DORSET Council is one of the most ambitious in the country in encouraging people to cycle, according to a national cycling charity.

Cycling UK has identified Dorset as one of 23 councils in England whose plans demonstrate a desire to encourage more people to walk and cycle coming out of lockdown.

The government has placed a strong emphasis on the essential role of cycling and walking in order to avoid overcrowding on public transport.

The Department for Transport released the first instalment of its Emergency Active Travel Fund in May and wrote at the time, “the new funding is designed to help you use pop-up and temporary interventions to create an environment that is safe for both walking and cycling in your area.”

Suggestions made to councils include temporary segregated cycle lanes, traffic free streets and meaningful reallocation of road space.

Through analysing the government’s funding announcement for local authorities, Cycling UK has identified 23 councils which received more than the 20% indicating “highly ambitious plans” to encourage more active travel.

Duncan Dollimore, head of campaigns at Cycling UK said: “These funding allocations read like a half term report on English councils’ plans to get more people to walk and cycle as restrictions on movement ease. Most of the class understands the risk of gridlock in their towns and cities, if people who normally take public transport choose to drive over walking and cycling for shorter journeys. But there’s a disappointing percentage whose report cards will read ‘Try harder’ and ‘Must do better’.

“Since lockdown began, Cycling UK and over 11,000 of our supporters have written to every council in England urging them to put in place temporary cycling measures. “Cycling UK would urge councils to engage with the community, and not waste a second opportunity to submit meaningful and ambitious plans to create space for and prioritise the sustainable and safe movement of people.”

Cycling UK has created a web page which allows members of the public to engage with their councils and make suggestions of where improvements for cycling and walking can be made.

Visit this website at www.cyclinguk.org/covid-19-safe-space-social-distancing.