Bournemouth, Christchurch, Motoring & Transport, Poole | Posted on December 10th, 2025 | return to news
BCP Council recognised for travel improvements
The authority has been given a level 3 rating by Active Travel England in recognition of travel improvements across the conurbation.
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council has been recognised as among the best authorities in the country for delivering active travel improvements – which will result in additional funding.
Active Travel England (ATE), the government’s executive agency headed up by Olympic champion Chris Boardman, has placed the council as one of only a handful of local authorities to receive a level 3 rating.
The quality ratings run from 0 to 4 and form part of assessing how funding allocations are calculated for local authorities – having a higher rating unlocks additional money to deliver more for residents.
Therefore, the council’s yearly ATE allocation will more than double – from £1.45 million in 2025/26 to £2.95 million for 26/27 and beyond.
Recent initiatives and infrastructure made possible by ATE funding include the successful introduction of School Streets, the design and build of new pedestrian crossings and larger-scale projects such as the creation of better walking and cycling paths along Whitecliff in Poole. This is alongside the Transforming Travel work for bus, walking, wheeling and cycling improvements across key transport corridors.
The additional funding will allow the council to deliver more improvements that boost the capacity and accessibility of sustainable travel routes for residents.
Cllr Andy Hadley, portfolio holder with responsibility for sustainable travel at BCP Council, said: “This improved rating is a clear endorsement of the progress we have made in delivering safer, sustainable travel choices for our communities. Moving from a 2 to a 3 ATE rating shows that BCP Council is not only committed to active travel but is demonstrating strong leadership and tangible results.
“We’ve made solid progress to date improving active travel options for our communities, but we know there are many more routes that still need attention, in part due to the increasing size of vehicles.
“These improvements not only help pedestrians and cyclists, particularly children and older residents, to stay safe, but crucially also benefit bus users and any motorists for whom walking and cycling isn’t practical by helping to reduce overall traffic volumes.
“The increased rating should put us in a strong position to attract more investment in the future. I’d like to congratulate the team for all their work delivering safer spaces for all and achieving this national recognition of our work.”
Work to take place in the future will include multi-million-pound investments in resurfacing roads, which includes a £1.2 million funding boost to fix potholes, and bus fares promotions funded from the Bus Service Improvement Plan grant.
Earlier this year, the council consulted on a draft Local Transport Plan that set out a vision for transport across BCP and Dorset from 2026 through to 2041. The ambition at the heart of that plan is to develop and promote accessible and inclusive travel choices for residents, workers and visitors through an improved transport network, whilst continuing to support economic growth.
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