Fresh hopes of cycle path between Helmdon and Brackley

CYCLE ROUTE COULD USE OLD RAILWAY LINE

By Gavin Moore

Hopes of linking Brackley to Helmdon via the national cycle network have re-emerged thanks to the high speed rail proposals.

When Helmdon Parish Council formed its plan for future development several years ago one of its priorities was to establish a safe cycle route to Brackley.

It had hoped to utilise the disused Great Central Railway line but that idea was quashed when plans to reinstate the line for freight emerged.  Now the freight plans have been sidelined by HS2, Mike Barnes of Helmdon PC hopes the cycle path plans could come to fruition.

Mr Barnes said: “We took a fresh look at the parish plan last year and it came back as a strong priority, certainly for the village of Helmdon.  It goes back to the original parish plan a few years ago which showed there was a need within Helmdon to get a safe cycle route to Brackley, both for schools and leisure use, allowing cyclists to avoid the very dangerous Brackley road.

Mr Barnes said their exhaustive efforts last time around led them to consider linking to the national netwwork of cycle routes which runs thrugh Weedon, Wappenham and Syresham.

Brackley is also disconnected from the national network and Mr Barnes hopes a connection including the larger market town may persuade Sustrans, the charity which operates the network, to fund the route.

Take part in a poll to guage support for a cycle route between Brackley and Helmdon visit www.buckinghamtoday.co.uk

Brackley & Towcester Advertiser – 24 February, 2012