Ministers face legal challenge over cuts to walking and cycling investment in England

Cyclists in Cambridge. Although the government remains committed to half of all urban journeys being walked or cycled by 2030, a 50% reduction in the money for active travel in England was announced in March. Photograph: Antonio Olmos/The Observer

The government faces a legal challenge to its decision to cut investment in walking and cycling in England, over claims that the move bypassed legal processes and risks scuppering commitments over the climate emergency and air pollution.

Lawyers acting for the Transport Action Network (TAN), a campaign group, have written to the Department for Transport (DfT) to formally seek a judicial review of the cuts announced in March by Mark Harper, the transport secretary.