A PIONEERING project with West Devon at its heart could see South West England and North West France forging closer links to promote cycle tourism.

After a number of years of co-operation and partnership, the wheels of change are finally being set in motion to promote a network of cycle routes that span the English Channel.

Four British partners — Devon, Dorset and Cornwall County Councils, alongside South West Tourism — have joined forces with eleven French partners to form the CYCLE project, encouraging people to see the channel as a bridge, not a barrier, to co-operation.

A group of French tourism officials this month visited West Devon to see the way cycle paths have been developed in the region, and for both sides to share information and ideas on how the links could best be developed.

The group were taken on a six-mile cycle ride along the Granite Way, from Okehampton Station to Southerly Halt, made even more spectacular thanks to four inches of snow having fallen overnight.

The day began with an introductory talk at Okehampton Station, given by Devon County Council's project manager Graham Cornish. He said: 'Okehampton is the jewel in Devon's sustainable tourism crown. The town is a centre for green tourism, with its youth hostel and the Dartmoor Railway, and, of course, it also marks the start of the Granite Way and the halfway point of the coast to coast cycle path.'

Isabel Parfitt and Catherine Girard from the Brittany Tourist Board said: 'This really is a beautiful area, and there is so much potential for co-operation.

'The potential benefits are massive — both Britain and France can promote our facilities on a European scale, as well as developing cycle tourism in a sustainable way.'

Catherine Goff from Devon Cycle Hire at Sourton Down, who provided the bikes for the day, said: 'The economic and cultural benefits of this project are massive.

'Obviously, the aim is to get people across from France to enjoy cycling holidays in the UK, but it could also be a massive boost to cycle tourism among people in this country.'

Mr Cornish said that with four inches of snow on the Granite Way the day was certainly memorable. The French went back feeling inspired and even vowed to return on holiday, as many of them had no idea how lovely Devon is.

'This just shows the huge potential for increasing French cycle tourism in Devon through marketing.

'As part of this scheme we have also secured an EU grant of £600,000 for Gem Bridge at Tavistock. Without this partnership and the support of Brittany Tourist Board, this scheme would have certainly been cut and possibly never built.'

The French visitors were later taken to Tavistock to see the ongoing construction of the new bridge. Work started in September, and when complete the bridge will provide a traffic-free link between Dartmoor and Plymouth.

Cllr Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council cabinet member for highways and transportation, said: 'The European funding is critical in achieving this important link between the ferry port at Plymouth, and the nearby National Park.

'The mountains of Dartmoor are visible from the ferry as you approach England, and this bridge is a massive step forward for the route to this wonderful area of our county.

'Devon has ambitions to be one of Europe's premier destinations for cycling tourism and our involvement in this project can help us achieve that.

'Establishing cycling links with our partners in France offers great potential to benefit communities on both sides of the Channel.

'We are fortunate in Devon to be blessed with stunning countryside and coastline, and improving the cycling infrastructure in the county offers a great way for visitors and local cyclists to enjoy that, and it also benefits our local economy.'