Autumn Budget plea: “Fulfill top targets by investing in active travel”
Government Budgets usually kick up a reasonable amount of headlines and this week’s Autumn Budget is no exception, it being the first of the new government’s and coming as the nation’s economy is struggling to lift itself out of a difficult lull. It’s safe to say there is some anxiety around the Autumn Budget, and not just because some in very recent memory have managed to bring down a PM and Chancellor (Truss and Kwarteng) but also because there is considerable appetite for stability and investment.
Against that backdrop, the chances of sizeable investment in active travel measures may seem akin to a million to one shot, however a group of major organisations and academics have taken the opportunity to emphasise the startling return on investment that comes from putting cash into active travel.
Handily, that ROI comes in areas that have long been major governmental priorities – “kickstarting the economy, building an NHS fit for the future and accelerating to net zero”.
18 organisations, including Cycling UK, Greenpeace, The Centre for Mental Health and The Association of Directors of Public Health have called for the Chancellor to invest 10% of the overall transport budget in walking and cycling to alleviate mounting pressure on the NHS, grow the economy and address the climate crisis.
Here’s the full letter addressing the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves MP.
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,
- Association of Directors of Public Health, Nicola Close MBE, Chief Executive
- British Cycling, John Dutton OBE, Chief Executive Officer
- CamCycle, Roxanne De Beaux, Chief Executive
- Centre for Mental Health, Andy Bell, Chief Executive
- CPRE, Paul Miner, Head of Policy
- Cycling UK, Sarah Mitchell, Chief Executive
- Edinburgh Napier University, Dr Adrian Davis, Professor of Transport and Health
- Global Action Plan, Larissa Lockwood, Director of Clean Air
- Greenpeace UK, Doug Parr, Policy Director
- Impact on Urban Health, Mark Heffernan, Head of Policy and Influencing
- IPPR, Stephen Frost, Head of Transport Policy
- London Cycling Campaign, Tom Fyans, Chief Executive
- Mums for Lungs, Jemima Hartshorn, Founder and Director
- Swansea University, Dr Ian Walker, Professor and Head of School of Psychology
- Transport Action Network, Chris Todd, Founder and Director
- The Ramblers, Ross Maloney, Chief Executive
- UWE Bristol, Dr Jonathan Flower, Senior Research Fellow
- UK Health Alliance on Climate Change, Dr Elaine Mulcahy, Director