The Department for Transport has announced allocations for the £200m fourth (2022-23) round of the Active Travel Fund and revealed that it had blocked all low traffic neighbourhood (LTNs) schemes from the funding.
The DfT suggested that, unlike the winners, LTNs did not 'benefit the community as a whole'.
Over 265 schemes in 60 areas will receive a share of the £200m, which will provide 121 miles of new cycle track, 77 miles of new paths and greenways and initiatives to make streets safer around 130 schools.
The DfT said government funding has meant cycling across England has continued to thrive and is up 11% on pre-pandemic levels, increasing by more than 20% in the past 10 years.
However, charity Sustrans pointed to active travel funding cuts announced by Mr Harper in March, which it said represent a two-thirds reduction of dedicated capital spending on active travel from £308m to £100m over two years.
The charity argued this meant that the Government’s own target of 50% of urban journeys being walked, wheeled or cycled by 2030 will be impossible.
In a newly-released letter to MPs, transport secretary Mark Harper declined to state what level of funding would be required to meet the 2030 target.
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