A SECOND bid for more than a million pounds in walking and cycling money has been submitted by the council.

Worcestershire County Council has put forward its plans hopeful of securing its share of government Active Travel Fund money with the aim of improving routes for pedestrians and cyclists around the county.

The council said the money, if approved, will go towards several existing schemes including widening towpaths to at least two metres between Diglis and Sixways to accompany Highways England work to connect the area around the stadium with Tibberton.

The extra money will also pay for cycling and walking links around ongoing work in Pinvin and Pershore including around the new northern relief road.

An application for nearly £4 million in 'local pinchpoint' money has also been made to the Department for Transport which would also focus on walking cycling between Worcester and Kempsey and Worcester and Malvern.

Overall, £5.3 million would be spent on the work.

Councillor Alan Amos, cabinet member for highways, said: “We already have an excellent programme of active travel works underway and I am delighted that the city and district councils fully support our bid; I am grateful for their support.

"Many of our schemes involve partnership working and we will be dependent on this joint working approach so that we can make things happen for the residents of Worcestershire by expanding our active travel facilities with permanent rather than temporary provision."

The county council was criticised for submitting a "poor and inadequate" walking and cycling bid to the government in June.

The authority received £135,500 - only half of the money it bid for - with campaigners saying the proposals 'missed the point'.