50 signatures reached
To: Devon County Council
South Devon Cycle Link
There is a missing link in the National Cycle Network in-between Totnes and Newton Abbot. To solve it, Devon Council want to sign off a route that bypasses Totnes completely. We call upon the council not to do this, we call upon them to ensure Totnes is part of the National Cycle Network!
There is solution that would link Totnes directly to the cycle network with a route that arrives safely in the centre of Totnes by the railway station. To achieve this we need to share access across a footbridge over the river Dart. The ownership of the bridge is divided between South Devon Railway and the council. The railway do not want to share the bridge that was 50% funded with public money and the council don't want to get involved, which is why they are proposing a route that bypasses the town altogether.
Why is this important?
There is currently no safe way to cycle between Totnes and Newton Abbot. The A381 is the only route over the river Dart and it is simply too dangerous for cyclists. Access to footbridge, the only other bridge over the river, would enable cyclists and walkers to travel safely out of Totnes to the north east and west. This would ease congestion and improve the health and wellbeing of the residents of Totnes and Newton Abbot and all the villages that lie between.
In addition, this route would serve to complete the missing link in the National Cycle Network. The route in question is called NCN2 and runs from Dover to St Austell. The missing link lies between Totnes and Newton Abbot. However, Devon County Council want to sign off an alternative route that bypasses Totnes altogether. We believe that this is a huge missed opportunity as it will have a negative impact on the town in the form of lost revenue from cycle tourism.
Please help support our campaign by asking Devon Council not to bypass our town but to directly liaise with South Devon Railway to appease their concerns regarding security. The bridge was part funded by public money and is a valuable asset to Totnes and its transport infrastructure. However, it is only being used exclusively for customers of the railway and not for the overall benefit of the community. We need the council to help us convince the railway that we can secure their important tourist attraction and that opening up access to the bridge would actually benefit their business going forward.
We have had discussions with both South West Water and the only private landowner involved, and neither have any serious objections to our proposal. Our petition has generated almost 3000 signatures, many with comments expressing the importance of the scheme to the local and wider community.
What we are missing is support from Devon Council. We do not need another study, we do not need any more consultants, there are no other routes that offer value for money. Our proposal is a valid practical solution with many benefits to the local community in terms of congestion, health and tourism. Our proposal is backed by the community, Sustains, all the local schools, local businesses, local and regional MP's and is backed by South Hams District Council.
We appreciate the cycle path will require an estimated £300,000 (although we believe this estimate to be excessive). We are happy to co-ordinate the funding process going forward, however this option will never come to fruition if we don't get agreement in the first place.
So please Devon County Council - please don't sign off the National Cycle Network Route 2 so that it bypasses Totnes. Instead please get on side and help negotiate with the South Devon Railway to open up a public resource for the benefit of us all.
