Wiltshire Council has been named as one of the best in the country for promoting active travel – getting around by foot or pushbike. Indeed, the council overspent on its active travel budget on persuading residents out of their cars.

Data collected by specialist insurance company Cycleplan found that less than half of UK councils were spending their entire active travel budgets on promoting alternative forms of transport, says the Wiltshire Gazette & Herald. Meanwhile, car use UK-wide has risen by five per cent this year.

Using Freedom of Information requests based on the 2024-25 financial year, Cycleplan found Orkney Islands Council had spent £91,200 promoting active travel – seven times its annual budget. 

Wiltshire Council was in seventh place, having spent £8.9 million – 112 per cent of its £7.9 million budget.  North East Lincolnshire Council was bottom of the pile, spending £28,938 –  just 10 per cent of its £291,912 budget. 

In February, Wiltshire was awarded £1 million by the Government and Active Travel England to develop new and improved footpaths, cycle lanes, and junctions to make sustainable travel a more attractive option for local communities.

Just last week, the council launched consultation on creating a new shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians on the busy London Road into Devizes. 

Cllr Martin Smith, cabinet member for highways, street scene and flooding, said: “If we can encourage more people to leave their cars at home, we can improve air quality in the town and help to ease traffic congestion.”

(Pic: Yay)