Cycling trail to be boosted by underpass plan

A POPULAR cycling trail will get a new lease of life, with £50,000 to be committed in a major revamp of the rural Follifoot underpass.

The funding will see the pass under the A685 concreted, while the connecting pathway will be upgraded with gravel and porous surfacing material.

Coun Phil Ireland, the cabinet member for sustainable transport, approved the allocation of funds from the sustainable transport reserve.

A further £10,000 will be available for the project from a contribution previously secured from the nearby Harrogate rugby club development.

The report on the decision acknowledges that the path is unsuitable for cycling, with the upgrade to benefit the entire Harland Way cycle route, which the Follifoot underpasses includes.

“It is currently in a condition that is only suitable for equestrian and heavy duty vehicle use all year round thereby limiting the opportunity for cycling,” the decision notice states.