A PETITION calling for an off-road cycle route to extend the Tarka Trail from Meeth to Hatherleigh has attracted more than 180 signatures

Laura Feaver from not-for-profit centre Made-Well near Hatherleigh, set up the online petition to garner local support for her campaign.

She plans to present the petition to the Devon County Council to urge instant action to build the route.

At present cyclists coming to the end of the 32-mile Tarka Trail from Bideford to Meeth have to go onto the busy A386 to continue south to Hatherleigh.

The off-road route being proposed would extend the cycle route from the Tarka Trail near Meeth to Made-Well at West Fishleigh Farm where there is a café open to the public. It would then continue south to Hatherleigh.

‘The path at the moment comes up to the Made-Well café here and then just stops,’ said Laura. ‘There is a missing link between Made-Well and Meeth so people have to go out onto the A386.

‘It is so busy and dangerous that families won’t cycle down there with children, they just won’t do it. We want to see the route continued onto Hatherleigh and I launched the petition to gather local support.’

Among those who have added their names to the online petition is Stuart Smith, who wrote: ‘Working in Hatherleigh I drive this section quite regularly and I often meet cyclists along this stretch on dangerous corners. It would be so much safer for them to be off road.’

Another Hatherleigh resident said: ‘I’d love to be able to get onto the Tarka Trail at Hatherleigh without having to cycle on the road.’

Made-Well manager Shaun Royal said: ‘What we want is movement on the stretch where permission for the route is still not being allowed by one of the neighbours of West Fishleigh Farm. There has been no movement on this at all for 18 months.’

Hatherleigh borough councillor Patrick Kimbersaid: ‘I’m supporting this strongly because I think it is really important for the local community. I love cycling and there are lots of people from Hatherleigh who would love to cycle out to Meeth and on to Petrockstowe and people would use it coming from the other way as well.

‘I think it is really important that we make this as accessible as possible for people who struggle to get around too and people with mobility issues could use the path. You could get a motorised mobility vehicle along it.’

The county council is responsible for establishing off-road cycle routes across the county. However, while Made-Well is planning to send a representative to the county council’s April 24 meeting of the development control committee, a county council spokesman said there were no plans to discuss the plan at that meeting.

The spokesman said: ‘The county council is committed to completing this missing link of the Tarka Trail but any scheme is dependent on planning permission and funding.’