Sheffield cycling: South Yorkshire lands £17m for walking, wheeling and cycling schemes
South Yorkshire has landed almost £17m for walking, wheeling and cycling schemes after active travel leadership went up a gear.
The mayoral combined authority has been allocated £16.97m from government over the next four years.
It was the second highest amount among eight authorities awarded cash in Yorkshire and the Humber, behind West Yorkshire Combined Authority with £29m.
It comes after South Yorkshire improved its ‘capability rating’ from level two to level three, out of four.
Level 3 is defined as ‘very strong local leadership and organisational capability, comprehensive plans, and a significant network in place with a growing number of people choosing to walk, wheel and cycle’.
The funding allocations were announced by Active Travel England.
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.”
In September, The Star revealed Sheffield City Council had spent £27m on networks to boost active travel in the last two years.