MUCH has been written in your newspaper over the past few weeks about the cycleway from Okehampton to Lydford. I think the time has come to face a few unpalatable facts:-

1. Huge sums of money have been spent over many years while other pressing needs in health, policing and education have not been addressed.

2. It is still years away from anything like completion and, as a result, remains underused and the local economy has not benefited to anything like the extent that it should. It is also unsafe and unsuitable for use by children because of dangerous diversions on to public roads.

3. Regrettably some of those involved appear to have exhibited ignorance and prejudice against horses that, as well as being entirely unfounded on any scientific risk assessment, has inevitably alienated large sections of the local community. I am genuinely not trying to score cheap points, but are their urban minds addressing country problems?

The time has now come for a radical rethink.

First, this route should be a bridlepath like any other, for the safe use of pedestrians, wheelchair users, cyclists and riders, including that wonderful organisation Riding for the Disabled.

Bridlepaths have been used by all of these people ever since the bicycle was invented. Why rewrite the rulebook? The amount of use by horse riders is unlikely to be great and at a walking pace. Most would far rather ride on the moor, but there are places where the track avoids the use of main roads that are incredibly dangerous for horses and riders.

Any sensible risk assessment will show this to be far more of a danger than any use of the cycleway by horses. They should use it as of right with speed restricted to a safe level and not at the whim of some petty official.

How many horses and riders must lose their lives before this is rectified?

Effective measures must be taken to exclude all powered vehicles from the cycle track. Had the people responsible for this track done their homework they would have found out that in the North of England multi non-motorised use has been the norm for years with no problems at all. Motor bikes and powered vehicles have been the problem up there as they are becoming here.

For goodness sake, get this bridlepath finished and up and running between Okehampton and Tavistock and with a multi-use surface that will encourage sensible and safe speeds for all users. We should all then begin to see some benefit from taxpayers? money!

Yours more in hope than expectation,

Avril Leonard

Hon treasurer

South West Riders

Menfreya

Thorndon Cross