Nottingham City Council has been ranked as one the highest performing local authorities in a Government review of active travel infrastructure and support.
Active Travel England – the government’s executive agency tasked with making walking, wheeling and cycling the preferred choice for everyday trips, recently published its active travel capability ratings for local authorities. Nottingham is one of eleven local authorities to achieve a 3 rating, putting it among the top councils. All eighty local authorities outside London took part in the process.
Active Travel England has also announced almost £4m of additional funding for Nottingham to invest in active travel projects, benefitting schemes currently at the design stage. Nottingham City Council has secured unprecedented levels of funding for walking and cycling, enabling the delivery of safe new cycle routes that make travelling around the city easier, greener, and more accessible for everyone. Higher-rated authorities are eligible to access more funding. The council has expanded its cycling infrastructure significantly in recent years and we look forward to continuing to work with the East Midlands Combined County Authority and Active Travel England to further develop the network and build on successful schemes such as:
- New Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge – Once open in spring 2026, it will offer new links between the expanding Waterside regeneration area, Colwick Park on the north bank, and the Lady Bay/West Bridgford area to the south.
- City Centre Cycle Routes – our cross-city network from east to west is now complete as far as Pennyfoot Street. There were 50,000 trips per month on the cycle route this summer.
- St Ann’s Well Road – a safe segregated cycle lane along St Ann’s Well Road.
- Porchester Road – This scheme provides a safer route for those travelling to and from residential areas, Hogarth Academy and City Centre/Carlton Road destinations.
- Beechdale Road – a safe segregated cycle lane along Beechdale Road and Hollington Road in Bilborough.
There are also some exciting new cycling schemes starting in 2026 on Gregory Boulevard and Beck Street, with all cycle lane locations selected strategically to integrate seamlessly with other transport modes. Alongside these routes, the council’s cycling projects also deliver wider improvements such as road resurfacing, upgraded pedestrian crossings, and additional planting.
This rating highlights not only the amazing infrastructure, but also the council’s cycling projects that benefit the community and encourage more people to cycle:
- Workplace Travel Service – Organisations in Nottingham can benefit from access to the Workplace Travel Service, which gives grants for green travel improvements such as cycle storage and pool e-bikes.
- Jobseekers – In partnership with the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, the council are helping jobseekers in Nottingham by providing travel assistance and free refurbished bikes.
- Learn to ride sessions – British Cycling, in partnership with Nottingham City Council, have delivered ‘Learn to ride’ sessions to primary school children and free family drop-in sessions.
- Travel Well – This project supports people to build activity into their daily lives for lasting healthy changes.
Councillor Linda Woodings, Executive Member for Regional Development, Growth and Transport at Nottingham City Council, said: “It’s fantastic to get this additional funding and see our team’s efforts recognised once again, from securing investment to collaborating with partners to deliver safe, high-quality cycle routes across the city.
“Making it easier for people to walk and cycle around Nottingham benefits the whole community, reducing traffic and improving air quality. We’re excited to continue working with partners to attract further funding and keep growing our cycling network in the years ahead.”
Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, said: “It is extremely pleasing to see Nottingham City once again receive a high Active Travel rating. Investing in walking and cycling infrastructure not only makes our cities greener and healthier, but it also strengthens communities by giving people safe, convenient ways to get around every day.”
You can see the Active Travel Capability Ratings document here