DfT 001-03
A further £1 million has been earmarked to support local cycling projects Transport Minister John Spellar announced today.
Local authorities, charities and cycling organisations have been invited to submit bids for the money, which is the second round of the Department for Transport Cycling Projects Fund and follows the first round which gave grants totalling £2 million to 138 projects last year.
In the East of England grants were made 21 cycling projects including at Cambridge Rail Station, the Bure Valley cycle path in Aylsham, Norfolk, Kesgrave High School, Suffolk, the Stevenage Cycleway Renaissance Project and Shoeburyness High School, Essex.
John Spellar said:
"I am delighted to make this money available for schemes which will increase the amount we cycle. I believe it offers real opportunities to develop interesting local projects that would not usually receive funding from Central Government.
"An increase in cycling will not be achieved by the actions of Central and Local Government alone. Cycling organisations, voluntary groups and the private sector all need to play their parts and this initiative is designed to assist grass-roots action by these groups."
Notes to Editors
The Department for Transport launched a £2m Cycling Projects Fund to support the growth in local provision for cycling in March last year. Due to the number and quality of the bids received, the Department more than doubled the amount of funding made available in the first bidding window.
The Department received over 550 applications in the first round and is currently funding 138 projects costing £2.18m. A list of winners is available in press notice 062 published on 18 September 2002.
This announcement launches the second and last round of the fund with a further £1m available to bidders.
The second round of the fund is being organised on similar lines to round one. Grants are available within a lower limit of £250 and an upper limit of £50,000 to projects with guaranteed matched funding, of 20% for charitable groups and 50% for others. Bidders will need to satisfy the Department that they can spend all their grant by March 2004.
The fund is open to any project, such as cycle parking, cycle routes and cycle training, that could be expected to achieve an increase in cycling.
Copies of the application form, conditions and the criteria against which applications will be assessed are now available from the Department for Transport Charging and Local Transport Division, Zone 3/23 Great Minster House, 76 Marsham Street LONDON SW1P 4DR or by email to cyclingprojects.fund@dft.gsi.gov.uk. Applications can also be filled in on line at http://www.local-transport.dft.gov.uk/cpf/index.htm.
Enquiries about the fund can be made to cyclingprojects.fund@dft.gsi.gov.uk .
All bids must be received by 31 March 2003 and the Department hopes to announce the winners in June.
Public Enquiries: 020 7944 8300 Department for Transport Website: http://www.dft.gov.uk
