Worcestershire to receive 50k active travel boost

The funding has been awarded as part of the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Capability Fund and will be used to appoint an Active Travel Officer.

The new Active Travel Officer will generate new and support existing initiatives to improve levels of activity and promote behaviour change. They will support the development and implementation of emerging walking and cycling plans, identify and address barriers to active travel and monitor the use of walking and cycling routes across the county.

Councillor Alan Amos, Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Highways and Transport, said: “I’m pleased that we’ve been awarded the funding to put in place an Active Travel Officer. This will help us to build upon and support our ambitious programme of walking and cycling improvements in Worcestershire.

“The Council is committed to improving the walking and cycling network, this funding is another example of that, and we will continue to look for other funding opportunities to support our plans for active travel across the county.”

The Local Authority Capability Fund supports the commitment made in Gear Change, the Prime Minister’s Cycling and Walking Plan, in July 2020, to increase the capabilities of local authorities to plan good active travel infrastructure, including building more expertise and undertaking more evidence-based planning. The total amount of funding that will be provided in 2021/22 is £30 million.

Works are at various stages of delivery on the Emergency Active Travel Schemes, which includes improvements and widening to the path network around Arrow Valley Lake, improvements to surfacing and signage along Worcester canal towpath between Diglis and Sixways, widening and resurfacing sections of the canal towpath between Stourport and Kidderminster and Wyre Forest Active Travel Corridor which involves the provision of a separated, high quality active travel link along Wyre Road. The delivery of these schemes will be complete by spring 2022.

In addition, the Council has recently delivered zebra crossings in Honeybourne and Broadway, installed over 50 dropped kerbs with tactile paving at various locations across the county, made countywide improvements to bus stop infrastructure and installed new cycle parking facilities at various locations throughout the county.