active travel england senior inspector

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Active Travel England

Active Travel England – We are delivering on the government’s commitment to boost walking, wheeling and cycling across the country to give everyone a healthy, safe and carbon-neutral choice to get around.

What we do at Active Travel England

As the Department for Transport’s newest executive agency, Active Travel England has been set up following the government’s unprecedented commitment of £2 billion for walking, wheeling and cycling, and comes in the wake of the ambitious Gear Change strategy to transform active travel.

As well as approving and inspecting schemes to enable active travel, Active Travel England will support local authorities, train staff, and spread good practice in design, implementation and public engagement.

It will be a statutory consultee on major planning applications to ensure that the largest new developments properly cater for pedestrians, cyclists, and people who use wheelchairs and mobility scooters.

Why we’re excited at Active Travel England

We might be one of the youngest executive agencies in the government sector, but we are thinking big and aiming high. We want no less than to create a new golden age for walking, wheeling and cycling in which everyone has a genuine choice to travel actively and make their neighbourhood a better place. By 2030, we want half of all journeys in towns and cities to be undertaken by active travel, as set out in the ‘Gear Change’ vision.

Opportunities to join Active Travel England

To deliver on this ambition and make a real difference, we are building a diverse and talented team. There are many exciting opportunities to join our growing organisation, where we want everyone to feel proud of our inclusive working environment, and you’ll be working closely with an experienced leadership team who are passionate about what they do and always eager to learn more.

We’re hiring now, so why not look at the opportunities available?

Active Travel England walking, wheeling, cycling

A welcoming and diverse place to work

At Active Travel England we are putting diversity and inclusion at the heart of our decision making, in our people and in the people whose lives we can affect.

‘Gear Change’ outlines the step-change we want and need in walking and cycling in the coming years. The challenge is huge, but the ambition is clear. We have a unique opportunity to transform the role walking and cycling can play in our transport system and get England moving differently. And it’s not just about walking and cycling. We’re adding “wheeling” to active travel to be clear that we are inclusive of those who use wheelchairs, mobility scooters and other walking aids too.

Our ability to enable people to walk, wheel and cycle requires routes and infrastructure that are accessible to all regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or disability and do not create hazards for vulnerable pedestrians, as well as policies and initiatives that engage people from different communities.

Our success in getting this right relies on us employing people with first-hand experience of the barriers faced by diverse groups within our communities. We see your background as a positive benefit and provide you the opportunity to bring that experience into your work. If our mission is as important to you as it is to us, we’d love to hear from you.

Where we’re based

Active Travel England will be headquartered in York with a small number of regionally based roles.

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Driving and road transport
Cycling and walking

Chris Boardman named permanent National Active Travel Commissioner alongside other senior Active Travel England appointments

Active Travel England will be headed up permanently by Chris Boardman with Chief Executive Officer Danny Williams and Chief Operating Officer Louise Wilkinson.

Chris Boardman will continue to inspire the nation into getting about on foot and by bike after being appointed as permanent National Active Travel Commissioner alongside several other senior officials, the Department for Transport ( DfT ) announced today (28 June 2022).

Chris, who has served as Interim Commissioner since January 2022, will head up the new executive agency alongside Chief Executive Officer ( CEO ) Danny Williams and Chief Operating Officer ( COO ) Louise Wilkinson.

Over the past decade, the Olympian has been one of the country’s most prominent active travel advocates and has served in Greater Manchester as Transport Commissioner and Walking and Cycling Commissioner.

Danny Williams, who is expected to be confirmed as Active Travel England’s CEO shortly, has spent over 25 years leading media businesses, including setting-up a start-up and developing large and high performing teams within global corporations.

In his spare time, Danny has been advocating for change in how villages, towns and cities approach walking and cycling. He was a member of the Mayor of London’s Roads Task Force.

Louise Wilkinson has a long career in strategic finance and accounting within the civil service and local government. Most recently she has worked for the Cabinet Office as a Deputy Director of Finance.

Active Travel England also today announced Graham Grant as its Director of Planning and Development. Grant, currently Assistant Director of Transport at Newcastle City Council, is expected to take up his post in the autumn. He joins Brian Deegan, who was announced as Director of Inspections in May 2022.

Confirming the appointments, Cycling Minister Trudy Harrison said:

Today’s appointments are another great step for Active Travel England as it continues to make sure getting around our towns and cities on foot or by bike is an easy and attractive option. Chris, Danny, Louise and the rest of the incoming team are hugely respected experts in their field and are dedicated to making people-friendly streets a reality. I wish them every success and will do all I can to support them.

Chris Boardman said:

I am thrilled to be announced as permanent National Active Travel Commissioner and to be given this incredible opportunity. To help change the travel culture of a nation is by far the most important thing I have ever, or will ever, be involved in. For cycling and walking to become the natural choice for shorter journeys, people must feel safe and the options must be easy. Active Travel England aims to help local authorities across the country deliver that environment, so that people can get to schools, shops and workplaces under their own steam. That’s the kind of place people want to live and the freedoms they want for their children.

Danny Williams added:

If you were to put down on paper my dream job, this is it. I’m passionate about building successful teams from the ground up and I have been an active travel advocate for the past 20 years. It’s a huge privilege to be able to combine those interests as CEO of Active Travel England. I want to support councils to be bold and create an environment that is going to change people’s everyday lives for the better. It doesn’t get more exciting than that.

Louise Wilkinson added:

I can’t wait to take on the role of COO at Active Travel England and be part of this exciting journey. This is something I really believe in and I am proud to be part of a team that will help transform active travel and deliver real change.  I will be focusing on putting in place all the things we need to succeed and to ensure that councils and other delivery partners are supported every step of the way.

Last month DfT announced that millions of people across the country will benefit from cleaner air and cheaper ways to travel and keep active thanks to £200 million of government funding for 134 new active travel schemes.

Active Travel England will oversee delivery as part of its ambition to drive up the standards of infrastructure across the country and make walking, wheeling and cycling the easiest choice for local journeys.

Chris Boardman has been appointed with immediate effect. Danny Williams and Louise Wilkinson are expected to take up their posts in August.

Roads media enquiries

Media enquiries 0300 7777 878

Switchboard 0300 330 3000

Related Active Travel England announcements

Active Travel England update written ministerial statement, published 28 June 2022

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Active Travel England announce the formation of a new advisory panel

Active travel england announce the formation of a new advisory panel to support the organisation in its aim to make walking, wheeling and cycling the first choice for everyday trips across england..

The panel will consist of England’s Chief Medical Officer Sir Chris Whitty, West Midlands’ Mayor Andy Street, Chair of the Office of Rail and Road Declan Collier, and Arup’s Global Transport Leader Isabel Dedring.

SIR CHRIS WHITTY AMONG SENIOR FIGURES APPOINTED TO ACTIVE TRAVEL ENGLAND’S EXPERT ADVISORY PANEL

England’s Chief Medical Officer, Sir Chris Whitty, is one of four senior figures to become part of a new advisory panel, Active Travel England announced today.

Working alongside West Midlands’ Mayor, Andy Street, Chair of the Office of Rail and Road, Declan Collier and Arup’s Global Transport Leader, Isabel Dedring, Whitty will support Active Travel England’s aim to make walking, wheeling and cycling the first choice for everyday trips.

National Active Travel Commissioner, Chris Boardman, said:

“Active travel is a key part of achieving so many of Government’s top priorities, so we want to link up with those agendas from the very start. Providing low-cost, healthy travel options to get to schools, shops and workplaces will revitalise high streets across the country and help us decarbonise at the same time. Active Travel England was created to deliver healthy, sustainable transport growth and I’m delighted we now have such incredible experts to help us get the job done.”

Active Travel Minister, Baroness Vere, added:

“This new advisory panel will be key to supporting the government’s ambition to get more people walking, wheeling and cycling by transforming active travel infrastructure across the country.

“Better infrastructure will not only improve connections to employment, education and local services, but improve our mental and physical wellbeing and help to level up the country. I look forward to working with Sir Chris, Andy, Declan and Isabel to achieve this.”

The advisory panel will meet quarterly with a mix of online and in person meetings. The appointments have been made on a voluntary basis with expenses paid where applicable. The first meeting with take place in late October.

England’s Chief Medical Officer, Sir Chris Whitty, said:

“Exercise improves health and Active Travel England’s mission is shared by the health service. We all want to see more people incorporating active travel into their day as a way to keep mentally and physically fit.”

Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, added:

“Active Travel England will be best placed to succeed as a delivery agency if it closely collaborates with local Mayors as well as both Combined and Local Authorities. That’s why I’m looking forward to helping ensure that ATE can make a real and rapid difference across England. Enabling more local trips to be taken on foot or on wheels can improve the journey experience, encourage a healthier lifestyle and help us to tackle the climate emergency. Increasing walking and cycling uptake is central to our vision to establish a truly integrated transport network here in the West Midlands and can support local economic growth by breathing new life into our high streets.”

Arup’s Global Transport Leader and former Deputy Mayor of London, Isabel Dedring, said:

“Delivering a step change in active travel requires focus and determination, but it also requires attention to detail, meaningful engagement with communities and their real needs, and integration with the wider transport network. The UK is seen as a leader in many aspects of progressive transport policy and has a fantastic chance through Active Travel England to retain its position as a leader in this rapidly developing area.”

Chair of the Office of Rail and Road, Declan Collier, said:

“Making local trips, either on foot or on two wheels, is a great way to boost physical health and also mental wellbeing. For those wanting to do their walking or cycling further afield, England’s rail and road networks will get you there. I look forward to getting started and working together with the other panel members to bring about positive change in people’s lives.”

About Active Travel England

Active Travel England is the government’s executive agency responsible for making active travel the preferred choice for everyone to get around in England. Its objective is for 50% of trips in England’s towns and cities to be walked, wheeled or cycled by 2030. By working with local authorities to improve standards of active travel infrastructure and make traveling actively easy, safe and fun, it is enabling people to choose a healthier, greener and cheaper form of transport for everyday journeys.

Active Travel England is an executive agency sponsored by the Department for Transport.

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