LCC's Space for Cycling campaign to go national with CTC and cycle industry backing

The Space for Cycling campaign launced last summer by London Cycling Campaign (LCC) is to be rolled out across the UK by CTC and Cyclenation. The aim of the national campaign will be to try and ensure support for cycling from politicians both at local and national level - including securing manifesto commitments ahead of next year's general election from the main parties.

Industry body the Bicycle Association has provided £30,000 to CTC and Cyclenation from its voluntary levy scheme to develop the campaign nationally, building on LCC's existing efforts, which quickly proved to have appeal well beyond London, with campaigners in cities such as Birminghamn and Manchester organising protest rides under the same slogan.

“This new campaign will enable cycling groups across the UK to mount a united initiative to get local councillors’ support for a range of measures – from 20 mph limits in urban areas to traffic calming and improvements to safety at junctions – in the run up to the general election,” said the Bicycle Associations executive director, Phillip Darnton.

“Space for Cycling is designed to make cycling an everyday activity, accessible to all men and women, young and mature alike. CTC and Cyclenation will work with local groups to manage the advice and support of their individual campaigns under this unified national banner."

But he added: “Cycling is still not receiving the leadership, funding and long-term commitment from government that is essential for its transformation into a safe, attractive everyday and universal means of travel for short urban trips"

Andre Curtis, chair of Cyclenation, which brings together local cycling campaign and represents them at national and international level, said:“We very much welcome the contribution made by the cycle industry to support local campaigning.

"This will be a very welcome boost, helping many local campaign groups be more effective in creating cycle friendly communities.”

Roger Geffen, campaigns and policy director at CTC, added: “The national Space for Cycling campaign aims to ensure that anyone, of any age or ability, can cycle safely, comfortably and enjoyably for any local journey.

"This will help create healthy and liveable streets and communities which provide a better quality of life for all.

"We will be seeking commitments from national and local politicians to ensure consistent high-standards of cycle-friendly design, and the funding needed to implement this.”

“We will be asking campaign supporters to first contact their local councillors, and later MPs, to sign up to consistently high standards of cycle-friendly planning and design, and the funding needed to implement these.

"We will be adapting the LCC’s campaign to the very different political circumstances which exist outside London. For one thing, local elections elsewhere mostly involve only a third of the councillors, if any, standing for election in any given year.

"For another thing, London’s Mayor Boris Johnson has already promised significant funding for cycling’. Outside London, if we are to achieve ‘Space for Cycling’, we need to campaign for more funding for cycling’ too,” he added.