£358,000 for walking and cycling routes in Cumbria

Plans to create walking and cycling routes in Cumbria have been given a £358,000 boost from the Government.

Cumbria County Council has been awarded the cash from the Department for Transport and will use it to develop prioritised routes identified in infrastructure plans created for Carlisle, Barrow, Kendal, Workington, Whitehaven and Penrith.

Funding will also be used to train and retain local authority officers and local councillors in the principles of high-quality active travel design, to establish a skilled and local active travel workforce that can develop well thought-through cycling and walking schemes.

Funded activities include:

• Bespoke training for local authority officers and local councillors
• Network design and planning
• Feasibility studies
• Public engagement/consultation and co-design
• Data and evidence collection

Active Travel England, the government’s new executive agency responsible for administering the fund, will invest £32.9 million nationally to accelerate the development of walking and cycling schemes across the country.

Cllr Keith Little, Cumbria County Council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “It is fantastic news that the walking and cycling team’s funding application was approved.

“The funding will help develop the routes identified in the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans, which were published in 2022.

“This way we can encourage more people to take up walking and cycling within the county, to improve connectivity between communities, boost health and wellbeing, and tackle climate change.

“Thanks to this funding, from April 1, Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council will be able to expand these work streams even further.”