THE town of Moretonhampstead is to become a 'cycling hub' and Okehampton will have improved cycle connections as the 'Granite and Gears' projects speeds ahead.

The project is designed to increase walking and cycling opportunities on Dartmoor. Led by the county council and Dartmoor National Park, the project was awarded £4.4 million funding from the Department for Transport's Cycling Ambition fund in August.

It is also supported with an additional £3- million from Local Transport Plan funding, Section 106 money and contributions from Devon County Council, Dartmoor National Park, West Devon Borough Council and Teignbridge District Council.

It will develop a network of multi-use trails to open up access to the moor, as well as creating cycling hub sites at Moretonhampstead and Princetown to provide dedicated facilities for visitors.

The county council's cabinet has just approved the programme over the next two financial years. This includes a number of individual schemes, which together will improve access to and on Dartmoor for cyclists and walkers, encouraging people to visit for longer and support the local economy.

Routes in Okehampton will be extended to connect the Granite Way to planned new homes in the east of the town and the Opportunity Okehampton site.

The new Pegasus Way trail will be constructed to provide a multi-use route between the Granite Way and Cookworthy Forest.

Other elements of the scheme include an off-road trail to link Princetown to Drake's Trail, the development of a bridge over the A38 linking Newton Abbot to Bovey Tracey, and completing missing links of the Wray Valley Trail.

Cllr Robert Oxborough, chairman of West Devon Borough Council's community services committee, said: 'This investment is welcome news and will build on the growing number of recreational routes in the area.

'The momentum of cycling in West Devon has continued to gather pace, with the addition of new off-road routes.

'This project will be of benefit to the people of West Devon, and will also appeal to our visitors too.'

Cllr Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council cabinet member for highway management, said: 'The county council successfully secured Department for Transport funding towards cycling to and within Dartmoor as part of funding for cycling in national parks, and indeed, our bid scored the highest among all the national park bids.

'There is a very strong partnership with Dartmoor National Park and the district councils on this, and it is important that schemes are progressed as quickly as possible as the Government has imposed a tight deadine of March 2015 for the spending of its funds.

'The schemes will play an important part in our cycling strategy and supporting local economies — new and existing local businesses will benefit from the additional tourism opportunities offered and recreational cycling is an important stage in encouraging people to cycle regularly.

'There are of course health benefits too in the long run, again supporting the economy through a healthier workforce and reduced healthcare costs.'

Bill Hitchins, chairman of Dartmoor National Park Authority, said: 'Cycling is an increasingly popular activity within and around the national park, both for visitors and local communities.

'Dartmoor provides a wide range of opportunities for cycling, from gentle rides along quiet lanes, or for more challenging rides along moorland bridleways and trails.

'We will continue to work in partnership with Devon County Council and the district councils to deliver cycling schemes and improvements that will enable more people to access and travel around Dartmoor National Park by bicycle, which will also help support the local economy and tourism through increased visitor spend.'

The national park currently receives around 2.4-million visitors each year, with 600,000 cycle trips being made annually.

Granite and Gears is expected to encourage more people to cycle to the moor, with up to a 43% increase in cycling on the moor between 2015 and 2018, bringing an extra £6-million to the economy and creating the potential for around 100 new jobs.

Devon County Council received the 2012 Devon Federation of Small Businesses best all round tourism award for its investment in cycling, following a £13-million investment between 2009 and 2012.

It is funding a further £13.9-million of improvements to its cycle network up to 2015.