A £250,000 PROJECT to improve the Old Mill site in Okehampton and construct a cycleway/walkway through it has been described as 'absolutely stunning' by the town mayor.

The paved Sustrans cycleway meanders from Mill Road and West Devon Borough Council's car park down through the mill site to link with Okehampton College, Simmons Park and the St James Street shopping area, opening up delightful river views.

Benches have been installed along the route and landscaping work will be completed in the next couple of weeks.

The project has also included tidying up the site, removing a derelict and unsafe building and repointing the 100ft high listed chimney.

Funding has come from European 5B, the Lottery and West Devon Borough Council, which owns the site.

Remaining buildings on the land will be used to house a future project for the town which is expected to form part of Okehampton's regeneration plan.

The plan will go forward for funding from the South West Regional Development Agency's Market and Coastal Towns Initiative.

Although some local residents had wanted the old riverside building to stay, the borough council deemed it unsafe after a survey was done on the site.

Okehampton Mayor Christine Marsh said the removal of the building, the buttresses of which were still in place, had really opened up the river.

'Okehampton has beautiful rivers but they have not always been accessible,' she said.

'This cycleway and walkway means people can now enjoy the views and get from one end of town to another. It's absolutely stunning.'

Workmen have reported sightings of a family of kingfishers and salmon in the river.

West Devon Borough Council's economic development manager Tim Beavon said the mill was part of the town's history and the authority was open to any ideas the public had for its future use.

Architect for the project Alan van der Steen has produced some sketches of how it might look in the future.

Mr van der Steen said the buildings that were left on site were available for new uses but there was also sufficient land for new buildings to be constructed as well. A library, youth workshops, a performing arts centre are some of the suggestions that have already come forward.

'I sense that this site could be a generator for so much in Okehampton,' he said. 'It is central in the town, on footpath routes that go in all directions and on the river. It has a lot going for it.'