Did your local authority win its Bikeability bid?

Transport Minister Rosie Winterton today announced that over £3m would be dedicated to providing Bikeability cycle training to nearly 80,000 school children by March 2009.

This funding is part of the record £140m package announced in January, which will give up to half a million ten to eleven year olds cycle training by 2012.

The successful bids were revealed today. All have been met in full.

Merseyside Travel Partnership was the most ambitious, asking for (and getting) £346,000 to train 8,650 children.

Redcar & Cleveland MBC’s bid was much lower but was also met in full, down to the very last four pennies. Its bid of £18,379.04 will train 466 children.

Bikeability training gives children and parents the skills and confidence to cycle safely on today’s busy roads, enabling them to undertake short journeys, for example cycling to school.

Ms Winterton said:

“Encouraging cycling also encourages healthier lifestyles. Considering obesity now affects around one quarter of adults and 1 in 10 children, encouraging people to take exercise has never been more important.

“At the same time congestion is getting worse. If parents can be satisified their children can cycle safely they are more likely to let them use their bikes. And getting children cycling could even encourage their parents to dust off their own bikes.”

The funding will support the new National Cycle Training Standard being promoted in England by Cycling England as Bikeability – the new cycling proficiency for the 21st century.

This training allows children to learn essential road safety skills and gain greater awareness of the dangers on the road – giving parents reassurance that their children are suitably equipped to use the roads and enjoy their bikes. The training is also complemented by Cycling England’s funding of links to school from the National Cycle Network and increases in secure cycle parking at schools.

Philip Darnton, Chairman of Cycling England in supporting the DfT announcement, said:

“This is wonderful news for cycling. We are making real progress with the delivery of Bikeability training. We are now well on course to exceed the 100,000 additional training places promised to the then Secretary of State when Cycling England was set up in 2005 and the extra 500,000 training places the Department wants by 2012.”

Local Authority Grant Number of
Allocation£ children to be trained

Bath & NE Somerset Council 14,175 350
Barnsley MBC 52,000 1300
Bedfordshire County Council 32,000 800
Birmingham City Council 40,000 1000
Blackburn with Darwen B. Council 20,000 500
Blackpool Borough Council 19,800 600
Bolton MBC 40,000 1000
Bradford MBC 10,000 250
Brighton & Hove Council 55,200 1380
Bristol City Council 36,000 900
Bury MBC 10,000 250
Buckinghamshire County Council 57,500 2500
Coventry City Council 20,000 500
Cumbria County Council 150,000 3750
Devon County Council 16,800 480
Doncaster MBC 16,000 400
Dudley MBC 40,000 1000
Durham City Council 188,000 4,700
Essex County Council 10,000 250
Gateshead MBC 19,941 690
Hampshire County Council 100,000 2500
Hartlepool Borough Council 76,000 1900
Hertfordshire County Council 65,000 1625
Kent County Council 14,000 350
Kirklees Council 32,000 800
Lancashire County Council 11,520 288
Leicester City Council 92,000 2300
Luton Borough Council 10,000 250
Manchester city Council 56,640 1416
Medway District Council 80,000 2,000
Merseyside Travel Partnership 346,000 8,650
Middlesborough Borough Council 10,000 250
Northamptonshire County Council 50,000 1250
Northumberland County Council 100,000 2500
North Somerset District Council 30,000 1000
North Tyneside Council 16,294.50 450
Nottingham City Council 23,040 576
Nottinghamshire County Council 30,400 800
Oldham MBC 32,640 816
Oxfordshire County Council 15,000 375
Redcar & Cleveland MBC 18,379.04 466
Rotherham MBC 40,000 1000
Rutland MBC 12,000 300
Salford City Council 22,000 550
Sheffield City Council 60,680 1517
Shropshire County Council 20,000 500
Slough Borough Council 10,000 250
Solihull MBC 10,000 250
Somerset County Council 16,000 400
Southend Borough Council 19,200 640
South Gloucester Council 12,000 300
South Tyneside Council 103,680 2,592
Staffordshire County Council 156,000 4,000
Stockport MBC 24,000 600
Stockton on Tees MBC 32,000 800
Stoke-on-Trent City Council 48,000 1200
Surrey County Council 73,382 3631
Tameside MBC 32,000 800
Telford & Wrekin Council 32,000 800
Thurrock Borough Council 24,000 600
Torbay Borough Council 10,000 250
Warrington Borough Council 79,160 1979
Warwickshire County Council 12,800 320
West Berkshire District Council 10,000 250
Wigan MBC 20,160 504
Wiltshire County Council 40,000 100
Worcestershire County Council 18,000 450
Wolverhampton MBC 40,000 1000