YOUR correspondent H Jones (April 18) is right to point out that Tavistock Town Council could have provided a safe cycle route within the Meadows using existing paths and roads. However, by linking to the county's proposed underpass scheme beneath the busy A386, the value of the whole project has been enormously enhanced.

The underpass will be much safer for pedestrians and cyclists than crossing the road, and will reduce traffic congestion, particularly at the start and finish of the school day.

I understand that Tavistock College and the primary school (with combined pupil numbers in excess of 2,000) have wanted such an underpass for many years. Furthermore, the underpass will be used by residents of Monksmead to visit the town centre, will be shared by the National Cycle Route, bringing the benefits of cycle tourism to the town centre businesses, and will provide a safe route to the new sporting facilities being developed at Crowndale.

West Devon Borough Council and West Devon Primary Care Trust have recently launched a campaign to encourage walking and cycling to combat heart disease.

And finally, with hundreds of new houses (plus cars) planned for the town, walking and cycling will soon be the fastest forms of transit within Tavistock! So, for all these reasons, schemes such as the underpass which provide safe and direct traffic-free routes for cyclists and pedestrians can only become more important in the future.

I am assured that the county will take very careful note of concerns raised by the public that the underpass design should aim to minimise disruptive behaviour and be easy to maintain by their staff. The current design will result in the loss of only one mature tree, a sycamore, and there will be room for at least one mini soccer pitch in the Meadows when the scheme is complete.

Cllr Peter Donkin

Chair of Tavistock Town Council properties committee