The Infrastructure Act is crucial to improving how we fund, plan, manage and maintain our national infrastructure for all forms of transportation. Thus, I am pleased to share that the Government added an amendment to the Infrastructure Act to specifically improve our healthiest modes of transportation by creating a "cycling and walking investment strategy" with dedicated funding. This amendment forms part of a wider action to encourage more walking and cycling.
I would personally like to congratulate the previous Coalition Government in their good work to support walking and cycling. Between 2010 and 2015, spending on cycling has more than doubled, which included giving eight UK cities access to £94 million of grants to help them improve their cycling infrastructure. This means that spending per head on cycling in England has trebled since 2010, and is £10 per head in London and the eight Cycle Ambition cities and £6 per head across England, compared to £2 per person in 2010.
I am further pleased to say that our Government will continue building on that work through our new commitment to the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy. I am further reassured in knowing that our Ministers also re-confirmed the Government’s commitment to cycling at last autumn’s Spending Review by investing £300 million directly to 2020. This includes delivering the £114 million Cycle City Ambition scheme in full, a new 'access' fund for sustainable travel and providing 1.3 million children with cycling proficiency training through funding for the Bikeability scheme.
While the Government's role is to create the right policy and funding environment to deliver change, I would like to support our Ministers in looking for partners to support delivery in local communities across England. I am pleased that long-term funding has since been made available to local authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships that could be used on cycling through the Integrated Transport block, Highways Maintenance block, the new 'access' fund and billions of long-term local transport funding available through the Local Growth Fund. I am further reassured in knowing that local Enterprise Partnerships, which are responsible for prioritising the use of Local Growth Fund allocations within their area, are showing that they understand the value and benefits of cycling with around £280 million of the Local Growth Fund currently being spent on cycling.
Further to these benefits, I believe it is important to note that the Government’s commitment to improve infrastructure is also contributing greatly to our national economy and subsequently safeguarding the future of our country. For example, I am proud to say that our new laws already provide a £3.9 billion boost to the economy over the next 10 years by improving the funding and management of our major roads and streamlines the planning process for major projects. The legislation also makes it easier and cheaper to register land and property to support house building. I am additionally impressed how the Act is helping communities become stakeholders in renewable electricity projects, while maximising the recovery of oil and gas from the UK continental shelf. These measures are helping to reduce bills for households and businesses across the country.
Many people across our country are dependent on reliable transportation and subsequently reliable infrastructure. Thus, I strongly believe in the need to strengthen and improve our national infrastructure for all possible modes of transportation, including walking and cycling. As the improvement of our local transport network is part of my 6 Point Plan for Bath, I would like to assure you that I will do everything in my power to support the Government in maintaining this national commitment.