Mayor of London Sadiq Khan praised the council’s progress on the latest phase of the Cycle Enfield scheme as he launched an ambitious drive to boost cycling across the capital.

The mayor visited Edmonton yesterday (Monday, December 17) to unveil the Cycling Action Plan, which aims to double the number of journeys made by bicycle over the next six years.

The plan – a joint project between the mayor and Transport for London (TfL) – contains blueprints for a network of cycle routes running across London, which will be designed in line with six new quality standards in a bid to improve safety.

It also aims to provide more information for cyclists via a digital database so they can plan their journeys better.

Mr Khan said he was “really impressed” with the council’s work around Edmonton Green station and the way the cycle lanes linked up with other improvements to make the town centre “more vibrant”.

He said: “What I am clear about is we need to make it easier for the occasional cyclist to be confident. The best way to give more confidence is to make it safer.

“These improvements demonstrate it is possible to square the circle – not only to cut congestion for cars, but also to make it easier for cyclists to cycle.

“It does feel safer when you go over the roundabout with the cycle lanes – and that’s what we have got to think about, because the city is growing, and we have to make it easier for people to walk and cycle.”

Mr Khan said it was important “to persuade everyone of the benefits of walking cycling”, adding that promoting healthier lifestyles would mean lower costs for the NHS, higher productivity for businesses and better quality of life for residents.

He said: “What this is about is making sure all parts of Enfield get the benefits. We mustn’t just be obsessed with zone one – we have to think about outer London.

“This is why the action plan will make it easier to get from one town centre to another, and from Haringey to Enfield.”

The improvements around Edmonton Green station are part of the latest phase of the TfL-funded Cycle Enfield scheme and will ultimately connect Ponders End to White Hart Lane.

Work on the project to create cycle lanes that are separated from traffic has involved redesigning the Edmonton Green Roundabout to make it safer for cyclists.

Enfield Council leader Cllr Nesil Caliskan said: “Edmonton as a whole is on the cusp of change, and our challenge is to make sure it is good change for the people who live and work here.

“The cycle scheme needs to be sustainable and it needs to be safe – and that it how we will encourage people to use their bikes.

“People really feel strongly about Edmonton shopping centre. I think we are in a window where we need to harness that and maximise the value that it has.”

Daniel Anderson, the council’s deputy leader, said the local authority was doing all it could to help businesses that were temporarily affected by the construction of the cycle lanes.

He said: “There is a rate support scheme through the valuations office and we support businesses seeking to get rate rebates.

“We have an engagement officer who goes round businesses to try and see what their requirements are and how we can help – particularly with things like loading and unloading and making sure parking is available.

“All construction involves some inconvenience, but we have tried to mitigate that as best we can.”