Applications open today (Wednesday 25 February) for a share of £1 million funding for schemes that make it safer and easier for people to walk, wheel and cycle across our region.
David Skaith, the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, launched the fund at Oatlands Junior School in Harrogate, where a range of innovative measures has led to more than 90 per cent of children walking, wheeling or cycling to school.
A collaborative effort by the local community, Oatlands Junior School and Infant School, supported by North Yorkshire Council, has resulted in a School Street that has transformed a congested road into a safer space, and park and stride locations, enabling the launch of a joint school community Bike Bus attended by up to 100 people every fortnight.
Other initiatives include a school bike library at the Infant School, which has seen nearly 50 children learn to ride a bike for the first time, 20mph zone and Dr Bike sessions to keep cycles in top condition.
David Skaith, the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said: “Walking, wheeling and cycling should be part of a safer, happier school run. It’s fun, it’s healthy, and it’s precious quality time for children at the start and end of the day.
“That’s why I’m kickstarting a revolution in active travel. Through the Mayor’s Active Travel Fund, I’m putting power into the hands of local people to create safer routes to build healthier, greener, and better connected places for generations to come.
“We’re backing communities with this £1 million investment, supporting practical, local initiatives that make a real difference on our streets and outside our school gates.”
The funding forms part of a wider £4 million programme to double investment in walking, wheeling and cycling across the region. More than £2 million is already available to public bodies, including local councils, with successful applications due to be announced in the next few weeks.
Rhiannon Letman-Wade, Active Travel Commissioner for York and North Yorkshire, said: “The schemes running in Harrogate are exactly the kind of projects we want to see more of across the region. They show how a community can secure much-needed improvements and create safer streets for children and the wider community.
“This fund is about empowering communities to take the lead, supported by targeted investment, so that together we can provide opportunities for people across our city, towns, rural and coastal areas to make more affordable and sustainable travel choices.”
The fund will support initiatives that:
- Improve walking routes
- Increase accessibility, such as installing dropped kerbs
- Build skills and confidence through cycle training or safe spaces to learn
- Encourage behaviour change, such as School Streets, bike buses and park and stride schemes
- Provide secure cycle storage
Community organisations, businesses, charities and schools can apply before the deadline on Friday 10 April. The fund is being managed by North Yorkshire Sport on behalf of the Combined Authority. Full guidance and an application form is available at yorknorthyorks-ca.gov.uk/project/mayors-active-travel-fund/
The Mayor’s Active Travel Fund is part of the Mayor’s £7 million Moving Forward campaign, which aims to create a healthier and more thriving York and North Yorkshire through investment in schemes that support movement, health and connection to the outdoors.
Drew Morley, Deputy Headteacher at Oatlands Junior School, said: “We are delighted to see the launch of the Mayor’s Active Travel Fund for communities today.
“It will be fantastic for other school children in the region to benefit from the road safety and active travel initiatives here like the school street, 20mph scheme and Oatlands Bike Bus, which enable safer, active and healthier journeys to and from school.”
Linzi Elder-Gibbins, a parent at the school, said: “From a safety point of view it’s really important that children are able to travel to school without the fear of being run over. It’s good to be able to give them a bit of independence. We’ve always walked to school, and I notice more people walk since the measures have been in place.”
