Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff working for Active Travel England will be based in York; and whether Active Travel England will have any satellite offices.

Active Travel England will become fully operational later in 2022. The recruitment campaigns for the Chief Executive Officer and National Active Travel Commissioner were launched on 24 January and both should be in post later this year.

Active Travel England will help local authorities deliver high-quality walking and cycling infrastructure. Active Travel England will also help local authorities consider issues such as making it easier for people to cycle and walk to public transport hubs.

The needs of disabled people will be a central consideration in the work of Active Travel England. An Equality Impact Assessment will underpin the development of the organisation, and is being undertaken in partnership with disability stakeholders. Active Travel England will help deliver high quality, fully accessible cycling and walking infrastructure which works for everyone, and will help local authorities to tackle any barriers which prevent disabled people from using this infrastructure.

Active Travel England will be funded from the £2 billion cycling and walking budget announced in Gear Change in July 2020, and will be sufficiently resourced to deliver its functions. It will have its headquarters in York, consistent with the Government’s commitment to level up the country and locate more Civil Service roles outside of London and the South East. Around 20 staff will be based in York, but the organisation will have a nationwide presence with teams based throughout England.