An active travel charity has confirmed that 21 of its employees in Scotland are at risk of losing their jobs due to reduced Scottish government funding.
Sustrans said that it has been asked to make “substantial savings” in its behaviour change programme after learning that it would receive less government funding for “crucial areas of active travel work for the next financial year”.
The loss of funding means that the charity is being forced to “make cuts” and end or reduce programmes across Scotland.
Sustrans would not confirm to Civil Society how much funding it would be losing but said that it is focused “on supporting affected colleagues in our behaviour change programme”.
‘We’ve been asked to make substantial savings’
Sustrans said that is has been in discussions with the Scottish government in the last few weeks “about funding for crucial areas of active travel work for the next financial year”.
A spokesperson said: “We welcome the continuation, albeit potentially at a reduced amount, of capital funding for infrastructure. This will allow us and our partners to deliver projects right across Scotland that make it safer and easier for people to walk, wheel and cycle. Likewise, we welcome the recent announcement by the minister for active travel of a £20m transformation fund which will go directly to local authorities for active travel.
“However, we have been asked to make substantial savings in our behaviour change programme. This work is delivered in communities and includes training children on safe cycling, supporting people to walk and cycle to work and giving marginalised communities the opportunity to access walking and cycling. It’s crucial that this work continues so that we can encourage more people to get about by walking or cycling for everyday journeys.”
‘Left with no choice but to make cuts’
Sustrans has 644 full-time equivalent employees in the UK, including 191 in Scotland, according to accounts for the year ended March 2022,
The charity said that with “less Scottish government funding” it is “left with no choice but to make cuts which will reduce our impact on changing the way people travel every day”.
“As a result, 21 of our Sustrans colleagues in Scotland are now at risk of redundancy and there will be an end or reduction to programmes right across Scotland.
“To reduce dependence on cars, we need to make it easier for people to make the switch to active travel and public transport. Building the infrastructure is critical, but uptake will be reduced without encouragement, support and engagement with communities.”
The Scottish government recently announced that it was investing “record amounts” in active travel and would continue to do so, with a budget of nearly £190m in 2023-24 and rising to £320m by 2024-25.
Sustrans added: “We understand there is continued commitment to the promises in the Programme for Government and the Bute House agreement, which proposes increasing the active travel budget to £320m by the end of the parliament. These cuts to behaviour change programmes, however, are a worrying development and we hope it will not put that commitment at risk.”
Scottish Government: ‘Still in negotiation’ with Sustrans
A Transport Scotland spokesman told Civil Society that it is “still in negotiation” with Sustrans and “cannot confirm total funding at present”.
“The Scottish government has needed to make some difficult decisions on spending, and we have been working constructively with Sustrans to prioritise projects and programmes that demonstrate best value for money,” he said.
“We are investing more than ever before in active travel this year and our commitment to record investment in active travel in 2024-25 remains, despite challenging financial circumstances being felt right across the Scottish budget.
“Our investment in active travel is also more than any other part of the UK at a time when Sustrans UK has launched a campaign against deep active travel cuts in England, highlighting that it will lag behind Scotland where per capita investment is many times higher.
“As of this month, nearly £120m of active travel funding has been approved, with £95m of that already distributed and we are working with officials from the delivery partners and colleagues in Scottish government to progress the remaining programmes that are awaiting a decision.”
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