Campaigns to encourage parents to leave their cars at home for the school run in favour of low carbon alternatives such as cycling are to benefit from a £2 million fund.

The Department for Transport is providing the extra cash for nine schemes to encourage more sustainable travel choices.

They include a project to make it easier to get around on foot and by bike in Redditch, Worcestershire, another to encourage more residents and tourists in Stratford-upon-Avon to make use of bikes and also improve facilities for those walking, cycling and using public transport in Luton.

Transport Minister Baroness Kramer said: “These successful schemes have changed how people travel, with communities now making healthier and greener choices.”

In total, the Department for Transport awarded funding to 96 packages to 77 local authorities for schemes to be delivered between 2011 and 2015.