North Yorkshire Council

Corporate Director Resources

27 February 2026

Mayoral Active Travel Fund – Submission of schemes

Report of the Assistant Director – Highways and Infrastructure

1.0       PURPOSE OF REPORT

1.1       To request approval from the Corporate Director Resources (sub-delegated to the Assistant Director Resources – Environment) in consultation with the Executive Member for Highways and Transportation and the Executive Member for Finance (Deputy Leader) to submit a bid to the Mayoral Active Travel Fund.

2.0       BACKGROUND

2.1       Active travel is an important policy goal for North Yorkshire Council (NYC). Active Travel supports NYC’s ambitions to reduce carbon emissions, improve air quality, cut congestion, support economic growth and improve the experience of transport users. To enable this, NYC has produced ten Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIP) that cover the main settlements across North Yorkshire with a population centre above 10,000.  In addition, both the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) and North York Moors National Park Authority (NYMNPA) have their own LCWIPs and Active Travel Plans.

2.2       An LCWIP is a strategic plan, produced by local authorities, to identify and prioritise walking and cycling infrastructure improvements in their area. LCWIPs support the long‑term development of safe, accessible active‑travel networks and form a key part of the Government’s wider Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy.

2.3       In recent years capital funding allocations for new active travel infrastructure have been allocated by Active Travel England (ATE) who administer the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Active Travel Fund (ATF). NYC was awarded £133,000 from Emergency Active Travel Fund (EATF) and £1,011,750 from Active Travel Fund tranche 2 (ATF2). Bids to Active Travel Fund 3 (ATF3) and Active Travel Fund tranche 4 (ATF4) were both unsuccessful. NYC was ineligible for Active Travel Fund tranche 4 extension (ATF4e). An allocation (not a competitive bid) of £369,709 was awarded to NYC for Active Travel Fund 5 (ATF5). An allocation (not a competitive bid) of £872,999 was awarded to NYC for the Consolidated Active Travel Fund (CATF).

Table 1: Active Travel Funding summary from 2020-2026

Year	Tranche	Bid amount	Funding awarded
2020	EATF	£266,000	£133,000
2021/22	ATF2	£1,465,000	£1,011,750
2021/22	ATF3	£1,550,000	£0
2023/24	ATF4	£2,735,270	£0
2023/24	ATF4e	N/A	N/A
2024/25	ATF5	N/A	£369,709
2025/2026	CATF	N/A	£872,999
Total:		£6,016,270	£2,387,458

2.4       Since its inception, the Active Travel Fund has allocated £2,387,458 of capital funding to NYC. However, this level of investment represents a small proportion of the required funds (over £265 million) required to deliver the LCWIP programme.

2.5       Since ATF4, capital funding allocations have been based on local authority Active Travel Capability Rating’s which are primarily focused on three areas: local leadership, network planning and delivery. Authorities are rated from 0 to 4, where four is the highest score, with higher rated authorities eligible to access more funding. NYC is currently a level one rated authority, alongside nearly half (49%) of the other local transport authorities in England as demonstrated in Table 2 below.

Table 2: 2025 breakdown of Capability Ratings from all 80 Local Transport Authorities in England

Level	Number of LTAs	Percentage
Level 0	0	0%
Level 1	39	49%
Level 2	30	37%
Level 3	11	14%
Level 4	0	0%
Total	80	100%

2.6       The 2025 Capability Ratings will be used to determine multiyear funding allocations for local authorities as part of integrated and consolidated settlements through to 2029/30. Continued investment in active travel via the Mayoral Active Travel Fund will increase the overall funding available for active travels schemes, which is expected to support improved Capability Ratings at the next assessment which is expected in 2027.

3.0       MAYORAL ACTIVE TRAVEL FUND (MATF)

3.1       The York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority’s (YNYCA) Strategic Transport Framework identifies five key transport objectives that are all supported by greater active travel: (1) healthier travel; (2) accessible for everyone; (3) enhance safety; (4) protect our environment; and (5) support economic growth.

3.2       The Mayor’s Vision for Healthy and Thriving Communities is “to make healthy and resilient communities, that are connected to opportunity, where people live in warm and affordable homes, where people are connected to the outdoors and where there are safe places for all”.

3.3       Due to the rural nature of much of the York and North Yorkshire area, there is a particular desire from the Mayor to deliver schemes that promote active travel in rural settings and market towns, as well as in larger urban areas.  The Mayor wishes to provide affordable, sustainable choices, and enable safer journeys to school and work for people across our cities, towns, rural and coastal areas. The Mayor’s vision commits to ensuring that active travel is a core part of an integrated transport network.

3.4       In light of these strategic priorities, in June 2025 the Mayor committed funds from the Mayoral Investment Fund (MIF) to a Mayor’s Active Travel Fund. The Mayor has appointed an Active Travel Commissioner to oversee the delivery of MATF and to provide expert guidance. YNYCA will also provide strategic, administrative and delivery support.

3.5       The MATF totals £4m and will be delivered between June 2026 and January 2028. It is expected that the funding will be allocated based on a single competitive round of bidding.  The programme is intended to fund smaller-scale infrastructure projects as well as behaviour change initiatives. The fund may also support the delivery of feasibility studies for larger projects to be delivered in the future potentially using an alternative funding source.

3.6       The funding is split into 4 separate strands.

· A dedicated £2.4m fund for large scale projects, ring-fenced to public bodies

· A dedicated £1.0m fund for small scale projects open to public applications

· A dedicated capacity fund of £0.1m for local authorities to access additional highway officer resource

· A budget of £0.5m to appoint external partners to administer the funds

3.7       Eligible projects for funding could include but are not limited to:

· New or upgraded walking and cycling routes (e.g. footway widening, off road paths, light segregated cycle lanes, landscaping etc that are in line with current design standards, including LTN 1/20 and Manual for Streets, as well as any relevant guidance from Active Travel England)

· Provision for cycle parking, cycle hubs and cycle hangers that meet best practice standards (as above) for modern designs

· Enhanced junctions or crossings for active modes

· Traffic calming and management measures such as 20mph zones, modal filters, school streets

· Improved access to public transport through active travel connections

· Safer and more inclusive environments for underrepresented groups

· Behaviour change initiatives such as cycle training, social prescribing and community bike schemes, walking groups, marketing campaigns and travel plans

· Behaviour change initiatives linked to physical infrastructure

3.8       The total funding available for NYC to bid for is £2.4 million made up of both revenue and capital schemes, however, other parties are allowed to bid for this funding including, but not limited to: City of York Council, NYMNPA and YDNPA and any public statutory bodies. A share of the £0.1m resource funding will be allocated to NYC and CYC. 

3.9       Projects submitted to MATF should clearly outline how they will contribute to:

· Increasing the number of people actively engaging in active travel

· Increasing the number of people participating in behavioural change initiatives

· Delivering accessibility and safety improvements

· Delivering infrastructure improvements that enhance local connectivity and reduce emissions.

3.10     MATF bids will be appraised against 6 main criteria, each bid should:

· Have a total value of less than £500,000

· Be deliverable by January 2028

· Demonstrate and evidence the need for the project

· Demonstrate strategic fit with the programme objectives

· Evidence the anticipated positive impacts the project will have

· Identify project management arrangements

3.11     Match funding is a requirement of this fund with a minimum of 10% for both capital and revenue-based projects. The deadline for bids to be received is the 27^th of February 2026 at 11.59pm.  There is no set design stage that capital schemes are required to be at to be eligible for submission.

4.0       SCHEME IDENTIFICATION, LONGLISTING AND SIFTING

4.1       Officers compiled a comprehensive long list of schemes to be assessed against the funding criteria. This long list includes schemes drawn from NYC’s LCWIPs, as well as an additional list for schemes which fall outside of the LCWIP boundary; these schemes have typically been submitted by Councillors, members of the public, various interest groups and key internal stakeholders.

4.2       The MATF has a strong focus on construction and value, and, after sifting, a limited number of schemes have been identified as under the funding threshold and ready to commit to construction by January 2028. Appendix A shows the longlist of schemes considered.

5.0       SCHEMES FOR SUBMISSION TO MATF

5.1       Following an analysis of potential schemes against the MATF criteria and input from key internal stakeholders, the following schemes have been identified as appropriate to take forward:

Project	Description	Scheme type	Cost
Minor Scheme Package	A package of minor improvements that will increase the uptake of active travel in various settlements in North Yorkshire. 1. Whashton Road, Richmond – New footway 2. Stapleton – Accessibility improvements 3. Manfield – Accessibility improvements 4. The Porch, Barton – New footway 5. Station Road, Stokesley – New footway 6. Bullamoor Road, Northallerton – Improved crossing point 7. Filey Road, Scarborough – New shared use path 8. Green Hammerton Greenway – New shared use path	Capital	£458,477
Skipton Accessibility Package	A package of accessibility improvements for pedestrians in and around Skipton High Street such as improved crossing points on key desire lines including tactiles, widened traffic islands and dropped kerbs etc. Improvements will occur at the following locations 1. Crossing at western end of Jerry Croft 2. Crossing at western end of Otley Street 3. Crossing at southern end of Court Lane 4. Crossing on eastern arm of Caroline Square Roundabout 5. Crossing on Western arm of Caroline Square Roundabout 6. Crossing at northern end of Keighley Road 7. Crossing at eastern end of Swadford Street 8. Crossing at western end of Castle Street 9. Crossing at Northern end of Cavendish Street 10. Crossing at entrance to Cavendish Street car park 11. Crossing at western end of Cross Street 12. Crossing at entrance to Christ Church Skipton 13. Crossing at entrance to alleyway leading to Church Street	Capital	£220,171
ANPR School Street Support	To fund the delivery of ANPR cameras at school street locations within North Yorkshire	Revenue	£264,000
Skipton Canal Towpath Upgrade	This scheme is part of a key LCWIP corridor (Skipton town centre to Snaygill) and will deliver 600m of towpath improvements. Improvements include a wider sealed surface between Pinder bridge and south of the hospital near Keighley Road, improving accessibility and connectivity to key amenities.	Capital	£554,306

5.2       A breakdown of the schemes included in the Minor Scheme package and the Skipton Accessibility Package can be found in Appendix B.

5.3       All four schemes will be submitted and appraised independently of each other, if successful each scheme will have its own individual grant funding agreement.

6.0       LOCAL MEMBER ENGAGEMENT

6.1       Local member engagement has taken place and is outlined for each scheme below.

Minor Scheme Package

6.2       Support has been received for each scheme within the package and this is outlined in Appendix B.

Skipton Accessibility Package

6.3       The schemes within this package fall into three local Members areas, they are;

· Cllr David Noland (Skipton North & Embsay-with-Eastby),

· Cllr Andy Solloway (Skipton West & West Craven)

· Cllr Robert Heseltine (Skipton East & South)

6.4       All members provided their full support to the scheme to improve accessibility within Skipton town centre.

School Street Support

6.5       NYC intend to provide ANPR support to all school streets delivered, however, as some school streets are still currently in the planning stage, Member support will be sought once the locations for ANPR are confirmed.

Skipton Canal Towpath Upgrade 

6.5       The following Members have been consulted and are supportive of this scheme:

· Cllr Robert Heseltine (Skipton East & South)

· Cllr Andy Solloway (Skipton West & West Craven)

7.0       CONTRIBUTION TO COUNCIL PRIORITIES

7.1       YNYCA’s Strategic Transport Framework commits to ensuring that active travel is a core part of an integrated transport network. In the long term this means a comprehensive network of lit, well-maintained walking, wheeling and cycle routes across the Combined Authority. The Strategic Transport Framework (STF) sets the direction for how York and North Yorkshire will develop a safer, more accessible and more sustainable transport system. It establishes five core objectives: supporting healthier travel, improving accessibility for everyone, enhancing safety, protecting the environment, and enabling economic growth. To do this the YNYCA will increase opportunities for walking, wheeling and cycling, improve public transport integration, and ensure all schemes actively contribute to carbon reduction and accessibility improvements. The framework highlights the importance of creating an integrated transport network; this means a comprehensive network of lit, well-maintained walking, wheeling and cycle routes across the Combined Authority that offers people choice in how they travel.

7.2       The ‘North Yorkshire Council ‘Council Plan 2024-2028’ sets out the Council’s priorities for the next four years. The plan identifies active travel as a key priority, recognising its role in improving public health, supporting local economies, strengthening community connections, reducing congestion, improving air quality, and contributing to the Council’s wider climate and sustainability commitments.

7.3       North Yorkshire Council’s Local Transport Plan (2016–2045) sets out the long‑term vision for a transport system that supports the county’s health, environment and accessibility objectives. The LTP highlights the importance of reducing the negative impacts of transport on the environment and public health, including issues linked to air quality, and identifies improving access to essential services and enabling more sustainable travel choices as core priorities. Through its strategic objectives and approach to transport planning, the LTP provides a foundation for encouraging healthier, lower‑impact travel across the county.

8.0       ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED

8.1       Alternative options were considered, including the possibility of not submitting a bid. However, officers believe that the bids being put forward will best contribute to the Council’s priorities and secure better outcomes for people across North Yorkshire.

9.0       FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

9.1       The proposal is for NYC to submit bids for four schemes totalling £1,496,954 with a total ask to the YNYCA for £1,281,282. Costs for schemes include preliminary fees, delivery costs, contingency and optimism bias where relevant.

9.2       The schemes being proposed are at various stages of development, however, the figures quoted for delivery reflect all the costs needed to deliver the schemes. The breakdown of the costs are shown in Table 2 below.

            Table 2 – Scheme Cost Breakdowns

Scheme	Cost	Prelims	Contingency	Optimism Bias	Total Cost	MATF Ask	Match   Funding Required
Minor Scheme Package	£363,746	£45,110	£22,555	£27,066	£458,477	£346,653	£111,824
Skipton Accessibility Package	£155,050	£31,010	£15,505	£18,606	£220,171	£198,154	£22,017
School Streets Support	£240,000	£0	£24,000	£0	£264,000	£237,600	£26,400
Skipton Canal Towpath Upgrade	£367,979	£63,937	/	£122,390	£554,306	£498,875	£55,431
				Totals	£1,496,954	£1,281,282	£215,672

9.3       An optimism bias of 23% has been applied to the base cost inclusive of preliminaries for the Minor Schemes Package and Skipton Accessibility Package. This uplift reflects the potential for cost increases associated with scheme delivery and is consistent with standard practice at this stage of development.

9.4       An optimism bias has not been applied to the ANPR School Streets Support scheme, as the cost estimates have been based on evidence from recent procurements of identical equipment.

9.5       A higher optimism bias of 35% has been applied to the Skipton Canal Towpath Upgrade scheme. This uplift reflects the potential for cost increases during scheme delivery and aligns with standard practice at this early stage, when cost estimates are considered to be of order‑of‑magnitude accuracy. However, there is increased confidence in the cost estimates for this scheme, as they have been independently prepared by both the Canal & River Trust’s Cost Intelligence team and NYC’s consultants using the North Yorkshire Highways schedule of rates. The two estimates are almost identical, providing assurance of their robustness. Additional contingency is considered unnecessary given the high optimism bias applied.

9.6       A contingency allowance of 10% has been included for the Minor Scheme Package, Skipton Accessibility Package and School Streets Support to account for unforeseen risks and unexpected costs that are not captured within the base budget. This level of contingency is typical for schemes of this nature that have a low to medium risk profile.

9.7       Preliminary costs have not been included for ANPR School Street Support as the scheme does not involve the construction of infrastructure. Preliminary costs have been set at 20% for all other schemes. This is consistent with previous schemes delivered through North Yorkshire Highways, however, should a more cost-effective procurement route become available, NYC will look to pursue that option. 

9.8       The match funding requirement for each scheme will be met through various sources as detailed in Table 1 below:

            Table 1 – Scheme Funding Sources

Scheme	Total Cost	MATF Ask	Match Funding Required	Source
Minor Scheme Package	£458,477	£346,653	£111,824	S106
Skipton Accessibility Package	£220,171	£198,154	£22,017	Local Transport Settlement
School Streets Support	£264,000	£237,600	£26,400	Capability/CATF Revenue
Skipton Canal Towpath Upgrade	£554,306	£498,875	£55,431	Local Transport Settlement

9.9       The risk of any cost overrun is with NYC which is partly mitigated through the contingency/optimism bias included in the scheme budgets. Should costs on a scheme overrun NYC could look to utilise the Local Transport Grant (LTG) allocation to support the delivery of MATF schemes. This would be discussed with the Combined Authority in the first instance and could be met from a future years LTG programme. If this is not possible, costs would need to be met from other NYC capital budgets. Alternatively, schemes could be scaled back to fit the funding envelope.

9.10     Any subsequent formal offer of grant funding and its terms and conditions will be reviewed by Finance and Legal Services officers before a recommendation to accept is made in line with the Council’s Grant Application and Acceptance Procedures.

10.0     LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

10.1     The terms of the Grant are not yet available but will be reviewed by Legal Services when released. Should any term present an unacceptable level of risk, any Grant offer in the event of a successful bid will be declined.

10.2     If the bid is successful, any expenditure of the Grant will be in accordance with the Council’s Procurement and Contract Procedure Rules and to the extent applicable, the Procurement Act 2023, the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and the Subsidy Control Act 2022.

11.0     EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS

11.1     Consideration has been given to the potential for any equality impacts arising from the recommendations. It is the view of officers that at this stage the recommendations do

not have an adverse impact on any of the protected characteristics identified in the Equalities Act 2010. A copy of the Equality Impact Assessment screening form is attached as Appendix C.

12.0     CLIMATE CHANGE IMPLICATIONS

12.1     The proposed schemes should have positive impacts on greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, but a full climate change impact assessment is not proportionate at bid submission stage. Further assessments will be caried out during the development of approved schemes. A copy of the Climate Change Impact Assessment initial screening form is attached as Appendix D.

13.0     REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

13.1     The schemes that are recommended to be submitted for delivery using the MATF will help North Yorkshire Council to deliver on local, regional and national priorities. It will improve safety and accessibility, deliver economic and health benefits as well as help to deliver an improved active travel network.

14.0

RECOMMENDATIONS

14.1

It is recommended that the Corporate Director Resource (sub-delegated to the Assistant Director Resources – Environment) in consultation with the Executive Member for Highways and Transportation and the Executive Member for Finance (Deputy Leader) authorises the submission of: i) A bid to the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Mayoral Active Travel Fund for grant funding in the amount of £1,281,282 with a match funding contribution from the Council of £215,672. ii) Notes that if any of the bids are successful, a further report will be brought forward, in line with the Council’s financial governance process, for approval to accept the grant offered.

APPENDICES:

Appendix A – Schemes longlist

Appendix B – Submitted Scheme Breakdown

Appendix C – Equality Impact Assessment

Appendix D – Climate Change Impact Assessment initial screening form

BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS:

Barry Mason

Assistant Director – Highways and Infrastructure

County Hall

Northallerton

19 February 2026

Report Author – Nathan Harding, Transport Planning Officer (Projects)

Presenter of Report – Louise Anne Neale, Team Leader Transport Planning

Note: Members are invited to contact the author in advance of the meeting with any detailed queries or questions.