out procedures for managing street works, road works, and associated maintenance activities wherever they may impact walkers and cyclists. It provides supplementary guidance to the ‘Safety at street works and road works: a code of practice 2013’ (the Red Book) in anticipation of this being updated in the future. The Welsh Government’s aim is to dramatically increase the number of people walking and cycling for everyday journeys and managing street works, road works, and maintenance activities are key to facilitating this. People will only substitute walking or cycling for a car journey if the available route is safe, comfortable, coherent, and direct. Whilst cyclists and pedestrians should always be accommodated within the road and street works the significance of active travel routes is that they attract a wider range of users.

Eligibility

To be eligible for Active Travel Fund Guidance applicants must:

• The majority of the total funding available to deliver Active Travel schemes across Wales for 2023-24 will be available through the Active Travel Fund Grant Programme. This will comprise a proportion available to local authorities through the main scheme application process, a proportion to provide local authorities with core allocation funding, and a proportion to manage the fund and support the Welsh Government to enhance the implementation of the Active Travel Act. The core allocations available to local authorities are shown in Annex 1.
• All schemes must comply with the Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013 and its supporting Active Travel Act: guidance and forms , updated in 2021. Funding for active travel schemes will only be granted where the scheme design reflects the Active Travel Act Guidance .
• Schemes that include highway improvement, construction, or traffic management must show how they comply in particular with Section 9 of the Act (Provision for walkers and cyclists in the exercise of certain functions). This includes giving due consideration to the procedures for managing street works, road works, and associated maintenance activities wherever they may impact walkers and cyclists, as set out in 114/20 Supplementary Guidance for the Safety at Street Works and Road Work a Code of Practice 2013 published by the Welsh Government.
• You will also need to confirm that a scheme is part of an existing or future designated active travel route. Identified ATNM reference numbers should be indicated on the relevant application forms.
•  When designing schemes, local authorities must also consider their responsibilities under Section 6 –The Biodiversity and Resilience of Ecosystems Duty under the Environment (Wales) Act 2016. The duty requires that public authorities must seek to maintain and enhance biodiversity so far as consistent with the proper exercise of their functions, and in so doing, promote the resilience of ecosystems. This is, for example, highly relevant to the treatment of verges and planting schemes as part of transport projects. Guidance on the Duty: Environment (Wales) Act 2016: factsheets | GOV.WALES
• Local authorities can work together on their applications. The lead local authority must be identified for each scheme. Funding would be allocated to the lead local authority.
•  We will fund works and pre-works/scheme development for main capital schemes and the cost of scheme monitoring and evaluation, engagement and promotion should be included. Local authorities should ensure that adequate consideration is given to each of these elements and that further information is included later in this guidance note.
• Funding will be allocated up to the amount awarded for actual eligible expenditure incurred on an accepted scheme. Funding will be capped at the level of the award and the local authority will be required to carry the risk of any overspending that may occur. Where increased costs arise due to exceptional circumstances, outside the local authority’s control, Welsh Government may consider making additional funding available.
• Local Authorities will be expected to deliver the schemes accepted in accordance with their applications. Reports on progress will be required at intervals throughout the 2023/24 financial year and end-of-project information should be provided, either through the existing annual reports or project-specific reports, following completion of construction projects to identify the impact of the schemes as well as to capture any lessons learned. Further information will be included in the award letter.
• The final funding recommendations will also take into consideration the extent to which the local authority has delivered against its forecasts in relation to the Active Travel Fund grant in recent years.
• Welsh Government officials, Transport for Wales officers, or their representatives may request meetings or site visits to discuss scheme progress as considered appropriate. Failure to demonstrate appropriate progress with delivery may result in funding offers being withdrawn and funding claimed up to that point being recovered from a local authority.
• Where multiple applications are submitted, all schemes or packages of schemes should be ranked in number order of priority.
• Where multi-year schemes were given approval in 2021-22 or 2022-23, an application will be required to update the information provided previously. Please provide Transport for Wales officials with the scheme names of any continuation schemes as soon as possible, as they can assist this process with the pre-population of the online portal. This should highlight changes to scheme design, timeframes and the amount of grant required. Should the application vary considerably from that previously submitted, this will be appraised as if it was a new scheme and will not automatically attract funding.
• Active Travel Fund Guidance Category 1 scheme indicative funding thresholds increased from £200,000 to £250,000.

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Application process.

• Local authorities will be expected to submit their applications via the Transport for Wales online portal .
• Further guidance and training on how to use the portal is available to local authority officers, for further information and assistance please contact TfW via email at: [email protected]
• Applications, including schemes seeking core allocation funding, must include a plan showing the scheme in as much detail as possible at the application stage and a map showing how the scheme fits within the wider active travel network to provide context. A grid reference to identify the location of the scheme must also be included on the application form.
• For all main scheme and scheme development applications, and for relevant core funding applications (e.g. where proposals will enhance or upgrade an existing route), local authorities should provide evidence to support their existing and future route audit scores in the form of completed assessments using the walking and cycling audit tools contained in the Active Travel Act Guidance. If no evidence is provided, this element of the scoring criteria will only be assessed as meeting the minimum audit requirements (70%-79%).

Supporting documentation must be provided as follows:

• maps and plans in respect of all applications (these maps and plans must clearly show the proposed measures). Core applications – a plan showing indicative locations will be sufficient. A good practice example is included in Annex 8.
• design drawings (preferably detailed design) including general arrangement drawings for all construction schemes, and for scheme development and core applications where relevant and available.
• evidence in support of stage gate progress for main schemes and scheme development proposals.
• other supporting information, which you feel is essential to the bid, must be kept to a minimum and be anonymized, where applicable.

The Active Travel Fund Guidance application requirements vary depending on whether a local authority is making applications for funding relating to main schemes, scheme development proposals, or other core allocation activities. These requirements are explained further in the following sections and summarised in Annex 7.

Related Grants

Start Package Grants 2023

LCNTDR Travel Grant Scheme 2023

The Ambassadors Grant 2023

The USIAS 2024 Fellowships

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Active travel

Find out about the active travel schemes rolled out across North Yorkshire following the Covid-19 lockdown in March 2020.

Active travel fund

Following the Covid-19 lockdown in early 2020, the Department for Transport (DfT) made funding available through the Emergency Active Travel Fund (EATF) to provide temporary infrastructure to aid social distancing.

As a result, schemes were rolled out across the country. The DfT has since announced a second round of funding made available to local authorities – this is known as the Active Travel Fund (ATF). Active Travel funding is being made available to spend in 2021/22 and is intended to enhance streets while providing space to enable non motorised users to observe social distancing.

We    bid for the funding (pdf / 574 KB) , after assessing 300 schemes across the county, including some received from the public, interest groups and county councillors. Three schemes included in the bid, to improve facilities for cyclists and pedestrians in Whitby and Harrogate, are going ahead to delivery following our acceptance of more than £1m in funding from the DfT’s Active Travel Fund.

In June 2021 the DfT announced a third round of Active Travel Funding which would make £239m available for schemes across the country.    We have submitted a bid for £1.645m (pdf / 797 KB) , which includes five schemes; two capital infrastructure schemes, two feasibility studies and progression to detailed design for a further scheme.

Emergency Active Travel Fund

In tranche 1 the total indicative allocation from the DfT to the council was £266,000 but only 50% funding was awarded following their assessment of the tranche 1 bid. We added match funding of £133,000 to complete all of the schemes set out in the tranche 1 bid given the importance of the proposed measures to the Covid-19 recovery strategy. The schemes that were delivered are listed at the bottom of this page, although it should be noted that most of these temporary schemes have now been removed.

Active Travel Fund Tranche 2

We made an ambitious bid for £1.465m of funding for five schemes after assessing 300 schemes across the county, including some received from the public, interest groups and county councillors, however, the final amount awarded to us was £1,011,750. The schemes in the Tranche 2 bid were: 

• Oatlands Drive, Harrogate 
• A59 (Maple Close, Harrogate to Knaresborough) 
• Victoria Avenue, Harrogate  
• Guisborough Road. Whitby 
• Market Place, Helmsley to Kirkdale Lane 

The route from Helmsley to Kirkdale Lane was subsequently dropped as it was an additional scheme, which was over and above the allocation.

The proposals

The proposals for each scheme are shown on the maps below. The intention is to improve access to the town centre, encourage the uptake of active modes and allow more space for social distancing. You can read further information about the proposals in our  frequently asked questions .

Please note that the Transforming Cities Fund proposals for the Harrogate town centre are a separate project and are being consulted on separately to these proposals.

Whitby Cycle Improvements

• a cycle improvement corridor is proposed to connect the Whitby Park and Ride site at Victoria Farm with Whitby town centre
• the route would be provided along Guisborough Road (A171) and Mayfield Road
• at Prospect Hill, it is anticipated that cyclists would continue to the town centre along local routes

Harrogate Cycle Improvements

Three cycle improvement corridors are planned in and around Harrogate:

A59 (Harrogate Road, Knaresborough) between Badger Mount and Maple Close.

Oatlands Drive between Hookstone Road and Knaresborough Road.

Victoria Avenue is near the County Court, between the A61 (West Park) and Station Parade.

As part of developing our proposals, a programme of consultation is a condition of the Department for Transport funding and must be undertaken before any scheme can be built (read the    active travel fund consultation plan (pdf / 332 KB) . As a result, we carried out two rounds of engagement with the local communities to get their thoughts about the proposed improvements.

A list of questions from the engagement can be found below.

Whitby public meeting questions

The following frequently asked questions are a summary of what was asked at the Whitby public meeting. We have consolidated the questions where there were duplicates and where the responses to those questions would be the same.

The phase 2 consultation has now ended and we are assessing the feedback from the survey.

Scheme Details

Yes, it is intended that cyclists will travel in both directions on the cycle path.

It is intended that the carriageway is narrowed which creates an environment which is conducive to reducing vehicle speeds.

A better understanding of the type of vehicles that use these routes, including the routes they are taking will be undertaken at the next stage of work as we develop the designs further.

The purpose of the plans is to provide the infrastructure to enable/encourage people to travel via active modes with the eventual effect of reducing congestion. The Department for Transport's Gear Change document, which sets out the vision to make England a great walking and cycling nation, states that cycling and walking will be the natural first choice for many journeys with half of all journeys in towns and cities being cycled or walked by 2030. It is anticipated that the route will be used primarily for leisure and employment purposes. We    bid for the funding (pdf / 574 KB) , after assessing 300 schemes across the county, including some received from the public, interest groups and county councillors.

Tranche 2 funding can be used to support both temporary, low-cost schemes and permanent schemes with a short lead time, so long as they meet the criteria outlined below:

• Can it be delivered in 20/21? (this subsequently changed to 21/22 because of a delay in announcing the funding allocations)
• Does it replace a well used bus route?
• Does it provide a segregated cycle/pedestrian route or close roads to traffic?
• Does it cater for BOTH cycling AND walking?
• Can it be delivered for less than our allocation of £1.065m?

This is a challenging set of criteria and a significant number of potential schemes had to be ruled out because of deliverability or cost, including the Carrs road. These schemes put forward to be funded are those that best fit the EATF criteria.

We are optimistic that should this scheme be delivered; further funding opportunities will enable us to deliver a more comprehensive route.

This is out of the scope of the Active Travel Fund.

Harrogate public meeting questions

The following frequently asked questions are a summary of what was asked at the Harrogate public meeting. We have consolidated the questions where there were duplicates and where the responses to those questions would be the same.

We recognised that some of the questions asked were not published for public viewing during the meeting. this was an administration error and we can confirm that the majority of the questions that were not published were asked in the meeting. All question submitted have been included below.

The raised platform solution is intended to compliment the other traffic calming measures proposed in the area. The proposal will be reviewed in light of the Governments cycling design guidance (LTN 1/20) and the national roll out of Tiger Crossings. As an example, the review could lead to a change to our proposals to include tiger crossings on raised platforms intended to get improved driver compliance. A Safety Audit will also be undertaken.

Opportunities to introduce horizontal measures, such as chicanes, will be explored as an alternative to speed humps where appropriate. Speed platforms across the county have offered the best connectivity at cycling and pedestrian crossings and at junctions. The use of speed platforms or alternatives will be reviewed when we get to the next stage of work (Stage 2 - Further Appraisal), however, it should be noted that to enforce a reduction in speed to 20mph such traffic calming measures are a requirement.

In addition to the cycling improvements there are multiple pedestrian improvements proposed including at the Toucan crossing (at York Place junction), there will be improved pedestrian alignment and safer crossing facilities when crossing Slingsby Walk, dropped crossing points installed at all junctions, with tactile paving arrangements, and if improved cycling facilities are provided at the Toucan crossing at Hookstone Drive junction this would then become a pedestrian only crossing. Overall these measures are complimented by the reduced speed limit and other traffic calming measures which are aimed at providing a safer environment for pedestrians.

As part of our funding allocation for the Active Travel Fund, money has been set aside to allow behaviour change measures to be introduced once the schemes are delivered.

Shared use cycling facilities are not proposed as part of these schemes and pedestrian only footways will be retained throughout. Safety Audits will be carried out for all of the proposed schemes to identify any risks.

Floating bus stops are a design approved by the Department for Transport and have been successfully implemented across the country. This type of bus stop offers safe passage for cyclists removing conflict with bus movements and passing motor vehicles. They also introduce clear, defined crossing points for pedestrians and create an environment conducive to slowing down cyclists, given the presence of pedestrian movements. Safety Audits will be carried out for all of the proposed schemes to identify any risks.

The A59 is a primary route and due to constraints on High Bridge it is not feasible to extend the mandatory segregated cycle lanes. There is a resurfacing scheme planned for later this year where the cycle lanes will be renewed enabling officers to review the current road marking arrangements (including yellow lines), hatching widths and cycle lanes to afford maximum improved advisory cycle lanes.

The current shared use cycle path on the south side of the A59 does not meet current cycling design criteria outlined in LTN 1/20, which results in cyclists regularly using the carriageway in conflict with motorists on a 50mph road. On carriageway designated, mandatory, segregated lanes along with a 40mph reduced speed limit will enhance the environment for cyclists and pedestrians and increase/ encourage modal shift.

Installation of cycle routes on the High Street and Knaresborough Road is outside the scope of the Active Travel Fund Project at this time; however, there is a long-term aspiration to develop a route in this location subject to the availability of funding.

Additionally, there are no plans to remove the 'uncontrolled' pedestrian crossing at Badger Hill, only the traffic calming refuge west of the westbound bus stop. We are aware of the need for pedestrians to safely cross the road to the residential estate and could consider installation of a Zebra Crossing as we progress the designs.

Oatlands Drive

The Department for Transport (DfT) changed the 2016 regulations in respect of cycle lanes, which means that it is not illegal to park in mandatory cycle lanes. It is illegal, however, to encroach into them whilst driving. The DfT guidance now prescribes that waiting restrictions be implemented in Mandatory cycle lanes. Double Yellow Lines will be provided from Slingsby Walk to York Place.

The proposals introduce a one way filter, similar to the filter provided at South Park Road, you would be able to turn into Wheatlands Road East from Oatlands Drive.

Hookstone Wood Road forms part of the route into the Showground via Hookstone Drive and does not form part of these proposals. This route will be considered for future improvements should further funding opportunities be made available by the DfT in line with NYCC prioritisation process. The Oatlands Drive scheme includes potential changes to the Hookstone Drive/ Hookstone Road junction with the bridge road 55 cycle route south of the junction onto the Showground Greenway which was completed in 2016.

Any traffic calming measures installed by NYCC are in accordance with national design guidelines and legislation and follow extensive research including impact upon emergency services vehicles. It is not considered that any of the measures proposed will have any impact on the emergency services access. Targeted consultation undertaken with emergency services and other road user groups would be undertaken before the scheme is delivered.

The proposed one-way filter at St Winifreds is intended to prohibit vehicles exiting onto Oatlands Drive. At St Hilda’s drive the filter is intended to prevent entry from Oatlands Drive. The filter will extend 10-15m from the junction of Oatlands Drive so traffic can still travel in both directions on the remainder of the road.

The two key reasons for introducing the filters were:  

• We receive regular complaints about school parking, congestion and manoeuvres around the St Hilda’s Road area between Oatlands and St Catherine’s; by introducing the filter we reduce the number of potential conflicts with vehicles and improve the safety for users.
• For vehicles that typically use the streets from Oatlands Drive to access the A661 Wetherby Road it may be deemed too onerous
• The filter on St Winifreds (prohibiting vehicles exiting onto Oatlands) is also intended to discourage non-residential access; it is anticipated that many people would avoid the street due to the traffic calming measures slowing them down potentially rendering the journey too onerous.

Traffic Congestion

The proposal for a one-way system on Oatlands Drive has been removed; however, there will be one way filters at a number of junctions on the route. If the scheme progresses traffic modelling will be undertaken to understand the impacts on the wider area.

The purpose of the plans is to provide the infrastructure to enable/encourage people to travel via active modes with the eventual effect of reducing congestion. If the scheme is to proceed there will be modelling work undertaken to understand the impact on the area. Parking issues on St Winifreds are not unique to the area and many concerns have been raised by residents across the Saints estate. A full parking review of the Saints would be needed so the issue gets resolved and doesn’t just get displaced. This work cannot be funded by the Active Travel Fund.

The purpose of the plans is to provide the infrastructure to enable/encourage people to travel via active modes with the eventual effect of reducing congestion. The Department for Transport's Gear Change document, which sets out the vision to make England a great walking and cycling nation, states that cycling and walking will be the natural first choice for many journeys with half of all journeys in towns and cities being cycled or walked by 2030. We know that not everyone can cycle, which is why we are investing in roads, buses and railways too. It is recognised that in order to facilitate such a change and provide safe passage for non-motorised users longer vehicle journeys in may be required; this can encourage people to choose an alternative mode of transport. If the scheme is to proceed, modelling work will be undertaken to understand the impact on the wider area including the displacement of traffic to other junctions.

The intention is to put in a one way filter (see question 14 for details on the filter) on Wheatlands Road East from Wheatlands Road East, vehicles will be prohibited from leaving Wheatlands Road East onto Oatlands Drive (except Cyclists).

This detail is obtained as part of Stage 2 - Further Appraisal. It is anticipated that if the scheme goes ahead cycle counts could be used as one of the success criteria when monitoring and evaluating the scheme.

The proposal delivers improvements at the Hookstone Road junction to make it more efficient, this will better facilitate the link to the showground. Hookstone Wood Road forms part of the route into the Showground via Hookstone Drive (see question 12 for more detail) and does not form part of these proposals. This route will be considered for future improvements should further funding streams be released by the DfT in line with NYCC prioritisation process. The Oatlands Drive scheme includes potential changes to the Hookstone Drive/ Hookstone Road junction with the bridge road 55 cycle route south of the junction onto the Showground Greenway which was completed in 2016.

Traffic Modelling carried out to help us understand the wider impact of a scheme is completed as part of Stage 2 of the Transport Appraisal Process - Further Appraisal.

Speed Restrictions

The proposal includes a 20mph zone between York Place and Hookstone Drive. As part of the introduction of a 20mph limit on Oatlands Drive we are exploring the options to extend this into thee surrounding roads, including Oatlands Drive, Hookstone Drive and Wetherby Road. Many of the surrounding roads are already subject to traffic calming and mean speeds are likely to be within the accepted speeds commensurate with 20mph limits.

The County Council has received many requests for a 20mph speed limit on Hookstone Drive. Speed surveys have shown that existing mean speeds on Hookstone Drive are too high for a 20mph limit. Additionally, an assessment of collision history has previously shown that the road does not meet the criteria for introducing further traffic calming measures which would engineer a reduction of motorist’s speeds and driving behaviour to a level suitable for a 20mph limit. Hookstone Drive cycling facilities and speed limit will be continually reviewed and prioritised for future funding streams/ bids.

NYCC continue to monitor the effect of area wide 20mph speed limit trials across the country with a view to considering their application across the county. Additionally, wider schemes that impact the town centre, such as Transforming Cities Fund, are looking to change the way that we access/use the town centre particularly in private vehicles and encourage an uptake of active modes which is complimentary to objectives of the Active Travel Fund.

We hope the features proposed will make the restrictions as self-enforcing as possible, however, as with any reduction of speed we consult with the police to ensure they support the measures before we implement them.

30mph is the national speed limit in built up areas. 20mph speed limits have, to date, been generally over smaller geographic areas and often single streets which present enforcement difficulties for the police. All speed restrictions will be installed in line with national legislation and guidance.

It is considered that effective speed reduction features will appropriately moderate driver behaviour and their speeds removing the need for Vehicle Activated Signs which are generally more effective as short term targeted driver awareness campaigns.

Public Transport

There are no plans to increase provision of public transport as part of the Active Travel Fund scheme. The proposals are intended to make improvements for all non-motorised users including the elderly and disabled.

One of the recommendations from the Harrogate Congestion Study was to boost Public Transport. NYCC has invested £10m in the Harrogate to York Railway Line to double the frequency of journeys available for passengers. NYCC also spends £1.5m per year subsidising rural bus services and £7m concessionary fares. Bus services in Harrogate are modern and frequent and we would encourage people to use these services more often. Additionally, Government recently introduced the National Bus Strategy, which is out to consultation, but is aimed at promoting better use and service offerings of buses, there is money available nationally to deliver such improvements and NYCC is considering its approach to this opportunity. Impact of the proposals on buses in the area will be picked up through the modelling, which, if the scheme proceeds, will take place as part of the next stage of work (Stage 2 - Further Appraisal).

Typically, the operators are commercially driven and they set the fares, however, there may be an opportunity as part of the National Bus Strategy previously mentioned that can enable us to work with operators to mitigate such issues.

The funding is to use on our Highway Network and cannot be used for changes on The Stray. The Stray falls under the parliamentary Stray Act 1994, any change of use for this land requires a change of the by-laws. Recently some of the by-laws were revisited, and although successful, there was a lengthy process which would likely be prohibitive for the delivery window for the Active Travel Fund (delivery must be complete by 31 March 2022). Additionally a number of trees on The Stray are protected, so extending carriageway widths etc. would make delivery difficult.

Yes, double yellow lines would be installed on the Northbound and Southbound carriageways between Slingsby Walk and York Place. The proposal will be reviewed to ensure it meets the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions regulations at Stage 2 - Further Appraisal.

NYCC will monitor the usage of Oatlands Drive and neighbouring cycle routes on completion of any successful scheme and moving forward. At the current time, there is no justification to widen the current shared use lanes however, which would require extensive changes to the Stray Act, which is often a lengthy process. It is worth noting there are a number of protected trees along this route too.

The next stage of work is detailed design, a further round of consultation will take place once these are completed. Additionally, applying changes to or implementing new parking and waiting restrictions, or prohibited/ prescribed movements to vehicular traffic require new/ amendments to TROs, which include statutory advertising and consulting procedures. All schemes must be delivered by March 2022.

The designs were produced before the LTN 1/20 guidance note was issued by Government. We have since reviewed the designs to try to adhere to the standard where possible and as we move into Stage 2 - Further Appraisal we will review these widths. All schemes will be reviewed with the Department for Transport and discussions around any requirements for departure from standard will take place.

There is a Cycling Plan for Harrogate published on the County Council Website (northyorks.gov.uk/local-cycling-and-walking-infrastructure-plans-lcwips). All schemes and initiatives in the area are cumulative and will eventually have the effect of making it more attractive for our residents to walk and cycle. We presented a the slide at the meeting showing the existing and proposed cycle route network although unfortunately some of these schemes do not have funding for delivery yet.

Other Schemes

As part of the National Productivity Investment Fund (NPIF) a new off carriageway cycle route will be introduced/ constructed. Among the planned upgrades are improvements to junctions on Otley Road including smart traffic lights, extra traffic lanes, a new off road cycle lane to link into the developing cycle network and new or improved pedestrian crossings. These engineering measures will be complimented by an investment into the ‘softer’ measures such as publicity and education regarding sustainable travel. This has been delayed due to The Stray Act 1994 and some issues with utilities but work is underway on this. More  information about the utilities work can be found here .

As part of the wider Harrogate Transport Improvement Planning (HTIP) work, which is a continuation of the Harrogate Congestion Study, we have produced a report on the potential use of Park and Ride. We will publish the report in the coming months and consider how we intend to deliver the actions from this work.

Our Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIP’s) are available to view on our website here.

The LCWIP’s produce a short, medium and longer-term plan for cycling infrastructure investment when funding becomes available, it gives us a list of priorities (and an explanation for each of the priorities). For the longer term, Harrogate’s LCWIP provides an indicative delivery programme for the next 10 years but this relies on funding being made available to us. Ripon Road is, amongst other routes, identified as a longer-term ‘indicative route’ in that programme.

It could be deliverable if there was a suitable funding opportunity. This has been noted as a recommendation.

We have introduced a low traffic neighbourhood already on Beech Grove through an Experimental Order which gives the Council 18 months to trial the scheme to understand whether it works or not. There have been mixed views about the existing scheme but once the outcome of this scheme has been realised we will use this as evidence/example for if and how we introduce them elsewhere. Active monitoring of any schemes that are implemented will be undertaken.

The one-way filters proposed on St Hilda's and St Winifreds are intended to discourage through traffic (in addition to the deterrent caused by complimentary traffic calming measures). Based on feedback received in the consultation to date, further filters to discourage through traffic are being considered as part of the design work.

Beech Grove Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) is a separate scheme. the monitoring and evaluation criteria for the LTN include pre and post-trial road safety audits, traffic and air quality monitoring, parking surveys, cycling and walking audits etc. As LTNs are typically not DfT-funded schemes there is no specific Government guidance for Local Authorities to follow in terms of measuring the success of an LTN, however, the leading Local Authority implements such LTN trials through an Experimental Traffic Order which enables monitoring of the defined success measures along with the ability to alter/tweak the scheme throughout.

General Comments

No, we have no evidence to suggest that those who dislike a scheme are more likely to object to a scheme than those who agree with a scheme lodging supporting comments.

The purpose of the plans is to reduce congestion by providing the infrastructure to enable/encouraging people to travel via active modes.

Recently the County Council and the Local Enterprise Partnership carried out a study to investigate barriers to delivery of electric vehicle charge points across the county. We are planning ahead to 2030 when the sale of new vehicles with an internal combustion engine will be banned and NYCC recognises its responsibility in delivering the infrastructure in the right places to encourage/facilitate a shift to electric vehicles. Unfortunately, a switch to EVs alone will not remove the issues of congestion in the area and so delivering the infrastructure for people to feel safe enough to travel using active modes, such as cycling and walking, is equally important.

If they are for active travel. Please  send your suggestions online . For highway improvements please submit them to the relevant area team.

The bridleway that runs south of the Hookstone Drive/ Hookstone Road/ Oatlands Drive already forms part of the Harrogate cycle route and NCN route 67. Hookstone Wood Road route is an additional route that allows access from Hookstone Chase/ east Harrogate via Hookstone Drive and Hookstone Wood Road into the showground and onto NCN67. There is presently a Toucan crossing facility within the junction that will be upgraded to enable improved cyclist crossing from Bridle Road.

Development

A recommendation on which schemes should progress to the next stage of development was made to BES Executive Members on 21 May 2021. See  a copy of the recommendation report . See  the decision record . In summary, three schemes are progressing through delivery:

Oatlands Drive has been removed from the Active Travel Fund and will be progressed as a separate feasibility study; we are currently developing the brief and expect to commence work in autumn 2021.

Active Travel Fund Tranche 3

In Tranche 3 there is a total of £239m capital funding available to all local authorities across the UK. We have not been given an indicative allocation for this round of funding but authorities have been told to expect a similar level of funding to that received in 2020/2021. Our indicative allocation was £1,331,000 for tranches 1 and 2 combined. The funding announcement is expected in autumn and our allocation must be spent before March 2023.

To qualify for funding this year, authorities must commit to the following key principles:

• schemes must comply with LTN 1/20 cycling design standards
• scheme prioritisation should be linked to the development of Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs)
• schemes must be developed in consultation with local communities
• all schemes must be supported by Local Authority leaders 

Bids will be assessed in line with the following criteria, which will guide final allocations to authorities:

• propensity to convert short vehicle journeys into cycling and walking, resulting in carbon, air quality and congestion benefits
• tackling areas with poor health outcomes and with high levels of deprivation
• number of people that will benefit from the measures
• compliance with the key principles above

The schemes put forward to be funded are those that best fit the tranche 3 criteria. Tranche 3 funding can be used to support a range of scheme types and can also be used to support feasibility studies and scheme design as well as construction.

In tranche 2 of the ATF we received a large volume of requests for various improvements for pedestrians and cyclists from members of the public, county councillors and other interest groups. Officers have revisited these suggestions and assessed them against the tranche 3 criteria, however, a large number of schemes were immediately ruled out due to deliverability within the timescales of this funding or cost. The remaining schemes were then tested against the criteria outlined above.

Following the input from stakeholders and analysis of potential schemes against the tranche 3 criteria the following capital schemes have been identified as appropriate to take forward:

In order to assess local authorities’ political support and technical capability for active travel, Active Travel England, a newly created commissioning body and inspectorate, sponsored by the Department for Transport (DfT), is responsible for improving the standards of walking and cycling infrastructure in England, and enforcing standards and deliverability of schemes) has issued local authorities with a self-assessment to complete; this will help to establish baseline ambition and capability levels in each local authority area. Active Travel England states that they wish to provide the right support and tools for local authorities, based on these baseline factors. Active Travel England will provide sustained funding and support to local authority delivery partners that have:

• a clear plan and political support to deliver
• committed to delivering high quality schemes, leveraging in wider investment
• supportive policies

In line with Active Travel England’s request, we have completed the self-assessment process; there are four sections to the self-assessment, please view    our self assessment (pdf / 3 MB) .

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