Waltham Forest is one of eight London boroughs to be shortlisted for a share of £100 million to improve safety for cycling.

A cycle superhighway in Lea Bridge Road and a 'dutch-style' roundabout at Whipps Cross, where motorists go round the inside and cyclists go round the outside, were part of the proposal put to Mayor Boris Johnson.

Clyde Loakes, deputy leader and cabinet member for environment, said: “There is no doubt that this sort of funding could take what we have been doing with our Cycling Action Plan to a whole new level.”

Further research will now be carried out on how cyclists can negotiate the North Circular and areas around Walthamstow Central before the boroughs eligible for the final stage are chosen.

The council would then pay £25,000 for more detailed plans to be drawn up before the final decision is made in the New Year.

In a letter to the council, The Mayor’s Cycling Commissioner, Andrew Gilligan, wrote, “The competition was exceptionally strong but we very much liked Waltham Forest’s bid.”

A total of 18 London boroughs applied with the other shortlisted boroughs of Bexley, Ealing, Enfield, Kingston, Merton, Newham and Richmond.