Call to win bike routes

1:00pm Tuesday 2nd October 2007

Comments (12)   Have your say »

A CYCLE route to get people safely out of Bournemouth into the New Forest could be created if enough people vote for the Sustrans Connect2 on a television phone-in programme.

Sustrans - it stands for sustainable transport - wants to spend £50 million to make life easier and safer for cyclists and pedestrians at locations across the country.

One of those schemes will link existing cycle routes from Red Hill and Charminster with Throop, where there will be a new route across the River Stour to link with West Hurn. That is expected to cost in the region of £750,000.

Another is at Holmsley in the heart of the New Forest, where £250,000 is needed to join the Wootton Bridge road with the Brockenhurst to Burley road along the former railway line and under the A35. The link entails building a ramp up the side of the railway embankment.

Just west of Holmsley Tearooms the cycle route continues along the old track bed to Holmsley Passage where cyclists can turn into Holmsley Inclosure and then onwards towards Forest Road.

Forestry Commission ranger Gemma Ward said the New Forest scheme is only part of the Sustrans bid to develop bridges, tunnels and new walking and cycling routes with 79 communities around the UK. But the potential benefit to people in the New Forest is absolutely huge - for cyclists and walkers too," she said.

"People currently have to negotiate their way through fast moving traffic on a very busy road.

Sustrans regional manager Nick Farthing said: "Our scheme is up against strong opposition. But the thing that makes Connect2 unique is that it reaches communities in every corner of the UK.

"The enjoyment, health and environmental benefits this sustainable transport scheme could deliver are truly immense."

Other schemes that want to win the Big Lottery Fund Living Landmarks - the People's Millions competition are: the Eden Project's dry topics biome, Somerset Waterlinks, national Museum of Science and Industry, the Black Country urban park and Sherwood Forest.The decision will be made during December when ITV stages the phone-in competition.