More than 50 companies based at Lancaster’s White Cross Business Park have teamed up with Lancashire County Council to get new cycling facilities.
White Cross Business Park has been granted the funding from Lancashire County Council’s Sustainable Travel Team to create new showers and bike storage facilities.
The business park is owned and managed by Lancashire County Developments Limited – the county council’s economic development department.
County Councillor Niki Penney, Chair of LCDL, explained: “Cycling facilities have been in demand at White Cross for some time, so we’re pleased to get this funding.
“Many of the companies based here are small in size, so they would have struggled to gain enough funding to do this on their own.
“Instead these companies have pooled together their money, along with some funding secured by our team at White Cross, so that they’ll all benefit from these new facilities. They’ve shown a wonderful sense of community spirit, which we applaud and encourage.”
Lancashire County Council’s Sustainable Travel Team, which gave the funding, supports businesses and organisations to deliver sustainable travel initiatives to encourage more short, everyday journeys to be made by car sharing, walking, cycling and public transport.
The county council’s funding comes from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund to help tackle congestion in two target areas: Lancaster and Preston/South Ribble.
Grants of up to £5,000 were available to individual businesses and organisations based in the two target areas. The funding could be used for shower/changing facilities, personal lockers, cycle storage, car sharing, electrical vehicle charging points and personal travel plans.
The amount of grant allocated by the Local Sustainable Transport Fund depends on the potential impact of the sustainable travel measure(s) to be introduced by a business on the congestion in the area. All grants have to be justifiable to the Department for Transport.
From April 2015 this funding will be available for East Lancashire-based businesses (Burnley, Pendle, Rossendale, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley). For more details contact 01772 530201 or email sustainabletravel@lancashire.gov.uk.
• Find out more about White Cross at www.lancashire.gov.uk/business, call Janet Nielsen on 01524 585 360 or email whitecross@lancashire.gov.uk.