IMPROVEMENTS for cyclists in Colchester will go ahead even though a £5million bid for funding was rejected.

Essex County Council’s application to the Department for Transport for cash for the Colchester Cycle Town project has been rejected.

Transport chiefs insist upgrades will still be made this year, including a new cycle route linking Greenstead to Essex University.

A County Hall spokesman said: “We are disappointed the bid was unsuccessful.

“The funding would have allowed the opportunity to build on the achievements realised under Cycle Colchester and to develop a series of capital and revenue-based initiatives for Basildon, Harlow and Chelmsford.”

Improvements planned in Colchester for this year include a cycle link between Ipswich Road and Bilsdale Close, the removal of cycling prohibition orders from subways and the introduction of advanced stop lines for cyclists at traffic lights in Colchester.

Officers also plan to draw up a preliminary design for a cycle route linking Mersea to Colchester.

The spokesman said: “Over the last three years, £4.2million has been invested in creating a cycling legacy for Colchester with a focus on both improving the cycle network and encouraging more people to give cycling a try. Essex County Council intends to continue to build on this.”

Preliminary figures suggest Cycle Town has not seen a significant rise in the number of people getting on their bikes in Colchester.

Automatic counters set up in ten sites between 2007 and 2010 showed use of some routes, including near High Woods County Park and North Station Road, increased but the number of the cyclist in other parts of the town, including the Wivenhoe Trail, fell.

The project is a finalist in the National Transport Awards and its organisers have pointed to major benefits, including the addition of 12km of cycle lanes.