The latest phase of a popular off road walking and cycling path in Plymstock will open shortly. The new path runs between Saltram Meadow roundabout and Colesdown Hill, which links to a route that runs back past Laira Bridge.
The new 800m stretch follows the route of the old railway line but with a flight of stairs and a wheeling channel up onto Colesdown Hill.
Yes, we know that stairs aren’t ideal but they are an interim solution before a long-term plan to further extend this route is realised.
We decided to proceed with the scheme, as turning down money means we are less likely to be offered it again. Not going ahead with this section would have led to more delay in delivering the longer term plan to provide the route underneath Colesdown Hill.
A number of people have asked why we couldn't put in a ramp next to the steps. We looked at this but given the gradients involved, it would have been too steep. A longer, graded ramp was also considered but it would have stretched to 100m and significantly more costly.
Over the past few years, we’ve been working on a plan to extend this path along the route of the former railway alignment by unblocking an old tunnel that runs underneath Colesdown Hill and eventually linking the back onto Billacombe Road.
So far, each phase of the project has been funded externally, most recently from Growth Deal Funding awarded by the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership’s Local Transport Board and developer contributions.
When we bid for the money for this latest stretch, there wasn't the funding or enough time to incorporate the tunnel in this phase. So we had a decision to make — do the scheme, put in the stairs and the ramp as an interim measure – or risk losing the funding and not do the scheme at all.