Councils across England have been allocated more than £626 million to expand walking, wheeling and cycling routes as part of the Government’s mission to deliver safer streets, healthier communities and greener transport options.
The multi-year investment, first announced in June’s Spending Review, is expected to deliver 500 miles of new and upgraded active travel routes and support 170,000 additional active trips every day. The funding will help local authorities design and build safer, more attractive infrastructure that encourages people to choose low-carbon ways of getting around.
Active Travel England (ATE) published the full funding breakdown today (10th December), alongside the latest active travel capability ratings for 2025.
These ratings assess each council’s ability to plan and deliver high-quality walking, wheeling and cycling schemes and are scored from 0 to 4. Higher-rated authorities will receive a larger share of capital funding, while those with lower ratings will benefit from additional training, support and guidance.
This year, nine local authorities improved their rating, contributing to an overall 10% improvement across England. The councils moving up a level are: Bournemouth and Poole, Cheshire East, Derbyshire, Gloucestershire, Milton Keynes, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, South Yorkshire and West of England.
Tees Valley was the only authority to see its rating fall and will now receive targeted support from ATE.
The funding package also includes £21.6 million for future uplifts, allowing high-performing councils to receive top-ups in 2026/27 and enabling investment in emerging priorities.
The greatest beneficiary is the West Midlands Combined Authority which will receive £36,009,295, followed by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (£35,419,725) and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (£29,018,362).
London boroughs are excluded because transport in the capital is devolved. Allocations elsewhere are based on population size and capability level and will supersede the Consolidated Active Travel Fund in 2026/27.
Money will be distributed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for mayoral combined authorities, and by the Department for Transport for all others.
National Active Travel Commissioner Chris Boardman said: ‘The aim of Active Travel England is to give people more everyday choice in how they get around, by creating safe, accessible and welcoming streets.
‘Our innovative funding approach is proving effective, consistently raising the ability of local authorities to deliver the level of quality needed to achieve that ambition. This is evidenced by nine authorities improving their capability rating this year, showing what’s possible when investment and levels of support are carefully tuned to local needs.
‘We are not just building infrastructure — together, we are creating communities: places where parents feel confident letting children travel independently, and where older people can reach local shops with ease. We are building life back into our streets.’
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