Councillors at the Highways and Transport Committee have greenlit funding for 16 active travel initiatives across Cambridgeshire. The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) has allocated more than £14 million from the UK Government’s Local Transport Consolidated Settlement (LTCS) Fund for these schemes, which will be implemented over the next four years.
Several key projects received approval for funding. These include the Alconbury Weald to Huntingdon Railway Station route, which aims to widen existing paths to encourage more short journeys, with completion expected by July 2028. The A505 Granta Park scheme will construct a new shared-use path to link the existing route with the Granta Science and Technology Park, anticipating completion by March 2028. In Wisbech, a new footpath on Cromwell Road is planned to improve pedestrian links to business and retail areas, targeted for completion by March 2028. Additionally, a new active travel route from Ely to Soham, supported by East Cambridgeshire District Council and the Walk, Wheel, Cycle Trust, is expected to be completed by March 2030.
An annual budget of £80,000 has been set aside for School Streets initiatives across Cambridgeshire, focusing on signage, lining, and access improvements to encourage active travel for the school run. Furthermore, councillors agreed to reallocate £890,000 of active travel funding towards a new crossing at the A14 Histon interchange. This reallocation, pending approval from Active Travel England (ATE) and the CPCA, aims to provide a safe crossing for students travelling between Cambridge and Histon, including those attending Impington Village College.
The council also approved £2.776 million in LTCS revenue funding for the current and next two financial years. The majority of this will support behaviour change initiatives, such as Bikeability courses for schools, adaptive cycle training, community cargo-share hubs, and schemes promoting safety for women and girls.
These initiatives align with the council's commitment to improving safety for walkers, wheelers, and cyclists, supporting health and local economic activity, and increasing participation in active travel, particularly among under-represented groups. The programme supports the council's vision for a healthy, fair, and sustainable Cambridgeshire, aiming to reduce carbon emissions and promote active living.
“"Active travel remains one of our top priorities, so I’m delighted we’re approved a programme today, supported by fresh funding from Active Travel England, which will benefit diverse communities across Cambridgeshire over the next four years and beyond. Whether schemes are linking homes, schools, employment centres, leisure venues or travel hubs – when active travel is a reliable option for local journeys it leads to safer streets, less isolated and more interactive communities, cleaner air and better health."
Cambridgeshire County Council holds an Active Travel Centre of Excellence rating of 'three' out of four from Active Travel England, the joint highest in the country. The county's achievements were recognised when Cambridge hosted the National Active Travel Conference in the summer of 2026.
