Welcome to Yorkshire have announced sweeping plans to ensure the Tour de France has a lasting legacy in Yorkshire and the plans have received a thumbs up from local MP Andrew Jones.
Mr Jones is Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Grand Depart in Yorkshire and was part of a team of Yorkshire MPs who secured an extra £10million towards Yorkshire’s hosting of the internationally acclaimed event.
Mr Jones commented: Welcome to Yorkshire have worked with local authorities to seize the opportunity, build on the momentum and make sure that Le Grand Depart is not only a weekend-wonder. Following the London Olympics we saw huge investment in sport including cycling. We need to see that kind of legacy replicated in Harrogate and Knaresborough and the rest of Yorkshire too.
The measures – dubbed ‘Cycle Yorkshire’ – include increasing the number of journeys taken by bike for both leisure and work, more competitive cycling in the region and introducing a regional cycle hire network.
Mr Jones continued: My team have already had discussions locally about the legacy. I want to see properly signed cycle routes, a downloadable cycle map, cycling education in schools and better promotion of the ‘Bike and Go’ scheme at Harrogate Station. These are all things I know that Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council have in the pipeline and I am keen to see these aspirations become reality.
