For those of you unfortunate to be heading into town on a regular basis rather than out of it, deputy sherriff Prescott has some good news about “cycling measures”.

Although from previous bitter experience this often means glorified pavements stuffed with ignorant and obstinate pram drivers, or roadside cycle lanes just being used as additional parking spaces, giving up halfway down the main road or spitting you into busy junctions at ridiculous angles, I’m sure we should be grateful and hopeful.

Only a fraction of the money allotted will of course be going to local cycling projects depending on how the local council sees fit. So far only Manchester, Nuneaton, Salisbury and Plymouth have been mentioned by name as committed to providing extra bike facilities as part of their schemes. However we suggest you get writing to the local council and push your plate forward as fast as possible to try and keep the cycle money in the kitty rather than being ‘re-assigned’ for essential valeting of the mayoral Daimler.