Cycling UK urges the government to invest in cycling and walking ahead of the Autumn Budget

The Rt Hon. Rachel Reeves MP
Chancellor of the Exchequer
HM Treasury
1 Horse Guards Road
London
SW1A 2HQ

Dear Chancellor,

We write to you as experts and representatives from major organisations in the health, transport and environment sectors ahead of the Autumn Budget to urge you to significantly increase investment in walking, wheeling and cycling. 

With health services under strain and immense pressure on public finances, there is no time to waste to bring about investment that will deliver vital financial returns while also bringing about wider societal benefits. By scaling up investment to £50 per head, or 10% of the current transport budget, in walking, wheeling and cycling by the end of this Parliament, we can begin to address at least three of the government’s top missions: kickstarting the economy, building an NHS fit for the future and accelerating to net zero. 

As a nation we urgently need to build more activity into our daily lives. Just last month, a landmark IPPR[i] report highlighted how economic inactivity due to sickness could hit 4.3 million by the end of this Parliament, up from 2.8 million today. Compared to commuting by car, cycling lowers the chance of passing away from cardiovascular disease by as much as 24%, and as much as 16% for cancer[ii]. We also know that transport is the biggest contributor to air pollution, which causes tens of thousands of deaths in the UK every year. If the government is serious about supporting the NHS by preventing illness, rather than just treating it, it needs to recognise how walking and cycling can help build a service fit for the future in tandem with supporting a stronger workforce that relies on it less.

As well as improving the nation’s health, this investment also brings significant economic benefits. Walking and cycling have very high returns for taxpayers’ money, at £5.62 for each £1 spent[iii] – at least three times the returns of road building. Research consistently shows that people who walk and cycle into town centres also spend more per month than those who arrive by car[iv]. In London, TfL revealed that investment can boost retail spending by up to 30% in some areas.[v] This could contribute to the government’s mission to save our highstreets and boost overall economic growth. 

Investment in walking, wheeling and cycling also stands to benefit those in society who need the most support. Currently, the UK’s poorest households are more than four times as likely to have no access to a car as the wealthiest. That translates to an estimated 4.5 million households who rely on walking, cycling and public transport as an affordable way to get to work, training and leisure opportunities.[vi]

Despite all the benefits, England has been lagging behind other European countries in its investment in walking, wheeling and cycling and even within the UK itself[vii]. The Scottish government has been increasing funding and is committed to spending 10% of its transport budget on walking and cycling, and Northern Ireland has a legal obligation to allocate the same spend. England on average invests only 2% on active travel, although currently the funding is considerably lower.

To help fill the fiscal black hole, meet the government’s own missions, and embrace the vast benefits of walking and cycling, we urge the government to invest 10% of the overall transport budget in walking, wheeling and cycling by the end of this Parliament, or roughly £2.5bn a year. Estimates show that the overall return on investment could be between £8bn and £38bn per year[viii].

With the right commitment, together we can transform our villages, towns and cities into healthier and more liveable spaces. Investing in walking and cycling won’t just help to balance the budget — it would be a promise to prioritise our health, our economy, and our planet.

Yours sincerely,

1. Association of Directors of Public Health, Nicola Close MBE, Chief Executive
2. British Cycling, John Dutton OBE, Chief Executive Officer
3. CamCycle, Roxanne De Beaux, Chief Executive
4. Centre for Mental Health, Andy Bell, Chief Executive
5. CPRE, Paul Miner, Head of Policy
6. Cycling UK, Sarah Mitchell, Chief Executive
7. Edinburgh Napier University, Dr Adrian Davis, Professor of Transport and Health
8. Global Action Plan, Larissa Lockwood, Director of Clean Air
9. Greenpeace UK, Doug Parr, Policy Director
10. Impact on Urban Health, Mark Heffernan, Head of Policy and Influencing
11. IPPR, Stephen Frost, Head of Transport Policy
12. London Cycling Campaign, Tom Fyans, Chief Executive
13. Mums for Lungs, Jemima Hartshorn, Founder and Director
14. Swansea University, Dr Ian Walker, Professor and Head of School of Psychology
15. Transport ActionNetwork, Chris Todd, Founder and Director
16. The Ramblers, Ross Maloney, Chief Executive
17. UWE Bristol, Dr Jonathan Flower, Senior Research Fellow
18. UK Health Alliance on Climate Change, Dr Elaine Mulcahy, Director