Funding award for projects to encourage walking and cycling

Active travel projects have been awarded more than £22m by the Scottish Government.

The three schemes in Ayr, Hawick and Broughty Ferry will each receive funding to encourage more walking and cycling.

Flood-prone Hawick in the Scottish borders will get almost £12m to develop active transport routes alongside work to prevent flooding.

The project will include a 7km cycle route, five landscaped areas and other improvements along the river corridor.

Dundee Council is set to receive £9.3m to link Broughty Ferry and Monifieth with better cycling infrastructure and street art on the route, as well as first fully segregated cycle lanes in Dundee.

Another £1.3m will go towards the Accessible Ayr project, which will build a network of accessible routes for pedestrians, cyclists and people using wheelchairs and pushchairs across the town.

Transport secretary Michael Matheson said encouraging more sustainable travel was “vital to our health, wellbeing and in our response to the climate emergency”.

He added: “It’s been really encouraging to see the strength of ambition, demonstrated by local authorities, in their applications to the Sustrans Places for Everyone scheme.

“With the support received by local communities, these three large scale active travel projects will transform opportunities to walk, wheel and cycle across Ayr, Hawick and Broughty Ferry.”

The money has been allocated through the Sustrans Places for Everyone programme and the Sustrans Scotland director Karen McGregor said: “Despite the challenges of 2020, we have been presented with an impressive range of major projects this year.

“We’re pleased to be contributing to securing Broughty Ferry and Hawick against the threats posed by flooding and contributing to the regeneration of Ayr, while at the same time helping all three places transform the way people get about by foot, by bike and by wheel.”

Shona Haslam, leader of the Scottish Borders Council, said: “I am thrilled that Scottish Borders Council has achieved this funding to deliver an active transport scheme in Hawick connected to the ongoing Hawick Flood Protection Scheme which includes a 7km long cycle route.

“The project has been developed with the community through working groups led by the Hawick Flood Protection Scheme and the input received has been instrumental in this successful outcome.

“This investment will provide vital links to communities, encourage more people to walk, wheel and cycle their journeys by creating dedicated traffic-free routes and enhance key locations throughout the town. This will be of benefit not only to the townsfolk but visitors too.”

Mark Flynn, convener of Dundee City Council’s city development committee, said: “This is one of the largest investments ever made in the area’s active travel infrastructure and a clear sign of the commitment to continue helping people to make choices that are good for them, good for the community and good for the wider environment.

“This was a collaborative process that relied heavily on the input and support of the people of Dundee and Angus and I am grateful for their backing for road space being used this way, particularly on the wider sections which will give cyclists and walkers exclusive use.

“I am sure that the improvements to the route will encourage even more people to get out walking or wheeling to enjoy the views and wide-open spaces of our coastline and in doing so boost their health and wellbeing.”

Councillor Peter Henderson, leader of South Ayrshire Council, said: “We are thrilled to receive this funding from the Sustrans Places for Everyone scheme, which will allow us to implement our ambitious accessibility programme, an important step towards a net-zero carbon South Ayrshire.

“The active town vision for Ayr includes the major investments of a new leisure centre close to the High Street, new public open space and an athletics centre of excellence.

“Our accessibility programme will play an important role in connecting these elements and promoting active travel.”