Dame Sarah will take up the role in her home city of Manchester as she replaces Chris Boardman, who left the post earlier this year to become England’s Active Travel Commissioner.

It was announced last week she would be leaving the Active Travel Commissioner role she has held in South Yorkshire since April 2019.

Mayor Dan Jarvis, who himself is stepping down in May to concentrate on his Parliamentary duties, praised her achievements in helping to secure tens of millions in funding and deliver an implementation plan to create new low traffic neighbourhoods, cycling routes and safe crossing across South Yorkshire in the coming years.

Dame Sarah Storey has become the new active travel commissioner in Greater Manchester having recently done the same role in South Yorkshire.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said: "I am delighted Dame Sarah Storey is coming home to Greater Manchester after making such an impact working in South Yorkshire."

Dame Sarah said: “I’m delighted to be coming home to Greater Manchester as Active Travel Commissioner and am excited to get to work with partners across the city-region.

“Getting physically active is a great way to improve both physical health and mental wellbeing, and cycling and walking short, everyday journeys are some of the easiest ways to do it. Local communities here are already reaping the benefits that quality, safer and more connected walking and cycling routes bring, but there is so much more to come.

“I can’t wait to get started and to enable the benefits of active travel to reach every community in Greater Manchester.”

Andy Burnham snaps up Sarah Storey as active travel champion after South Yorkshire spell