SUPPORT has been given by West Devon Borough councillors for work to go ahead on a foot and cycle path through the historic Old Mill Site in Okehampton.

The work, which will open up the riverside to public access, will cost £155,000 and be funded by European 5b and monies from the Waitrose receipt.

West Devon Borough Council's strategic development committee was asked to consider three options at a meeting last week to either do nothing, carry out works to prepare the site for future development or carry out preparation work and construct the footpath/cycleway.

Members unanimously supported the third option and recommended to the policy and resources committee that £90,000 be allocated to the project.

The Old Mill site, purchased by the borough council in March, still retains some of the original stone buildings from the 1700s and is considered by local people to be of great historic importance.

Economic development manager Tim Beavon said the building alongside the river would be taken down to a height of three feet because it was close to collapse in any event but the rest of the stone buildings would be left as they were.

The work on site, set to start in the New Year and be completed by late spring, will include repairing the chimney which is a listed structure and removing corrugated sheds.

As well as making the river more accessible to people, a footpath through the site will link Simmons Way with the entrances to Okehampton College and Simmons Park and the cycleway would be part of the National Cycle route 27.

Long-term plans for the development of the area are undecided but ideas have included an outdoor activity centre, a craft centre or using part of the site for car parking.

Mr Beavon said he hoped that by opening up the area with the pathways it would focus people's attention on the remainder of the site.

At a recent public meeting residents of Okehampton gave unanimous support to the scheme.

Members of the strategic development committee were told that if nothing was done at this time the council would be merely deferring future expenditure if it was to develop the site — probably to a time when the current Objective 5b grant of £64,750 would no longer be available and further deterioration of the site was likely.

It was also considered by officers that not proceeding could be seen as a lack of commitment in Okehampton.

Discussions are continuing with the owners of the Fountain Inn to extend the cycle way through the archway of the property.

This would mean cyclists could follow a route from North Street to the Fountain Inn and on to Mill Road car park, the Old Mill Site and Simmons Park.