Norfolk could miss out on share of £47m 'cycling city' fund

12.00.00am GMT Thu 6th Mar 2008

Norfolk could miss out on funding for cycling

Residents of Norwich, Kings Lynn and Great Yarmouth could miss out on a share of a £47m government grant that aims to get more people cycling unless council leaders step in next week to announce their support for the programme.

Last month the Government announced plans to create new cycling cities and towns across the country in a bid to cut congestion and pollution. Ten new cycling towns and one chosen city will be selected to share a fund of almost £50m for cycling improvement projects.

But a recommendation from representatives of the ruling Conservative group not to participate in the scheme means that Norfolk is unlikely to get a share of the money unless senior Tory councillors decide to reject the recommendation at a meeting on Monday.

Liberal Democrat spokesperson for planning and transportation, Peter Moore, whose call to support Norfolk making a bid was narrowly defeated by the Conservative vote on Wednesday, expressed his disappointment at the lack of support for the programme. He said:

"It would be great to see a Norfolk town such as Kings Lynn given a funding boost that would encourage more people to take up cycling and help address issues of congestion, pollution and environmental damage. Conservative councillors won't support bidding for the money as they have concerns about the level of funding Norfolk County Council would also be expected to contribute.

"I agree that we have to consider carefully before committing to transferring funds from other schemes but I would be disappointed to see this once in a lifetime opportunity dismissed without further thought, especially knowing that the Council is in a better financial position this year than it expected to be. I sincerely hope that the Cabinet will give due consideration to the opportunities that this scheme presents and to the ways in which it could be funded before coming to a final verdict."