Council chiefs are looking to make the borough a flagship for cargo bikes to be used for everything from the school run to Amazon deliveries and business waste.

Money is being spent to support new cargo bike parking spaces outside schools, as well as hire schemes.

There will also be cash help for families who want to buy a cargo buy as an alternative to a combustion engine car with the introduction of the ULEZ scheme later this year..

The Council is supporting the adoption of battery power cargo ebikes, which help users of all ages and fitness levels to operate them while also getting some exercise.

Richmond Council is keen to drive a major shift away from car use, particularly on short journeys, towards walking, cycling and public transport.

A paper setting out the cargo bike strategy is due to be discussed by Councillors on the Transport and Air Quality Committee on Monday.

It states: "Cargo bikes enable the sustainable transportation of produce over short to middles distances, avoiding a need for light vans or mopeds, and are

ideal for a range of local services, including community waste collection."

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And it sets out the ambition to 'put cargo bikes front and centre when considering the sustainable movement of people and goods'.

The paper adds: "Cargo bikes are also ideal for transporting younger children, replacing the car on the school run.

"Cargo bikes, including e-cargo bikes, offer potentially enormous benefits in terms of helping to meet the Council's air quality, climate change and physical activity objectives.

"They will also often be quicker and more convenient than using motor vehicles and can make turning movements and use routes that are prohibited

for general motor traffic.

"Over its lifetime, a cargo bike will also provide considerable affordability benefits compared with running vehicles with combustion engines. Cargo bikes are further exempt from parking charges, the congestion charge and the ULEZ charge."

Cargo bike champion Bori Kiss (credit Richmond Council)

The Council is planning to install cargo bike parking bays - subject to local consultation - in all school streets.

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The 11 locations identified so far include Ashburnham Road; Church Road, Teddington; Cumberland Road; Darell Road; Hampton Hill High Street; Hartington Road; Lower Grove Road; Stillingfleet Road; Waldegrave Park; Windham Road and Worple Street.

The large size of cargo bikes mean that many residents do not have space on their properties to store them securely. As a result, the Council is to investigate installing heavy duty street posts which owners could lock them to, hopefully preventing thefts.

The Council hopes to hold talks with Amazon and others to look at the possibility of setting up a delivery hub in the borough which could run cargo bike deliveries to residents, rather than using vans.

Richmond Council said it has received enquiries from a number of companies that wish to offer shared locker. Retailers could deliver to these lockers and households would collect their purchases, perhaps using cargo bikes.

Officials are also looking at how local businesses will share cargo bike use to deliver to residents and handle waste. In theory, business waste could be collected and transported via cargo bikes to a series of hubs for collection.

The Council said: "It is proposed that the Council commission a consultancy to investigate the potential scope of freight consolidation and cargo bike deliveries, including waste consolidation.

"This will help us to understand what it would take to have a successful local freight/cargo bike service.

"This work would also involve discussions with companies who provide cargo bike deliveries, including Amazon who have established several cargo bike hubs in more built-up parts of London."

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The Council has nine cargo bikes of its own – bought with a government grant – which are used by staff.

It has also set up a fund to encourage residents to adopt them. It said: "This fund will support households in the hiring and purchasing of cargo bikes, enabling residents to experience the benefits of cargo bikes."

To date £20,000 has been set aside to support the scheme.