Britain's most successful paralympian Dame Sarah Storey appointed as new Active Travel Commissioner for city-region

Britain's most successful Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey has been appointed as new Active Travel Commissioner for the Manchester city-region.

It comes as the GMCA vowed to place Manchester residents' health and wellbeing at the centre of its new visions for the future, as it announced that councils across the borough will be working to deliver real Living Wage for all adult social care staff as well as encouraging people to opt for walking or bikes as part of the new Bee Network scheme.

Dame Sarah, who is Great Britain’s most successful Paralympian, takes up the role after former Olympic cyclist Chris Boardman became England’s Active Travel Commissioner earlier this year. Dame Sarah has worked as a policy advocate for British Cycling, with a focus on promoting road safety and improving access to cycling for women and those with disabilities.

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Most recently, she was Active Travel Commissioner in South Yorkshire, where she led the transformation of the region’s cycling and walking network. Dame Sarah will start her work in May and will work alongside the newly appointed Transport Commissioner Vernon Everitt.

In the new role, Dame Sarah will be advising the Mayor on the Bee Network active travel vision - a £1.5bn plan to create 1,800 miles of routes to connect every area and community in Greater Manchester, by integrating cycling and walking with other public transport modes. Funding of £217m has already been confirmed for 117 packages of work - the delivery of these began in 2018 and is expected through to 2025.

Over the next 12 months, Greater Manchester will continue developing its new cycling and walking