Archive - Wednesday, 26 June 2002


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County gears up for new cycling network

RYEDALE'S rural economy could be set for a further boost with proposals to create a massive cycling route linking the countryside nationwide.

The National Byway network will cover more than 3,000 miles across Britain and there are hopes it will inject £100 million annually, with £6 million of that heading for North Yorkshire.

Cyclists would be directed through villages and the countryside on existing rural public highways.

Councillors are being urged to approve a provisional route when they meet at Sherburn village hall at 6pm today.

In a report to members, Mike Moore, North Yorkshire's director of environmental services, says: "The route enters the village of Terrington and leaves near the village of Foxholes.

"During the spring, the county council wrote to all the relevant parish councils through whose area the proposed route passes, and in general the responses have been in favour of the cycle route."

Ian Hughes, who runs Caf Terrington and the village post office and stores, said he was hopeful the National Byway would be heading their way.

Mr Hughes said: "Any village where there are facilities such as a village store, pub or caf will hope to get a bit of extra trade. In this day and age we need anything we can get to help us."

"Anything extra like this cycle route coming into the area is absolutely welcome."

The idea behind the National Byway came from an international strategy directed at sustainable global development and protecting the environment.

Michael Breckon, operations director for National Byway, said it hoped to pull together a cycling route which would be of benefit to everyone.

He said: "This is a rural regeneration project which utilises leisure cycling as its economic development opportunity. The objective is to establish, promote and sustain a nationwide leisure cycling route with rural regeneration as its purpose.

"It is not an engineering project - nothing is being built. The National Byway is a marketing project, creating a signposted route on existing lightly-trafficked rural public highways."

Updated: 12:35 Wednesday, June 26, 2002