Plans for a ‘Boris bikes’ type rental scheme aimed at cutting traffic congestion and pollution have failed to spark any interest from an operator.

That is despite Canterbury City Council setting aside £338,000 to pay for the bikes and docking stations in the city.

The scheme would involve installing docks at various locations, such as car parks and universities, where a mix of electric and non-electric bikes would be available to hire, likely through an app.

Council spokesman Rob Davies says the aim is to encourage more journeys to be taken around the city by bike, rather than car, to help relieve congestion and improve air quality.

“Essentially, we are asking an operator to set up a service from scratch in a relatively untested area, but we accept that brings with it some risk,” he said.

“The operator will have to maintain the bikes and the docks, even if they don't end up making the profit they were expecting, so there's a balancing act of risk and reward.

“Now, following feedback from the first tender process, we intend to tweak the terms and see if we can attract more interest the second time around.”

Also supporting the push for more urban cycling is funding for improvements to the 6km of cross-city cycleways.

It will include route widening, better signage, lighting, surfaces and drainage, and dropped kerbs at junctions and crossings, with Kent County Council carrying out the work over the summer.

New cycle storage lockers will also be situated across the city to provide long-term storage for bikes and maintenance hubs.

The investment in cycling, which includes funding from the Mountfield Park section 106 agreement, is part of the city council’s much wider transformation of the area’s public spaces and heritage, supported by £20 million of government levelling-up funding.

Meanwhile, the raft of projects in the levelling-up programme across Canterbury - aimed at transforming the city into a fitting “international destination” – are said to be progressing well.

They include creating a “green arrival experience” with the upgrading of spaces like the bus station to include electric vehicle charging and cycle hire.

‘Story gardens' that use innovative technology to tell the story of Canterbury as part of England's history will also be created.

Some of the money will be spent protecting Canterbury’s rich cultural and heritage, including the Norman Castle, city wall, and other historic sites.

But plans for St Mary de Castro gardens have been significantly reduced after the design team found no satisfactory way of installing lighting without damaging archaeology and protecting it from vandalism.