Creating Growth, Cutting Carbon (White Paper)

In January 2011, the government unveiled details of a £560m fund for sustainable transport projects, in a bid to help create economic growth and reduce carbon emissions.

Full details of the Local Sustainable Transport Fund were published in a government White Paper, ‘Creating Growth, Cutting Carbon’, which aims to encourage greater use of public transport and to increase walking and cycling.

The aims of the strategy include; cutting red tape for councils while cutting carbon; getting quick wins locally by investing in smaller scale schemes to help create jobs; and giving local people more power over transport schemes in their area, to better meet local needs.

Norman Baker, regional and local transport minister, said: “A good transport system is vital in our efforts to deliver two key government priorities: to help grow the economy and to reduce carbon emissions. Investment in local sustainable transport can deliver quick gains with both objectives.”

The government also announced that £11m from the fund will be spent on Bikeability, to increase the number of people who use cycling as a mode of transport.