Aimed at ‘getting Cambridgeshire to work,’ TfC - a partnership organisation based within the County Council in Cambridge - is willing companies on to claim a slice of the original £1 million given to them by the Government’s Department of Transport from the ‘Local Sustainable Transport Fund’ before the 31st December deadline. This is in order for employers to increase the number of travel services and facilities on offer to their staff, so that sustainable transport solutions that hit congestion hard, while reducing carbon and supporting economic growth, can be fully achieved.
The grants, covering three strategic growth areas (St Neots to Cambridge and Royston to Cambridge corridors, as well as Wisbech Town), will also provide an opportunity to deliver additional wider social, environmental, health and safety benefits for local communities.
Kate Day, TfC Project Manager, stated: "Ultimately we are trying to achieve a change in commuting behaviour by employees. However, we recognise that this is not a straight forward option for many people, so the grants are there to try and increase travel choices. By changing to a car free or car sharing journey for one day a week, we can all make a huge change to the congestion issues, saving money, as well as improving our health and that of the environment."
The ‘Workplace Sustainable Travel Grant’ is available to improve the travel infrastructure at workplaces. This is worth up to 75% of the costs to a maximum of £3,000 per company and can be spent on initiatives such as car park management, lockers, showers, pool bicycles and cycle parking. Up to two applications are permitted per business.
Then, there is the ‘Workplace Sustainable Travel Event Grant,’ giving up to a maximum of £500 per business for running and promoting sustainable travel events at the workplace for employees (including those from several companies in the case of area-wide events), such as Bike Week, Liftshare Week, or the launch of a pool bike scheme or travel plan.
For businesses who promote car sharing, there is also the ‘Guaranteed Ride Home Grant.’ It means that if an employee is unable to car share, for example in the case of an emergency, the grant will help pay for the costs of alternative travel to get them to and from work as part of a scheme that will be set up. This eliminates the worry for all concerned.
It is vital for companies who wish to claim these grants to move quickly, as they are proving very popular with Cambridgeshire’s businesses. "So far, there have been 11 applications for events and promotions, as well as nine applications and expressions of interest for infrastructure grants," said Ms Day.
For employers to be eligible, they need to be members of TfC and must be located within the Cambridgeshire LSTF 2015-2016 area, details of which can be found on the TfC website.
To join the scheme and to make the most of their grants, email info@tfw.org.uk or phone 01223 715550 to find out how to submit an application before 31st December.
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