A KINGSBRIDGE cyclist has called for the town council to help make roads safer for cyclists – in the week that the Tour of Britain comes to town.

Nigel Potts, from Washabrook Way, addressed this week's council meeting saying: 'Kingsbridge is an absolutely wonderful place to live – but, unfortunately, it is a very difficult place to cycle around. Not because of the hills, but because of a total lack of cycle paths.

'For this reason, it must be one of the worst places in the UK.

'Needless to say, you see very few cyclists around here when it really should be a good training area for cyclists.

'Just recently I cycled the wonderful Camel Trail with my wife. On passing through Wadebridge it was so pleasant to find a good cycle path right through the town.

'Where there were double yellow lines there was an additional white line just a little out from the kerb, with a cycle logo at the start.

'It's simply a matter of a bit of white paint.

'So, where in Kingsbridge would this be possible?

'Well Embankment Road and Cookworthy Road are two obvious possibilities, both lead out of town for more serious cyclists.

'Fore Street is a rather dangerous place for cyclists at the best of times, simply because of the volume of traffic, drivers parking, and I find I am in their way to some extent, breaking my rhythm up hill while cars are trying to overtake.

'I think Church Street could be another possibility, perhaps making careful shared use of the wide pavement on the right hand side or with a single white line running just outside the existing yellow lines on the left hand side of the road running up the street, which again leads out of town for the serious cyclist. It's almost ironic to have possibly the world's greatest cyclists in a fantastic race held here in Kingsbridge – the Tour of Britain, racing through Kingsbridge on their way to Dartmouth – probably in total ignorance as to how awful Kingsbridge is to cycle around. It's time those with some authority woke up and moved with the times.'

His plea was supported by Cllr Robin Griffin who said: 'Needless to say, I totally support this.

My cycle club, which used to meet in the town, now meets in South Brent because it's too dangerous in Kingsbridge.'

County councillor Julian Brazil said: 'I think this is a really good idea and perhaps it could form part of the towns traffic management plan.

'If the Tour of Britain is the catalyst to kick this off then great. Perhaps some local cycle clubs could get some ideas together and put them forward.'