Cycling England - an independent expert body funded by the Department of Transport - has announced it will provide £1.25 million to fund a project to boost cycling in the Peak District National Park.

The investment will be used to build new cycling trails around the national park and improve existing ones, encourage families to go cycling regularly as a leisure activity, educate the public about the health benefits of cycling and help reduce traffic congestion and environmental pollution.

Already the Peak District National Park has 58 miles of dedicated off-road cycle trails and more than 30,000 people already use the national park's cycle hire centre, but it's hoping to increase this. The project will be managed by the Peak District National Park Authority.

Richard Campen, director of operations, says: “Cycling England believes the Peak District National Park can become a flagship project demonstrating a model that other rural areas can use to encourage more people to go cycling on a regular basis.

“The national park is a huge asset and this project gives us a real opportunity to develop a generation of cyclists who cycle regularly, with all the health benefits that brings.

“There are lots of potential opportunities to extend the proposed scheme by working with public transport providers and local authorities in neighbouring urban areas. We would be interested in talking to anyone with serious ideas about projects that could be developed.

“For example, it would be great if a visitor or commuter could catch a train in Manchester, get off in Buxton and then ride straight down a cycle trail into the national park.”

The £1.25 million grant has to be spent by 2011. A detailed business case will be written and considered by members of the authority's services committee. It will outline to Cycling England planned improvements to cycling routes and the proposed promotional work to encourage more people to take up cycling in the national park.

www.peakdistrict.org