Cycling infrastructure continues to be sidelined by local councils across England despite more than £600 million in active travel funding being allocated, according to new research by retailer Paul’s Cycles.
Local authorities have received condensed active travel grants and are now deciding how the money will be spent in their areas. But Paul’s Cycles warns that, historically, cycling schemes have too often been scaled back or scrapped altogether once plans reach the delivery stage.
Tom Thornley, Managing Director at Paul’s Cycles, said: ‘Too often, cycling is added to development plans as a box-ticking exercise and removed later with little scrutiny. The government encourages active travel, but councils continue to remove the infrastructure needed to support it.
‘Cutting cycling schemes might look like an easy saving on paper, but it creates higher costs elsewhere and further down the line. Even if you never plan to cycle, cycling infrastructure still benefits you.’
The research points to several examples of previously reduced or abandoned schemes. In Norwich, cycling upgrades along Dereham Road were scrapped without consultation due to rising costs. In the West Midlands, a key cycling route funded in 2019 has faced delays after being labelled a low priority, prompting a petition signed by more than 3,000 residents.
Elsewhere, a protected cycle track was removed from Harrogate’s Station Gateway project, while campaigners in Bristol described the sidelining of cycle safety improvements in favour of bus lanes as a ‘massive policy failure’.
Paul’s Cycles analysed funding allocations per 1,000 residents to identify areas with the greatest potential to support cycling. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole ranked highest at £27,182 per 1,000 residents, followed by Gloucestershire (£26,839) and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough (£26,677). BCP and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough both saw significant increases compared with previous rounds.
However, the five areas that received the most funding between 2020 and 2025 have all experienced substantial reductions, including Liverpool City Region, which saw a drop of £52,944 per 1,000 residents. Central Bedfordshire, Luton and West Berkshire are now among the lowest-funded authorities.
Thornley argues that cycling is wrongly perceived as serving only a minority. “Cycling infrastructure is still viewed as serving a small minority, rather than the large group of people who would cycle if conditions were right,” he said.
Research cited by the company suggests that for every £1 spent on walking and cycling schemes, nearly £6 is returned in benefits, while 72% of women and 50% of men say poor road conditions or a lack of cycle lanes prevent them from cycling.
‘If councils are serious about sustainability targets, public health and affordable transport, cycling infrastructure cannot be the first thing dropped when budgets tighten,’ Thornley added.
Read more about the research here
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