The Government has announced a £2m windfall for councils around Britain to encourage cycling, walking and public transport.

Among the winning schemes are a Tyne & Wear plan to encourage kids to cycle to school, and cycling promotion in Stratford-on-Avon (Stratford Greenway, pictured). Transport Minister Baroness Kramer said:

“These successful schemes have changed how people travel, with communities now making healthier and greener choices. Dozens of great projects have been delivered already under this fund and I’m glad we’ve been able to support more today.”

The schemes receiving funding are:

• Tyne and Wear: £609,000 for a scheme encouraging families to use push bikes for the school run, and £295,000 to make cycling, walking and using public transport more appealing and simpler on the A1 Western Bypass corridor – aiming to help more job-seekers to access employment
• West Yorkshire: £590,000 towards a project that will help job-seekers access work
• Redditch: £110,000 to build on a previous scheme making it easier to get about on foot and by bike in Redditch
• York: £100,000 to continue a programme of helping households access more sustainable transport
• Stratford-on-Avon: £92,000 for a scheme to encourage more residents and tourists to make use of bikes and the town’s cycle facilities
• Staffordshire: £85,000 towards a scheme helping people access jobs, training and services
• Southend-on-Sea: £80,000 to encourage people to walk, cycle and use more public transport
• Luton: £75,000 to improve facilities for those walking, cycling and using public transport

Local contributions will bring the total to around £3.6m.