This comes as new research shows that the Places to Ride programme – the largest ever investment in community cycling facilities in England that launched in 2019 – has saved the NHS £13.1million. The project – a collaboration with Sport England and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport – delivered over 150 community cycling facilities and opportunities across England, making most difference to those with long term health conditions including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, dementia and depression.
Data shows the following condition-specific savings to the NHS over a five-year period:
T2 Diabetes: £3.6 million
Depression: £3.4 million
Reduced Psychological Distress: £1.14 million
Coronary Heart Disease: £1.09 million
Stroke: £1.05 million
Reduced GP visits: £797,000
Cancer: £350,000
Back pain: £772,000
Dementia: £178,600
Hip fractures: £140,100
*Figures accurate from last reporting phase in November 2025.
The programme has reached deep into communities that have long been underserved, with 83% of projects focused on children and young people, 41% targeting women and girls, 35% supporting low-income groups, and 41% engaging people with disabilities or long-term health conditions.
This comes off the back of the launch of an interim impact report celebrating the success of the Cycling Facilities Fund in Scotland. With the support of Ms Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, the impact report was unveiled at Callendar Park in Falkirk, the venue one of 31 completed facilities investments over the last five years, and demonstrates how the fund has enhanced the lives of people across the length and breadth of Scotland.
The Cycling Facilities Fund, which has a total of £8 million of investment, has come about as a result of £4 million from the Scottish Government and £4 million from sportscotland, through National Lottery funding. Furthermore, this £8 million of funding has unlocked a total of £18 million when match funding is considered, a figure that will continue to rise.
Nick Rennie, Chief Executive of Scottish Cycling added:
“Impact reports from both the Places to Ride programme in England, and the Cycling Facilities Fund in Scotland, clearly demonstrate the impact that facility funding has on the health and wellbeing of the nation. There have been some fantastic facility developments in Scotland over the last five years, which have quickly become the centrepiece of communities, but we still have large portions of the country without a facility that is easily accessible, with more funding required to fill the gaps.
“We fully support the ask from British Cycling and are committed to working collaboratively with partners to deliver a fund that helps transform England, Scotland and Wales into true nations of cyclists.”
Jon Dutton OBE, Chief Executive Officer of British Cycling, said:
“Places to Ride has demonstrated the power of targeted public investment. We have hundreds of stories alongside the raw data to show how people’s lives – particularly those in underserved groups -have been and continue to be transformed by the project. It has increased cycling participation and narrowed inequalities, providing more opportunities in communities which needed it most.
“This next phase will build on that proven model with high impact for relatively small investment. With £30 million, we will deliver over 250 new or upgraded cycling facilities across England, Scotland and Wales, with a continued focus on inclusion, innovation and local need. Crucially, this investment will unlock significant match funding from local authorities, charities, commercial partners and communities themselves, ensuring public money goes much further.
“It will also align with national strategies on health, inclusion, active travel and levelling up, whilst playing a vital part in creating a lasting legacy across the home nations ahead of the 2027 Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift Grand Départs.”
Caroline Spanton, Chief Executive of Beicio Cymru, said:
“In Wales, we already know the value of investing in cycling facilities. With the support of Welsh Government and Sport Wales, projects such as the National BMX Centre and community facilities like the Abergele Pump Track are improving health, wellbeing and access to cycling for people of all ages.
“The evidence is clear: investment in cycling infrastructure saves public money, improves health outcomes and tackles inequality. What we need next is for this level of funding to expand into Wales Scotland and England at scale, so we can build more local facilities, reach more underserved communities, and ensure cycling plays a central role in Wales’ long-term health and sport ambitions.’’
The Cycling Facilities Fund is an £8 million Scottish Government investment into community cycling facilities, awarded as part of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, which will support some 50 projects across Scotland.
The Places to Ride programme was initially a £15 million government investment into community cycling facilities, initially awarded as part of the 2019 UCI Road World Championships hosted in Yorkshire and funding over 150 projects across England.