William Eichler 26 February 2020

Councils spend average of £2 per head on cycling infrastructure, study reveals

Local authorities have spent on average just £2 per head of population per year on cycling infrastructure over the last ten years, new research reveals.

Freedom of information requests to 55 English unitary authorities by Nottingham Trent researchers Dr Seamus Allison and Aoife Allison elicited data from 25 councils.

The data showed that the average spend per head of population was £2.02 on average over ten years. In 2018/19 the average spend was £2.83 and the five-year average was £2.58.

There was a wide range of spends across the authorities. The highest spend per head of population was £8.58 on average across the 10 years and the lowest was £0.03.

‘There have been various promises made by Government over the last 10 years regarding cycling,’ said Dr Allison.

‘This includes the prime minister’s recent pledge of £350m to create 250 miles of cycling infrastructure in 51 target cities. However, it has been pointed out that this would deliver on average under five miles per city and is just £1 spend per head.’

The Cycling & Walking Alliance is calling for the Government’s investment to be at least 5% of transport spend in 2020, to rise to a minimum of 10% over the next five years. In terms of spend per head of population this equates to £17 in 2020/21 and rising by 2024/25 to £34 per head.

Nineteen authorities commented that they did not separately record the spend on cycling infrastructure projects, and 18 did not respond to the freedom of information requests.

‘The data suggests that English local authorities are not investing in cycling infrastructure at anywhere near what has been called for by active travel organisations,’ Dr Allison added.

‘What's more, the fact that so many admitted that they do not record the spend on cycling suggests that they do not see this as a priority and are unlikely to have targets in this area. This appears to support the view that three-quarters of Britons feel their local authority does not take cycling seriously.’

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Director of Public Health

Royal Borough of Greenwich
Up to £131,210
The Public Health department is at the heart of the council’s business. Greenwich, London (Greater)
Recuriter: Royal Borough of Greenwich

Head of Regeneration and Growth

Plymouth City Council
£68,387 - £74,411 (MFS and relocation available, pay award pending)
This is a unique opportunity to lead our award-winning development team and directly deliver hundreds of millions of pounds of projects. Plymouth, Devon
Recuriter: Plymouth City Council

Director of Adult Social Care

Wiltshire Council
£119,390 - £127,137
Join us as the Director of Adult Social Care and make a real difference to people’s lives. Wiltshire
Recuriter: Wiltshire Council

Assistant Director Planning, Performance & Engagement

East Sussex County Council
up to £97,700
With strong local communities, unspoilt countryside and vibrant coastal towns, East Sussex offers an exceptional quality of life to many. East Sussex
Recuriter: East Sussex County Council

Director of Finance & Commerce

Lancashire County Council
Up to £114,339
You will play a critical role in driving the organisation through complex change and innovation. Lancashire
Recuriter: Lancashire County Council
Linkedin Banner