Active Travel Strategy (2024-2040) consultation

Consultation closes: Wednesday 31 December 2025
Consultation opened: Wednesday 19 November 2025

Active travel means getting around by being physically active - mainly through walking, wheeling, or cycling – instead of using a car or other motor vehicle.

Wheeling covers people who use mobility aids such as wheelchairs, mobility scooters, or walking frames, recognising that not everyone “walks” in the same way.

Active travel is about short, practical trips such as walking to the shops and cycling to work.

The area currently has high reliance on cars, with many trips being short enough to walk or cycle but where people often don’t.

The idea behind promoting active travel is to make it easier, safer and more appealing for people to choose more healthy, low-carbon ways of getting around - improving personal wellbeing, local air quality, and reducing traffic congestion.

National, regional and local policy frameworks all contain commitments to reducing reliance on cars and increasing active travel.

You can read the full draft strategy online, but a summary of the aim, objectives and actions are provided below.

Funding

All current active travel promotion undertaken by us is currently externally funded.

This funding includes:

• Capability Funding from Active Travel England. This discretionary fund is based on the quality of the authority’s plans for active travel, alongside our track record in delivering high quality schemes. The funding supports various initiatives including the entirety of the Active Travel team’s work with schools to promote and facilitate walking, scooting and cycling
• Bikeability Funding from the Department for Transport
• Cycling E-asier programme funded by Active Travel England
• Section 106 ‘Travel Plan’ contributions from developers

Having up-to date strategies provides a clear policy basis when bidding for external funding bids and preparing business cases for investment.