Croydon could be in line for a slice of £100m funding to turn the borough into cycling hub - but 'Boris bikes' will not be part of the plans.

The council is preparing a bid for big-money investment to pay for substantial redesigns to transform the town centre and make it more cycle-friendly.

TfL and the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, are to pick four outer London boroughs to share the cash, which he claims will transform them into 'mini-Hollands'. 

But the Croydon Guardian understands Boris bikes - the iconic network of rental cycles that can be picked up and dropped off across central London - are unlikely to feature even if Croydon's bid is successful.

The Mayor suggested last year that bringing the scheme to Croydon was a priority.

But it is thought there are too few appropriate locations in the borough where bikes could be 'docked'.

Councillor Jason Perry, cabinet member for planning, regeneration and transport, said: "We'd love to have Boris bikes, but I'm told the model of the Boris bikes dock wouldn't really work in a Croydon setting."

Councillor Steve O'Connell, Croydon's London Assembly member, said: "I set my stall out early on to lobby for Croydon to be top of the list if the Mayor was going to pilot an outer-London standalone bike scheme.

"I am now less convinced that Croydon would lend itself to the Boris bike scheme, because of the way the logistics work."

"But our engineers are working up some really good other cycling schemes that I think will benefit our residents."

An alternative hire scheme could form part of Croydon Council's bid for a share of the cycle fund.

Councils have been told their proposals should include town-centre redesigns, new bridges, a network of cycle routes, efforts to tackle problematic junctions and cycle parking 'superhubs'.

Croydon's blueprints could involve offering cycle hire at Lloyd Park and connecting it to the town centre with bike lanes.

Coun Perry said: "There's a lot going on in Croydon, a lot of investment and some big changes coming up. Croydon would be an excellent location for a lot of this money to be spent.

"We will certainly be bidding for a lot of it."

Mr Johnson said: "This will go beyond anything seen in the UK before.

"It could amount to a complete transport makeover of the successful boroughs - benefiting everybody in them, not just cyclists."

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