Nottingham has been named as England’s most cycle-friendly city, according to a new report.

A survey by the Campaign for Better Transport assessed 19 major towns and cities using three criteria: accessibility and planning, quality and uptake of public transport, and walking and cycling.

And Nottingham was awarded an A- for its ease of walking and cycling, while also being hailed as England’s least car-reliant city.

“It ranked highly for factors such as bus patronage, satisfaction with bus services and low car use for the school run,” said CBT.

“As well as having an efficient bus service, the new expanding tram system is now used by 10 million passengers a year.”

Cambridge has the highest proportion of morning commuter journeys taken by bicycle at 3.9 per cent but Sheffield was shamed as the least cycle-friendly city.

Milton Keynes, hailed as a triumph in town planning in the 1980s, was handed the dishonour of England’s most car-dependent city.

“Milton Keynes was designed for the car,” said the report.  “Those with cars can get to work in under 10 minutes, but those without a car struggle to get around.

“Travelling by public transport is a poor alternative.”

Milton Keynes Council said efforts were being made to improve transport links and, despite an over-reliance on the car, the town was ranked fourth for its provision for cyclists and walkers, with 270km of designated routes in place.