By Tom Austin-Morgan

The UK’s Consolidated Active Travel Fund (CATF) brings together what used to be two separate funding streams – one for capital projects and another for revenue work such as training, engagement and early design.

By merging these into a single grant, the DfT and Active Travel England are encouraging councils to deliver not just cycle lanes and crossings, but also the planning and behavioural changes needed to get people using them.

The allocations for 2025/26 were confirmed earlier this year, with every local transport authority in England receiving a share. Some councils have already set out in detail how they plan to use their money, while others are still in the planning stage.

Linking gaps in the network

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council has been given £1.46 million. Of this, about three-quarters will go to capital schemes, and the remainder to revenue projects.

On the infrastructure side, BCP is focusing on relatively small but important “stitching” projects to connect existing routes. These include upgrading routes and building new toucan crossings. All the schemes come directly from the council’s local cycling and walking infrastructure plan (LCWIP), which sets out local priorities.

Revenue funding will extend Sustrans’ Bike It Plus programme in local schools, support new School Streets, and fund design and programme management work. One eye-catching proposal is the further development of a bike bus – an organised group cycle to school, supervised by adults.

Safer routes to schools and future pipeline

West Sussex County Council has published one of the most detailed breakdowns. Its £1.8 million allocation is split between deliverable safety schemes around schools and planning work for bigger projects in the pipeline.

Among the schemes already moving forward are new zebra crossings and junction improvements. Several school sites will also benefit from smaller safety upgrades.

At the same time, the council is using revenue funding to progress design and consultation on corridors in Chichester, complete an LCWIP for Arun, and invest in evaluation and training. Consultants WSP have been commissioned to help build an “outcomes framework” to measure success. This mix of immediate construction and longer-term design work shows how CATF is intended to keep delivery pipelines full.

Market town improvements and a Mini-Holland

Oxfordshire is combining CATF with other funding streams to deliver a package worth more than £18 million. Within that, CATF is supporting a variety of projects across the county.

In the city of Oxford, a major public realm upgrade is planned, alongside the continuation of the East Oxford Mini Holland programme, which aims to reduce car dominance and make local streets friendlier for cycling and walking. In smaller towns, funding has been earmarked for road improvements, as well as a fifth phase of the county’s School Streets programme.

CATF money is also being used for rural links, with £1.8m committed to delivering LCWIP actions outside the larger towns.

Revenue-led planning

Finally, the North East Combined Authority provides an example of how CATF’s revenue component can be used.

Its July 2025 decision paper describes plans to fund training, engagement and early design work across its constituent councils. This type of spending will be critical for building up local capability, especially in areas with ambitious cycling and walking targets but fewer staff resources.

Read more from CIHT: Making the case for investment in active travel policy brief.