More than £1 million is being invested into funded projects across the county so more people will have the choice to travel by walking, wheeling or cycling.

Today, Active Travel England (ATE) announced it would be using £101 million of government funding for high-quality walking and cycling routes, free e-cycle loans and the development of new active travel routes in National Parks across England.

The government agency has confirmed that Kent County Council (KCC) will receive £1,127,971 and Medway Council will get £149,968 from the total pot.

The new funding will enable the local authorities to deliver walking and cycling schemes and dedicated funding has also been issued to help councils undertake proper consultation with local communities.

ATE hopes these measures will “unlock sustainable transport options for millions more people across England and give people the choice to travel safely on foot or by cycle”.

It will particularly benefit people living in deprived or rural areas with almost half of funding going to deprived communities.

National active travel commissioner, Chris Boardman, said: “This funding is not only going to give millions of people safer and more enjoyable ways to get to school, the shops and workplaces but it will also help local authorities to work with communities to come up with plans for future projects that will make the most difference, providing excellent value for money.

“We’re not just talking towns and cities. A lot of the funding is going to rural areas and we’re funding National Parks to develop new walking and cycling routes.”

Roads Minister, Guy Opperman, said: “We’re committed to ensuring people can travel in the way that works best for them, which is why we’re investing over £100 million for over 100 kilometres of new walking and cycling routes, improved access to our national parks, and e-cycle loan schemes.

“This funding is not just an investment in new infrastructure, but in communities that will benefit from the social mobility and health benefits that improved and new walking and cycling routes will bring.”

KCC and Medway Council are just two of many local authorities across the country that will receive funding for projects.

The investment from the Active Travel Fund will deliver almost 70 miles of new or improved walking and cycling routes, 154 new crossings and 47 safer junctions.

ATE says this will “give millions more people the option to walk, wheel or cycle, improving their health, reducing air pollution and making streets safer for all.

The overall £101 million funding package will also see £1 million going towards National Parks.

This will enable authorities to develop plans for better links between rural towns and villages, with an aim of unlocking better transport choices for people living in and visiting rural areas.

Currently, nine in 10 journeys to National Parks are made in a car.

The funding will allow authorities to develop a pipeline of projects for future investments, with a focus on inclusive routes that connect schools, employment and leisure sites with local communities. Better walking and cycling routes will bring health, environmental and cost benefits to residents and the more than 90 million people who visit National Parks each year.

This is the first time specific allocations for local authorities have been revealed.

The money, which comes from a range of funding pots, paves the way for improvements over the 2023/24 and 2025/26 periods.

An ATE spokesman said: “ATE will continue to work with authorities to ensure that schemes are delivered to a high quality to benefit communities as a whole.

“A guide to best practice consultation and engagement is being developed and will be published in the spring.”