PRESS RELEASE (available here as a PDF)
Leeds Cycling Campaign has revealed its much-anticipated cycling awards for 2021.
The awards highlight and celebrate actions that are making a significant contribution to promoting cycling in Leeds. They help to foster an environment in which more people will be encouraged to take up cycling and highlight the great work of the Leeds Cycling campaign.
The awards are divided into five categories:
Space for cycling
This category is for the transport infrastructure project of the year that has had the most significant impact on promoting cycling and a cycle-friendly environment in Leeds. Examples could include new cycle ways, cycle parking facilities, or general road projects that assist and encourage cycling.
Best cycling promotion
This category is for the education or encouragement project that has had the most significant impact on promoting cycling and a cycle-friendly environment in the past year. Examples could include publicity campaigns, school education programmes, or promotional cycling events. Nominations could range from individuals to third sector or statutory organisations.
Cycle-friendly commitment by business
This category is for a business that has made significant efforts in encouraging and supporting cycling by its staff, customers and clients during the past year. Examples of cycle-friendly actions might include cycle parking / changing facilities, employee support and incentive programmes, and company 'pool' or E- bikes.
Cycling campaigner or advocate of the year
This category is designed to recognise the contribution made by an individual to the promotion of cycling in Leeds. This award has two categories:
(a) A grass roots campaigner or advocate active in their local community (b) A high profile campaigner or advocate making a city-wide impact.
Rotten tomato award
This award is for the transport infrastructure, organisation or media outlet that has had the greatest impact in the last year in deterring people from cycling in Leeds.
Leeds Cycling Campaign Award winners 2021 Space for cycling
Active Travel Neighbourhoods
Trial active travel neighbourhoods across the city aim to create safer, quieter residential streets and make it easier and safer for residents to walk and cycle. Active travel neighbourhoods have been established in Hyde Park, Holbeck, Lincoln Green, Chapeltown, Beeston and Otley.
Best cycling promotion
The Bikes College CIC
The Bikes College CIC is a small, self-sufficient, independent social enterprise based in Holbeck refurbishing bikes otherwise destined for landfill. They collect, refurbish, restore and recycle to provide an alternative and affordable means of transport to the residents of Leeds and beyond.
Cycle-friendly commitment by business
Leeds City Council
Leeds City Council cycling facilities for staff at Merrion House/ St Georges House and other city centre sites. The authority provides excellent secure staff cycle parking changing and locker facilities. The council also has a number of E-bikes for staff work use to reduce car use. A cycle to work scheme also encourages staff to commute to work by bike.
Cycling campaigner or advocate of the year
Outstanding grass roots campaigner – Ed Carlisle
This award recognises the unstinting work by Ed in promoting active travel initiatives across South Leeds over many years. These include cycle repair and clean Air/ Car- free streets initiatives.
Outstanding professional campaigner – Mike Babbitt – Sustrans Head of Network Development North of England.
Mike headed the team responsible for the upgrading of the Aire and Calder Navigation path between Leeds City Centre and Woodlesford which has become massively popular during lock-down. Mike is also working with Leeds Cycling Campaign to get improvements to access at Skelton Grange Road Bridge and on many other cycle developments across the North of England.
Rotten tomato award
The Duke of Devonshire
Despite some stiff competition The Duke of Devonshire was the clear winner of this year’s Rotten tomato award for claiming tax exemptions in return for allowing public access to his Bolton Abbey estate while banning cyclists from most of his 30,000- acre estate. The area is very popular with cyclists from Leeds and surrounding areas. Peregrine Andrew Morny Cavendish, the 12th Duke of Devonshire has an estimated fortune of £880 million.
The members of Leeds Cycling Campaign determined the winners of each category based on their experience of cycling in the city over the past year. Each of the winners will be presented with a framed certificate marking their achievement.
Martin Stanley, Acting Chair of Leeds Cycling Campaign said, “We are delighted with the response to our first ever annual Leeds Cycling awards. While much still needs to be done to make cycling the natural choice for getting around the city, the award winners demonstrate just what great work is going on to make this an achievable goal and highlight where action is still required”.