Free cycle stands available for Oxford’s business and community groups

The City Council has teamed up with social enterprise ParkThatBike to launch the £5,000 trial and install 40 bike stands across Oxford.

Business or group owners can apply for the free high-quality cycle parking to be installed outside their premises. Owners will have to pay for the installation, but this will be provided at cost by the City Council.

People can apply for up to four Sheffield stands, up to two heart-shaped cycle stands, a three-hoop toaster-rack, up to four wall-mounted rails or up to two plant pot cycle racks.

Applicants must install the cycle parking on property they own. Owners cannot, for example, install bike racks on the city’s footpaths, which are managed by Oxfordshire County Council.

For more information and to apply, please visit the Park That Bike website.

Oxford has the second highest rate of residents who cycle to work of any local authority area in England and Wales. In 2011, 17 per cent of Oxford residents cycled to work – up two percentage points from 15 per cent in 2001.

Oxford City Council goes above and beyond its remit to encourage cycling across the city – not just to reduce air quality but also to help people keep healthy.

Oxfordshire County Council is the highways authority and is responsible for upgrading and maintaining the majority of cycle tracks, on-road cycle facilities, and the identification and creation of new cycle routes.

Despite this, the City Council has invested £383,000 through its Cycle City project to improve the cycle network since 2012. Recent work has included relining parts of the cycle network and installing new signage.

The City Council is now working with neighbouring District Councils on a plan to devolve more power to the local level and unlock £1bn of new government money. The proposals would give the City Council control over transport for the first time since 1974, allowing the authority to do more to improve the cycle network.

Councillor Louise Upton, Oxford City Council Champion for Cycling, said: “Oxford City Council knows that improving the cycle network is fundamentally important to tackle air pollution, reduce congestion and help people keep healthy.

“That is why we have gone above and beyond our remit to make sure these much-needed improvements happen – and that is why we are offering local businesses and charities this opportunity to receive free cycle parking outside their premises.”