English local authorities will be able to seek funding for cycle routes, better pedestrian facilities and other environmentally friendly transport schemes from a £560m fund to be announced on Wednesday.
The new fund, to be announced in the “Creating Growth, Cutting Carbon” white paper, is a successor to the Transport Innovation Fund set up under the previous government. However, it aims to be far less prescriptive than the Tif fund, where awards were usually linked to central government policies.
Norman Baker, transport minister, said the government wanted local authorities’ help in meeting its twin targets of encouraging growth and reducing carbon emissions.
The white paper aims to devolve decision-making from central to local government. As an example of the kind of scheme the new fund would support, Mr Baker mentioned the Wheels to Work scheme in North Yorkshire, which lends people in rural areas mopeds so that they can reach work without a car.
The fund will mainly go to relatively small schemes, rather than major infrastructure schemes such as building new tram lines.
When town centres’ ambience improved as a result of such transport improvements, shops’ turnover went up 20 per cent, Mr Baker said.
For the full article: Financial Times
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