OLYMPIC gold medallist and cyclist Chris Boardman officially opened Active Travel England's national hub at York’s West Offices today.

York has been selected as the headquarters for active travel as part of the Government’s drive to 'level up' and move jobs outside of London.

Chris, who as the National Active Travel Commissioner chairs the new public body, said:"Our job is to get 50 per cent of all journeys cycled or walked by 2030.

"We are well on track to do that, working with councils across the country - essentially to enable people to be ableleave the car at home a litle bit more often and have the confidence to let their kids get to school under their own steam, on foot or by bike.

“If we want millions more people to walk, wheel and cycle to schools, shops and workplaces, we need to give them what they need to make the switch.   

"Delivering schemes that offer an attractive choice takes technical skill, local knowledge, and community involvement.

"Survey after survey has shown people want the choice to be able to use the car a bit less and would love their kids to have more transport independence, so we aim to ensure they are at the heart of creating the right solution for their area. 2023 is the year Active Travel England will start to make that happen."

He said the positive effects of high levels of cycling and walking were clearly visible in pockets around the country where people had been given easy and safe alternatives to driving.

"The time has come to build on those pockets of best practice and enable the whole nation to travel easily and safely around their neighbourhoods without feeling compelled to rely on cars."

Asked about the choice of York for Active Travel England's HQ, he said the city had always had strong links to cycling and was also well linked into the national rail network, so it was easy to connect with the rest of England.

"It's a perfect centre for us. It's a lovely place to work and to get around by bike as well," he added.

Chris  Boardman's cycle racing record includes winning the inaugural men's World time trial championship in 1994 and the individual pursuit gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics.

He also won three prologue stages, and consequently wore the yellow jersey on three occasions, at the Tour de France.

Up to 100 staff will be employed by Active Travel England, with around half already in place.