Yelland cycleway celebration
A dangerous and traffic laden road connecting Yelland with the Tarka Trail has been tamed for walkers and cyclists thanks to the completion of a �115,000 scheme. Residents have been celebrating the creation of a new dual footpath and cycleway on the old p
A dangerous and traffic laden road connecting Yelland with the Tarka Trail has been tamed for walkers and cyclists thanks to the completion of a �115,000 scheme.
Residents have been celebrating the creation of a new dual footpath and cycleway on the old power station road by Devon County Council.
For a decade they and local councillors have campaigned for a safe cycle link and path down to the trail after sharing the road with heavy goods lorries and tankers coming and going from the industrial units at the end of the road.
The new path is wide enough for both cyclists and walkers and has been created on what was a grass verge to the right of the road by county council contractors, with "section 106" money taken from developers for use on local amenities.
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The official opening will take place later this year, but the path is already well used by cyclists, families and walkers.
Fremington county councillor Rodney Cann has been working with resident for years in their campaign to make the road safer and he joined them on Thursday to celebrate the completion of the scheme.
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"This path was a desperately needed link for the whole area as the road is heavily laden with industrial traffic," he said.
"A lot of people are relieved now we finally have this here. It is proving very popular and has finally made it possible for residents to get down to the trail.
"It is already heavily used by families and I think parents will be a lot happier to bring their children down here or allow youngsters to use it. I know I would have been very reluctant to allow my own children down here before there was a path."
Jim and Joanne Bell live nearby and have been at the forefront of the campaign for many years.
"The road was getting very dangerous and dreadfully overgrown," said Jim.
"But now we see lots of people walking here, but before you hardly saw anybody because it was so dangerous.
"We want to thank the developers, including Paul Jury, for being able to provide the land, plus a big thank you to Rodney Cann for pushing it through for us and special thanks to the workmen who came here and laid it.
