A scrutiny working group at Huntingdonshire District Council is recommending greater expenditure on cycling to encourage healthier lifestyles and reduce traffic congestion.

The council has spent over £600,000 on cycling provision over the past five years and has budgeted for an additional £850,000 over the next four years.  This includes the provision of safe cycle routes, cycle shelters and specific cycleway provision.  However much of that has been in the market towns and the working group has concluded that not enough is being done to develop links between towns and villages, nor to identify extra funding sources.

As a result of the working group’s investigations, Cambridgeshire County Council officers are updating the existing cycling strategy first approved in 2000 with an action plan that should enable funding to be obtained under the Local Transport Plan for new cycleways in Huntingdonshire.  The district council is also being recommended to negotiate specific funding for cycling from developers instead of this being part of a larger transportation ‘pot’ and for this to be retained locally to implement the new cycling action plan.

Councillor Philip Godfrey who was one of the three member working group said, "the health benefits of physical activity such as cycling are well documented. Cycling offers a great opportunity for people to become more active, while at the same time reducing traffic congestion and air pollution by not using their cars to get to work or take their children to school.  I hope that our recommendations will lead to a safe cycleway network to be created in Huntingdonshire and encourage people to use cycles as a more environmentally friendly and healthier option to the car".