Last week the Guardian’s North of England editor, Helen Pidd, wrote an angry tirade railing against Manchester’s cycling scene, describing it as a ‘terrible cycling city’. A bit unfair, says Chris Paul , Transport for Greater Manchester Committee’s cycling champion

Five years ago, faced with another gobsmacking garage bill and a shameful drive-everywhere, £50-a-week petrol habit, I called a scrap man to trade my liability for a decent bike. I plumped for an anniversary edition 1985 Raleigh Classic. All original, from 531ST tubing forks to Brooks saddle tail. These days I go just about everywhere on that bike, rain or shine.

In 2011 I joined the Transport for Greater Manchester (TFGM) committee and gravitated to buses and bicycles. I made sure Manchester City Council and TFGM participated fully in the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group “Get Britain Cycling” Inquiry. This helped provide a platform for Cycle City Ambition, in which Manchester’s ten districts won the largest grant. Later in 2013 I became TFGM Committee’s first Cycling and Active Travel champion.

Last Tuesday I was pedalling along one long-standing Dutch-style cycle lane along Alan Turing Way, ready to launch myself across three lanes of fast traffic to turn right to the velodrome, when an alert pinged. A few minutes later I read an article by the Guardian’s North of England editor about cycling in my city that made my heart sink.

“Why Manchester is a terrible cycling city” screamed the headline. Every fault recited was of course recognisable to any determined daily cyclist negotiating the same impenetrable city centre and the same A56 commute through St George’s roundabout.

Lots of good points. Yet I had an overwhelming feeling that the conclusions were wrong, and deeply unfair.

It seemed unfair firstly because it singled Manchester out. Helen Pidd could have been describing just about any UK town or city. “The UK is a terrible cycling country” might have been fairer. Though thousands of us are now working on changing that.

TFGM has had a cycling remit since 2011 and people on bikes and on foot now make 22% of journeys to work and study to central Manchester, predominantly walking. There’s huge scope for growth yet there is virtually no mainstream budget for us.

Our cycle ambition proposal, Veocity2025, aims to boost us from 2% to 10% of all journeys by bike by 2025. Pretty ambitious, though the local campaign group Love Your Bike suggests 20%, and by 2020! But to progress, for either target, beyond the strong and fearless 1% and the have-a-go 7% identified in similar Portland, Oregon we will need the jazzy grooves of Amsterdam, the broad shoulders of Copenhagen, and perhaps some quick wins via the creative paint and planters of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.

It seemed unfair secondly because references to past projects were partial with no recognition of any positives. OK, the premium parking solution that is City Tower Cycle Hub does not float everyone’s boat, with an annual subscription costing £100. I always park on public hoops or informally in the street myself to keep my feet on the ground. But that Hub is now one of a dozen with more on the way, all but two virtually free. And yes, the 20 year old lanes along the Bridgewater Viaduct, across St George’s Roundabout, and onwards to Chester Road and Chorlton Road are not perfect, though Love Cycling Go Dutch experts were largely positive. But there are miles and miles of new and improved cycling routes. Not least along Wilmslow Road and Oxford Road, with the Love Cycling Go Dutch expert solutions proposed in a funding vacuum just three years ago now set to be largely delivered by Christmas, particularly in Rusholme as we go the extra mile.

Similar Dutch-style separated facilities are also in design for routes for Chorlton and Stretford, under Cycle City Ambition 2, potentially converging at a significantly upgraded St George’s. The concept is for such “spokes” on all major radial routes, and much more besides.

The article seemed unfair thirdly in referring so favourably to London. They are making good progress, but that really is not like for like. Boris boasts of a rolling £1 billion ten-year budget and has a big head-start. Eight years ago Ken Livingstone and Konnie Huq were promoting the Hovis London Freewheel, which became the model for those traffic-free Sky Rides Helen mentioned.

It’s not all about money of course. And £42m from Cycle City Ambition grants is very welcome. But, personally speaking, spending £10m a year across almost three million people (around £3.50 per head) when Kingston is spending £30m for a Mini Holland serving 170,000 people (£176.50 per head) does rather underline the current North-South divide and the need to more in Manchester.

Chris Paul is a Labour councillor for Withington Ward on Manchester City Council and is Transport for Greater Manchester Committee’s Cycling and Active Travel Champion