Planning matters

Despite the ‘cycling boom’ during the Covid pandemic, and being a competitive cyclist myself, I am aware of some challenges facing certain parts of the cycling industry. Various events are struggling to secure adequate sponsorship/funding and are subsequently being cancelled. The 2023 Women's Tour of Britain and the Tour Series (criterium circuit races usually hosted in city centres) are two such examples. These are missed opportunities because the economic benefits associated with major sporting events make a meaningful contribution to the UK’s economy.

The 2021 Tour of Britain delivered a net economic impact of more than £34 million ^[1]. More localised figures indicate that the same race one year later provided Nottinghamshire an economic boost of more than £4 million alone, by attracting nearly a quarter-of-a-million spectators ^[2]. These figures are modest in comparison with the £130 million generated when Yorkshire hosted the Grand Depart of the Tour de France a decade ago in summer 2014. The potential for such events to deliver positive economic impacts provides a useful insight into how local communities could benefit from being given an opportunity to support such events. Recognising this, the 2021 Autumn Budget and Spending Review saw the former government’s intention to help fund the UK’s bids to host the Tour de France Grand Depart. [3]

The advantage of road racing and criterium events is that they do not require large upfront investment (there is no need for a venue like a velodrome, for instance) and that organisers have a large degree of flexibility regarding race routes. Councils across the UK should be investigating how they could benefit from hosting major cycling events when developing strategic/intervention programmes focussed on culture, sport, and the visitor economy.

Whilst such events can have significant benefits to a local economy, I consider there is a real opportunity to generate other benefits. Cycling can help to level-up communities, support regeneration and place-making aspirations and developing a city’s tourism offers.

Glasgow City Council helps to showcase this in its ‘Strategic Plan for Cycling’, having used major sporting events — including the Commonwealth Games and the Cycling World Championships — as a catalyst for delivering wider improvements to the city and its population. Like Glasgow, many local authorities are looking to improve sustainable forms of travel, with particular emphasis on cycle infrastructure in their towns and cities. Needless to say, local authorities often have to make difficult decisions when it comes to prioritising infrastructure projects and are often reliant on other funding sources to achieve a desired outcome, especially in light of rising construction costs.

Whilst developers can do their bit on land they are seeking to develop and may be expected to make financial contributions for delivery in the local vicinity, it requires a proactive Council to look strategically and indeed collaborate with other neighbouring authorities to create and deliver a cohesive plan for its cycling network. Might the economic stimulus of a major cycling event provide an additional justification for such expenditure and improve an area's ability to lever in external funding support? Council stakeholders should make best use of media exposure and visitors to promote and encourage strategic investments and infrastructure improvements.

But to encourage more cycling as part of day-to-day sustainable living, this needs well-designed permanent infrastructure in terms of improvements in cycle routes and secure storage to encourage participation. Councils, developers and stakeholders must be collaboratively looking to secure strategic improvements to the cycling network, including through the implementation of recent Cycle Infrastructure Design (LTN 1/20) government guidance [4] where possible. Success will likely be underpinned by drawing upon the role of strategy and policy-makers to reinforce realistic aims/objectives and affording cycling infrastructure a greater level of support in decision-making.

These are all key components of a local cycle strategy needed to maximise community engagement, to improve uptake and the enjoyment of active travel. If prepared, adopted, and successfully implemented, these could clearly help underpin the availability of alternative safe and inclusive sustainable transport modes and perhaps even encourage our elite race winners of the future.

Whilst as individuals we may have our own perceptions of cycling, it is an evolving activity and industry which clearly presents some opportunities in this challenging economic climate and our transition towards net zero CO2 emissions. Our challenge and responsibility as professionals within the development industry is to make the most of these opportunities, primarily by emphasising the importance of cycling and active travel within development management and policy preparation, to accelerate progress in our towns and cities.

I will also be eagerly waiting to see if the new Labour Government’s autumn budget specifically includes any opportunities for the UK to host the Grand Depart of the Tour de France in 2027 or makes any other financial commitments to national sporting events.

Lichfields has widespread experience nationally and benefits from a diverse skillset, including planning, economics, GIS, and urban design, which we expect to be beneficial in delivering the needed ‘step-change’ in cycling - identified in the governments ‘Gear Change’ plan [5].