Cycling England

Blackpool’s economy is dominated by tourism: with a population of 142,000, it receives 10 million visitors each year, and 32 per cent of its employment is within hotels and restaurants and the distribution industry. With ambitious regeneration plans in place to transform the popular seaside town into a world-class resort, the Cycling Town programme aims to help Blackpool meet the challenge of the modern leisure market’s needs, by making cycling an essential part of its tourism offer.

Blackpool currently has some of the lowest levels of adult participation in sport and physical activity in the country, with concentrations of extreme socio-economic deprivation; it is now the 12th most deprived authority in England. Car ownership is low: 37 per cent of all households have no car compared with an average of 27 per cent for England and Wales. Blackpool’s terrain is largely flat, and its urban layout means that most local trips can be achieved by a short bike ride. 

Historically, Blackpool’s transport infrastructure has been geared to accommodate large volumes of tourism traffic. The Seafront Movement Strategy will transform the seafront area from a heavily trafficked distributor road into a pleasant walking and cycling environment, providing prime leisure cycling areas. In addition, four ‘signature routes’ will be created, providing links to many key destinations and enabling visitors and local people alike to choose to travel by bike for short trips.

Since the start of the programme, Blackpool has made headway on several infrastructure projects, including creating and extending cycle paths, re-modelling roundabouts, scoping out new routes to schools, the creation of a shared off-road track in Stanley Park, and the development of a BMX track.

The biggest project implemented to date is the launch of the country’s first large-scale cycle-hire scheme. Jointly funded by Cycling England, Blackpool NHS and the local council, it allows residents and tourists to hire bikes from automated stands located across the town - including the Promenade, Pleasure Beach and local parks.

Sixty bikes are currently available to hire from nine hubs across Blackpool and the scheme provides residents and tourists with a cheap, convenient and healthy way of getting around. Already over 4,600 miles have been cycled by new riders since the launch, a figure set to soar when the number of cycles available on the scheme increases to over 400 bikes by May 2010.
Blackpool has also run a huge range of cycle events and promotions, including hosting the Tour of Britain, Tour Series, Nocturne Series, Bike Week, the ‘Ride the Lights’ bike ride which offers a preview of the famous Blackpool Illuminations, and a Cycle Festival. In 2010, the town will be hosting the Grand Depart for the Tour of Britain.

A further initiative from Cycle Blackpool is the ‘Wheels for All’ centre in Stanley Park, which has a large range of adapted bikes to allow people with disabilities to take up cycling. Weekly ‘try-it’ sessions have been available from February 2010.

Numerous health projects around cycling, delivered in partnership by the Council’s Healthy Futures team and co-funded by the Blackpool NHS, have also been introduced within the community. An example of these is ‘Cycling on Referral’, which takes place weekly in Stanley Park for those undergoing rehabilitation following serious illness. This has been very popular, as a way of providing useful exercise as well as helping promote cycling as a safe and sociable activity.

Visit www.cycleblackpool.co.uk for more information.