Lincolnshire County Council has been told it needs to drive up standards of active travel infrastructure, but council leaders fear funding will be slashed by up to 75 per cent in the next round.

The government released a series of ratings around its target of ensuring half the trips in England's towns and cities are walked, wheeled or cycled by 2030.

The government ratings mark councils from zero to four and measure local leadership, the plans in place, and the councils' delivery record.

Lincolnshire received a rating of one, which means there is "some local leadership with basic plans and isolated interventions that do not yet obviously form a plan for a network".

Neighbouring authorities Rutland and Leicestershire were rated zero.

Just five local authorities — Nottingham, Greater Manchester, Leicester, West Midlands and West Yorkshire — achieved a level three rating. No authorities got the highest grade.

The ratings are used to guide initial funding allocations and higher rated authorities are eligible for more cash. However, support also aims to ensure that "eventually, there will be no rating zero authorities".

A spokesperson for Lincolnshire County Council said the council had engaged with the Department for Transport over the past three years over the active travel agenda. 

Local cycling and walking plans have been developed and the council said there had been an increase in active travel prominence.

However, not all of the schemes have been successful, with a number of parking changes in Louth going down like a lead balloon.

A series of parklets installed in the town centre sparked outrage and were removed following a backlash which included several acts of vandalism.

Cllr Richard Davies, executive member for highways, said: "This won't affect any schemes we are working on or considering.

"We will still be able to bid for funding, although it should be noted that government has dramatically cut the amount of funding available.

"It appears that government money for this is being dropped by anything up to 75% overall, so the actual amounts of money available may be considerably less for all concerned."

Cllr Davies, however, did not believe the issues around the Louth ATS had impacted on the score – instead choosing to believe it had helped show LCC were "prepared to trial more radical interventions".

They said densely populated areas had an advantage on rural locations due to the benefit-to-cost ration.

Despite this the council is continuing to develop plans, including increasing cycle parking.

Next year, it hopes to relaunch its bike hire scheme, increasing the number of cycles available around Lincoln to more than the 120 it had when the scheme first launched in 2013.

The new scheme will see new technology explored, potentially including electric bikes and geo-fencing.