Ealing Council leader Julian Bell cycling
Ealing Council leader Julian Bell cycling

The final bid for a share of a £100 million fund to transform Ealing borough into a ‘mini-Holland’ has been submitted.

Council leader Julian Bell and cabinet member for transport and environment, councillor Bassam Mahfouz, and members of Ealing Cycling Campaign rode from Ealing Town Hall to City Hall to deliver the application on December 18.

Only four out of the eight London boroughs in the running will be chosen and an announcement is due in the coming months. If successful, the council will be given £25 million to spend on separate cycle lanes.

Mr Bell, said: “Cycling is fantastic for the environment and brilliant for your health. It’s a cost effective way of travelling and this will open all that up for more people because it will tackle the fears people have and make cycling safer for everybody.”

The Labour-run council's Conservative opposition criticised the efforts.

Transport spokesman councillor Phil Taylor, said: "Labour talks a good game on cycling but all they do is try to rebrand the Mayor’s [Boris Johnson] efforts as their own whilst they cut a third off the road resurfacing budget. Labour can find the money for a useless £2.5 million car park in Southall and £10 million of new offices for staff but it skimps on the roads that everyone uses.”