Sustrans has warned that government cuts will affect the number of children and schools that can access the Bikeability cycling education scheme. The project receives much of its funding from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund which comes to an end in April.
The full details of government spending plans will be announced in the Spending Review tomorrow, but we’ve previously reported how four government departments, including the Department for Transport (DfT), have agreed to spending cuts of eight per cent a year. However, cycling is likely to be even harder hit with ministers under pressure to protect a £15.2bn programme to upgrade a hundred A roads and motorways as well as Network Rail’s £38.5bn upgrade plan.
Rob King, director of Outspoken Training which provides Bikeability in Cambridgeshire, told Cambridge News that budget cuts would mean reducing the volume of training on offer. "Government funding is a key part of the services we deliver,” he said. “A lot of people would be affected by such budget cuts."
Bikeability is currently available in around 4,000 schools in the Cambridgeshire area, offering training for all ages and ability, including free cycling classes to younger age groups.
"Funding for levels one and two, which provides five and six year olds with essential bike riding training are currently funded by the government. Considering this, younger rides would most likely be most affected by government cuts. We don't know how popular such programmes would remain under private funding."
With funding running out in April, Sustrans has reiterated its demand that 25 per cent of transport spending be dedicated to the Local Sustainable Transport Fund.
Claire Francis, campaigns manager at Sustrans, said that without continuity in funding the country was moving away from enabling every child to have a safe journey to school.
"The government should be spending around £26 per head on transport and the public agree – yet new proposals show figures will be severely under that figure.
"All we are asking for is for 25 per cent of transport spending to be dedicated to the Local Sustainable Transport Fund – which really isn't too much to ask. Sustainable transport has a number of benefits, ranging from improvements in health, environment and sustainability and it should be higher on the government's agenda."
British Cycling’s #ChooseCycling Network – a group of major British businesses including GlaxoSmithKline, The AA, Sky, Virgin Trains and the National Grid – has also called on George Osborne to invest in cycling to create a healthier workforce and so boost productivity. In an open letter, they said that “a modest investment from government now will create jobs in the short term and deliver huge long-term benefits for society.”
Sustrans is encouraging people to oppose the cuts by emailing their local MP.
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9 comments
DfT have apparently said that funding for the next 4 financial years will be £50m. Grants for 2015-16 total over £20m, so just to maintain current funding levels would require £80m for those 4 years.
Looks like amost a 40% cut unless I'm missing something.
I hope that many schools would choose to fund Bikeability themselves, or at least get the PTA to raise funds for it. This is still unlikely to be enough.
Firstly, schools in deprived areas will be least likely to be able to afford to do this -and we know that their children are the ones who are most likely to be injured on the roads and are also the ones who are most in need of bikes to give them mobility as their families have less money for cars and bus fares.
Secondly, cutting Bikeability will send a signal to teachers and families that learning to cycle safely is not important and, even that cycling on the roads is not appropriate. The knock-on effect is likely to be that fewer children will be allowed to cycle and cycling will become more marginalised with parents and teachers seeing it as too dangerous.
My sons benefited from doing one of these courses. They were both experienced cyclists but had ridden mostly on off road tracks or in parks. After doing the course, they became very confident on road as well and I felt much more at ease with the idea of them cycling from here to there, to football training or to see friends and so on.
As a headteacher I would say that if the funding is cut we would try to retain this through school budget and parental contributions. It's really worth it. Children learn a lot in a short amount of time. We need more of this sort of thing, not less.
Lot of our local balance bike training up in Derbyshire is funded through the School Sports Partnership which is a different pot of money and part of the 'Olympic legacy'.
Shame if the Bikeabilty funding is at risk. Start em early on that and with any luck it'll point em in the right direction for when they drive.
it really is clear the government haven't got a f***ing clue. Cut social care and then wonder why the NHS suffers, cut non car transport spend and wonder why obeisity and ill health rises...
Only another 4 years and 6 months till the next election! (what hope for a no cofidence vote!!!)
Typically short-sighted. Way to inspire a generation!
Imagine how much cycling infrastructure we could build with £15.2bn.
If only the government gave a shit.
If only! We knew they didn't before the election but all the bastards who voted for them kidded themselves it would be OK.
So much for the bullshit about fighting obesity, making the roads safer etc etc. This is one tiny tip of the biggest f***king iceberg of cuts we have ever seen, cuts that will disproportionately affect the less well off, less mobile, less able... Welcome to Tory Britain.