More than £626 million is being distributed to councils across England to expand networks for walking, wheeling and cycling, supporting the Government’s aim to deliver safer streets, healthier neighbourhoods and more sustainable transport choices.
The multi-year package, originally announced in the June Spending Review, is expected to deliver around 500 miles of new and improved active travel routes. According to government projections, the investment could enable around 170,000 additional active journeys each day. Local authorities will use the funding to design and build safer, higher-quality infrastructure that encourages people to choose low-carbon travel for everyday trips.
Active Travel England (ATE) has now released the full funding allocations (10 December) alongside the latest capability ratings for 2025, which assess each council’s readiness to plan and deliver strong walking, wheeling and cycling schemes. Councils are scored between 0 and 4, with those achieving higher levels receiving larger capital allocations. Authorities with lower scores will receive focused training and support to help them improve.
This year, nine councils have moved up a level — Bournemouth and Poole, Cheshire East, Derbyshire, Gloucestershire, Milton Keynes, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, South Yorkshire and the West of England — contributing to a 10% improvement nationwide. Tees Valley was the only authority to drop a level and will receive targeted assistance from ATE.
The funding announcement also includes £21.6 million for future uplifts, allowing top-performing authorities to access further investment in 2026/27 and enabling spending in response to emerging priorities.
The West Midlands Combined Authority will receive the highest allocation at £36,009,295, followed by Greater Manchester (£35,419,725) and West Yorkshire (£29,018,362). London boroughs are not included in this programme due to transport responsibilities being devolved in the capital. Funding for other regions is determined using population size and capability scores, and the allocations will replace the Consolidated Active Travel Fund starting in 2026/27.
Distribution will be handled by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for mayoral combined authorities, and by the Department for Transport for all remaining councils.
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.”
