Published on 3rd February 2023

Image of two people cycling on Cheltenham cycle path

Residents and visitors are being asked for their views on proposals for a new cycle hub for Cheltenham town centre.

The hub will be in a central location close to shops and restaurants and provide a well-lit, secure, dry place for bike storage.

The facility supports the aims set out in the Connecting Cheltenham report, which aims to promote journeys by foot, cycling or public transport, supporting efforts to help us become a net zero carbon borough by 2030.

The short survey aims to identify the needs of the community, including what else people would like to see in the hub, which could include cycle repair or maintenance facilities.

The survey is open for comments until 26 February 2023 and can be found on the council’s website: haveyoursay.cheltenham.gov.uk/climate/cycle-hub. Printed copies of the survey are available on from main reception at the Municipal Offices, Promenade, Cheltenham.

Cllr Max Wilkinson, cabinet member for economic development, culture, tourism and wellbeing, said: “Cycling for trips into town is healthy and good for the environment too. It helps people build activity into their daily routines and when cycling replaces car trips, air quality improves and carbon emissions are reduced.

“The new cycle hub will help encourage that, by providing a place to safely store cycles, with the potential for other cycle-related activities on site. The borough council has already been in touch with members of the cycling community and local businesses to discuss this and I hope more people will get involved with this consultation.

“I know that people want more segregated cycle lanes in Cheltenham – I do too.  The borough council is not the highways authority and cannot introduce these, though we are working with a number of partners including the county council on the extension of the Honeybourne Line and are supportive of other cycling initiatives the county council is pursuing in Cheltenham.”

The Cycle Hub project is being funded by the government’s UKSPF scheme, following a successful bid by Cheltenham Borough Council.

Find out more about the council’s climate emergency work to become a net zero carbon council and borough by 2030 on the council’s website: www.cheltenham.gov.uk/climate.

For media enquiries, contact: communications, telephone 01242 264231, email [email protected].

Notes:
An estimated 70% of car journeys within Cheltenham are under 2km and many of these journeys could be made on foot or by bicycle. A modal shift to more active transport is needed to reduce emissions from privately owned vehicles.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025

The fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills

For more information, visit gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus or use the hashtag #UKSPF on social media channels