BOURNEMOUTH is spending more on cycling than even some of the most cycle friendly cities in the country.

The town spent nine per cent of its transport budget on cycling in 2009/10, then 13.5 per cent in 2010/11, and around 16 per cent in 2011/12.

That compares to spending by cities praised for being cycle-friendly like Nottingham, at 7.7 per cent, and Edinburgh, which has pledged of five per cent plus.

Most of the money has come from successful grants for capital projects dedicated to cycling or have a strong cycling element.

Transport chiefs stressed the money is not being diverted from roads and that the spending is having an effect.

Ian Kalra, Bournemouth’s transport manager, said: “Over the past five years cycling levels have increased by 30 per cent.

“Now 49.5 per cent of journeys to school are made by walking and cycling.”

The figures does not include Bournemouth’s bids for money from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) which, if successful, would bring in another £3million.

However Richard Armitage, chair of the cycling forum of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, cautioned: “The really important bit is how much is being spent per person.

“Anything over £20, spent consistently, has been shown by Cycling England to increase cycling rates.”

Bournemouth’s spent £4.89 per person cycling in 2010/2011. According to an article in Cycling Weekly, Britain spends less than £1 per head on cycling.

Nottingham was named in 2010 as the most cycle friendly in England in a survey by the Campaign for Better Transport.

The city spent 7.7 per cent of its transport budget on cycling in 2010/11 which worked out at £3 per head of population.

Cllr Gordon McKenzie, Edin-burgh’s transport convenor, told the Echo its per head spending, including grants that it hoped to win, would be roughly £4.50.

Alun Williams, policy advisor for Sustans, said while the in-crease was welcomed, Bourne-mouth was still short of the £10 per head spend in ‘Cycling Demonstration Towns’ like Blackpool.

Mike Chalkley, chairman of Bournemouth Cycling Forum, said: “Cycling has been underfunded for half a century and the 10 per cent spent here is only a start in trying to remedy the situation.

“There is a huge latent demand from people who don’t feel the roads are safe enough and cycling empowers the poorest during a period of austerity.”