Revealed: New council rankings in active travel

26/09/2024 | DOMINIC BROWNE AND CHRIS AMES

Active Travel England (ATE) has published new capability ratings for local authorities, showing improvements among the lowest ranked councils but slow progress overall, with no authority reaching the top level.

All four councils previously given a zero rating for their capability to develop active travel infrastructure have now improved, but the majority of authorities remain in the next lowest category, according to the new data.

Leicestershire, Rutland, West Sussex and Worcestershire councils all stepped up from Level 0 since last year, however none of the 80 authorities that returned the evidenced self-assessment forms achieved the highest rating of Level 4.

This is despite the fact that the ratings are used to guide dedicated active travel funding, with higher rated authorities eligible to access more funding, helping match investment with the capability to use it.

ATE’s Local Authority Active Travel Capability Ratings 2024 published this month assesses each authority’s ability to plan, design and deliver schemes that give more people the option to walk, wheel or cycle for local journeys.

The ratings are:

  • Level 0: Little local leadership or support and limited record of delivery
  • Level 1: Some local leadership and support with developing plans and isolated interventions
  • Level 2: Visible local leadership and support, with emerging network
  • Level 3: Strong local leadership and support, substantial network in place with increasing modal share
  • Level 4: Dense network in place with a high proportion of trips made by walking, wheeling and cycling. Very supportive leadership and policies to further improve transport choice

Overall, 42 councils ranked in Level 1, 32 were on Level 2 and six were in Level 3. The number of authorities at each level was broadly similar to ATE’s first assessment in March 2023 and no authority moved up by more than one category.

Danny Williams, ATE’s chief executive officer, said: 'Our capability ratings not only recognise the progress being made in active travel across the country; they also help us to target funding. They were used in 2024 allocations, which will enable local authorities to continue to develop their capability to deliver high quality active travel programmes.'

He added that since the first assessment, the executive agency has been working to build capability in authorities through targeted funding, support, training and guidance.

'We also delivered dedicated support to the lowest rated authorities to help them upskill officers and implement action plans,' he said.

ATE describes ratings as assessing authorities’ current effectiveness at taking forward schemes that will support the objectives set out in the national Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy, adding that they focus primarily on the three areas of: local leadership; network planning; and delivery.

ATE has used the ratings to calculate authorities’ funding allocations for 2024-25, including the Capability Fund, which provides funding to boost local authorities’ technical capability to deliver high quality schemes.

All local and combined authorities in England outside London were invited to assess their own capability against five levels.

The self-assessment process ran from October to December 2023, after which responses were put through a moderation exercise which considered them against performance information that ATE held to produce a final rating.

The report notes that following feedback from the previous round, the way that self-assessment data was collected was changed to reduce the burden on authorities, and the window for self-assessment evidence to be returned was extended from three to eight weeks.

Highways InProfile

latest magazine issue
Highways jobs

Civil Enforcement Officer

£25,183 - £26,409
Are you looking for a role that allows you to earn whilst been outdoors across the district of North Yorkshire? Whitby, North Yorkshire
Recruiter: North Yorkshire Council

Civil Enforcement Officer

£25,183 - £26,409
Are you looking for a role that allows you to earn whilst been outdoors across the district of North Yorkshire? Northallerton, North Yorkshire
Recruiter: North Yorkshire Council

Senior Street Cleansing Technician (CDC)

Grade 6, £25,175 - £25,983 (Pay award pending) + 6% AIA
We are about to embark on an ambitious programme of change in our city centre Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Recruiter: City Of Doncaster Council

Highways Improvement Manager

£49,764 - £53,817 per annum
Would you like to be part of our friendly, supportive, Highways team? Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Recruiter: North Yorkshire Council

Highways Delivery Manager

£69,123 - £72,783
This is an exciting role leading maintenance and construction delivery. Northumberland
Recruiter: Northumberland County Council

UGO Bus Driver

Up to £25081.00 per annum
UGO Bus DriverPermanent, Part TimeUp to £25,081 per annum (full time equivalent)Location
Recruiter: Essex County Council

Street Scene Workforce Support Officer

£27,711.00 - £30,559.00, Grade 6, 37 hours, Permanent
An opportunity exists in the Council’s Street Scene Services for a Street Scene Workforce Support Officer Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Recruiter: Wakefield Council

Highways Officer

£33,366 - £37,035 per annum
We are seeking to recruit a Highways Officer based at our Highways Office in Whitby. Whitby, North Yorkshire
Recruiter: North Yorkshire Council

Project Engineer - Forward Programmes

Grade 11 £38,629 - £41,928 per annum (Pay Award Pending)
At Derbyshire, we have been on a journey to transform the way we deliver highway services Derbyshire
Recruiter: Derbyshire County Council

Head of Highways Operations

Salary
Somerset Council
Recruiter: Somerset Council

Team Leader LGV Driver

£27,711.00 - £30,559.00, Grade 6, 37 hours, Permanent
An exciting opportunity exists in the Council’s Street Scene Services for a Team Leader LGV Driver working from our Depot at South Kirkby. Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Recruiter: Wakefield Council

Head of Highways and Transportation

£86,196
North Tyneside Council is committed to delivering outstanding services to people and places across the borough. North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear
Recruiter: North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council

Works Technician

£37,399 (plus unsocial hours allowance)
The Works Technician is responsible for ensuring that the London Trams civils and off-track infrastructure Croydon (City/Town), London (Greater)
Recruiter: Transport for London

Streetcare Operative / LGV Driver WMF2091e

£27,711.00 - £28,624.00
Westmorland and Furness Council is seeking to employ an enthusiastic and motivated LGV Driver Ulverston, Cumbria
Recruiter: Westmorland and Furness Council

Highway Network Technician - WMF2090e

£27,711 - £28,624
We are looking to recruit a friendly and motivated candidate to join our Highways Maintenance Team as Highways Network Technician. Kendal, Cumbria
Recruiter: Westmorland and Furness Council

Strategic Sites Transport Planner

£47,754 - £51,802 (Plus £4000 Market Forces Supplement) (Pay award pending)
Worcestershire County Council and Wychavon District Council are seeking to appoint an ambitious transport planner. Pershore, Worcestershire
Recruiter: Wychavon District Council

Transportation Planning Officer

Band F, SCP 26-31 (£36,124 - £40,476 per annum)
Have you got a degree in Civil Engineering, Transportation Planning, Geography or Town Planning? Sandwell, West Midlands
Recruiter: Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

REL Skip Driver

£27,711.00 - £30,559.00, Grade 6, 37 hours, Permanent
An opportunity exists in the Council’s Street Scene Services for an REL Skip Driver working from our depot at Castleford. Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Recruiter: Wakefield Council

Mechanical and Electrical Engineer

£37,035- £41,511
We have an exciting opening to join our Property Team as a Mechanical & Electrical Engineer. Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Recruiter: North Yorkshire Council

Project Chargehand (4 Posts)

Grade 9 £31,344 - £33,253 per annum (Pending Pay Award)
We are looking for Project chargehands to lead teams working on highway maintenance and construction projects. Derbyshire
Recruiter: Derbyshire County Council
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Latest Video

Subscribe to Highways today to ensure you keep your finger on the pulse of everything happening in the UK road network throughout the year.

SUBSCRIBE NOW