I know that in light of recent Park and Ride discussions, the topic of walking and cycling is of keen interest to my constituents. Therefore, I am sure that you will welcome the fact that spending on cycling more than doubled between 2010 and 2015, 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 in London and the eight Cycle ambition cities. I am pleased that further funding will extend this scheme through to 2017.
The main source of funding for walking initiatives in the past five years has been the Local Sustainable Transport Fund, and about £120 million from this grant programme for local authorities has been spent on schemes benefitting walkers since it began. I think that this is the right approach.
I am glad that this Government will build on that work. More funding has been provided for cycle-rail integration, and the number of cycle parking spaces at railway stations will be tripled. Of £3 billion of Local Growth Funding for new local transport projects over the next five years, over £100 million is for walking and cycling schemes. Having met with cycle firms, I know that these policies are welcome news.
Last year, the Department for Transport set out how the Government aims to make the UK a cycling nation. One step will be to publish a Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy by summer 2016, and I am pleased that the recent Spending Review committed over £300 million of support for cycling. Cycle proficiency training will also be provided for 1.3 million children in the next five years, which I wholeheartedly welcome.
In Bath, I am working with council to ensure they update their cycling strategy and hope to have an announcement of a brand new cycle route in the New Year.