Active Travel Fund Scheme

Following the government’s announcement about the gradual easing of lockdown restrictions, local transport authorities are helping residents, commuters and businesses by making changes to the transport network as travel needs change. The Department for Transport has outlined a number of changes to local transport which need to be considered to support the recovery of the economy and in response to the green and active travel agenda. Central government identify local transport networks as being central to local economic recovery and therefore it is expected that changes to the local travel network should be quickly mobilised and should help embed altered behaviours and demonstrate the positive effects of active travel.

Portsmouth City Council’s approach to addressing the changes needed to the transport network to support the economic recovery of the city is set out in our Emergency Transport Recovery Plan. The Plan aligns with the objectives of the draft Local Transport Plan 4 and sets out the initial activity that will take place over the next year to support the restart of local transport, including identifying a number of sustainable and active travel measures that will be delivered.

To fund delivery of some of the measures detailed within the Recovery Plan Portsmouth City Council submitted an application into tranche 1 the Government’s Emergency Active Travel Fund and was successful in securing £214,515. This funding is being used to deliver a number of temporary schemes aimed at providing more and safer space for walking and cycling. On 7 August the Council submitted a bid into tranche 2 of the fund which, if successful could see an additional £769,000 to be used towards further improvements to walking and cycling infrastructure in the city.

You can find out more about these schemes here

The measures being introduced through tranche 1 of the Emergency Active Travel Funding are temporary and therefore the approach to stakeholder engagement is different so that swift changes can be made as required by the funding. Feedback on each scheme is welcomed and included as an essential part of our review process.