Proposals for a new long awaited walking and cycling route between Sidbury and Sidford went on show to the public at a two-day exhibition staged by Devon County Council in Sidbury Village hall this week.
The scheme will not only provide a more direct and convenient route for pedestrians and cyclists between the two communities, but it will also enhance safety and improve access for people with disabilities. It will also provide a link from Sidbury directly to Sidmouth and beyond for those who prefer to cycle or walk.
The proposed schemes include some new off-road shared use footways and cycle ways as well as improvements for pedestrians and cyclists at existing on-road sections. These are designed to further improve safety and reduce potential vehicle conflicts with vulnerable users in the villages.
Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council (DCC) Cabinet Member for Highway Management and local DCC member for Sidmouth and Sidford, said: “This excellent scheme has been a long-held ambition for the County Council and will greatly improve safety for anyone walking or cycling between Sidford and Sidbury. Providing this route would provide a realistic alternative to the car for anyone making the journey between the two communities and hopefully it would encourage more people to do so. I would encourage people to take the opportunity to attend the exhibition to see these proposals and provide us with their comments. Feedback is essential from these exhibitions, to enable our staff to gain an understanding of local need in order to fine tune the scheme.”
Councillor Claire Wright, local DCC Councillor for Ottery St Mary Rural and a great supporter of both the trail and Save The Red Lion Campaign, said: “It's wonderful to be involved in the creation of a brand new walking and cycle path, which will take people through beautiful countryside that they don't have access to at the moment. Importantly, it will be safe route to school, once finished. I look forward to meeting lots of residents at the exhibition.”
The exhibitions gave members of the public an opportunity to view and comment on the proposals.
Save The Red Lion Campaign welcomes the fact that this proposed cycle and pedestrian path is now moving towards a reality. It will be great for bring more people into the village and it will be even more important that there are refreshments easily accessible to them once they arrive. This is one reason why Sidbury Community Enterprises is proposing that a future Red Lion business introduces a cafe facility.
The story has recently been covered in the Express and Echo newspaper and the article can be read at -
Councillor Claire Wright’s blog, which has promoted this path way is at -
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