Planning Granted for Stage 1 Sidford to Sidbury Multi Use Trail

Excellent news following a recent site meeting Development Management Committee at Devon County Council today unanimously agreed to Stage 1 of the Sidford to Sidbury section of the Cycle Walking Wheeled multi use trail …..

Here in full is my full presentation to committee:-

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to once again speak today Chairman and following the committees site visit to briefly present the case again for the Sidford to Sidbury cycle and pedestrian multi use path…..

For those who weren’t at the previous Development Management Committee when it was agreed to go and take a look on site I mentioned that …..One of the first issues I got involved in on getting elected to the County Council way back in 1993 was the first ever section of a cycleway in Sidmouth which ran through both National Trust and East Devon land known as the Byes…. It took around two years to be agreed and built…… at that time I made it known that I wanted to see the cycleway / footpath continuing to first of all Sidford and then Sidbury…… and over the years each section through to Sidford was built in stages …..this required a lot of land negotiations and necessary Local Transport Plan funding…….

The advantages of what has been constructed is that it provides safe travel for cyclists, walkers and wheeled users away from the busy Sidford Road A375 which leads into Sidmouth and carries up to 9,000 vehicle movements a day …..It’s also used by many students attending Sidmouth College.

The young people who attend Sidmouth College continue to raise two issues ….The Lack of and cost of public transport and a safe cycle and walking path between Sidbury and Sidford…. And I believe that one of the representations received by the LCWIP consultation was from the Sidmouth College Students calling for this much needed multiuse trail…. The A375 without a footway between the villages has been deemed unavailable for young people to walk to either Sidbury school or Sidmouth College and that was back in the 90’s when traffic was a lot lighter…..as a result of that school transport has to be provided by the authority.

This scheme is now a top priority in the adopted LCWIP that was recently approved by Cabinet ….. I believe that we should have also included a further W for the wheeled in LCWIP making it the Local Cycling Walking and Wheeled Infrastructure Plan …..This scheme isn’t just about cyclists and there is a further stage which a developer of a proposed housing scheme will be required to deliver taking the route into the centre of Sidbury.

Chairman members of the committee ….No stone has been left unturned by our officers in finalising this application that’s in front of you today and all the questions raised in objections received have I believe been answered ……

I therefore hope that the Committee will give the green light for this much needed multiuse trail this afternoon.

Thank you Chairman