RONDJE NOORDZEE

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Algemeen Dagblad

19 juni 1997

Cyclists stick to the coast

By Tony Henderson, The Journal

Cyclists set off on a double celebration ride in Northumberland yesterday(Tuesday).

Pupils, parents and teachers from Hipsburn First School launched a cycleway created by sustainable transport charity Sustrans, Northumberland County Council and the Northumberland Strategic Partnership.

The seven-mile, traffic-free route runs between Alnmouth and Warkworth and is parts of Sustrans' Coast and Castles long distance cycleway between Tynemouth and Edinburgh.

It means that cyclists will no longer have to take a significant detour inland.

The ride also marked the 30th anniversary of Sustrans, with the school pledging to take part in the charity's Change Your World campaign.

This will celebrate the anniversary by encouraging people to give up one car journey, and instead use public transport, cycle or walk between July 1 and 7.

If everybody swapped just one trip in that week, car traffic would be reduced by 10%.

Hipsburn headteacher Dot Charlton said: "This event has already encouraged parents and teachers, including myself, to get back on the saddle and think about using two wheels instead of four for some journeys. We'll definitely be making our pledges to cycle or walk in Sustrans' Change Your World week."

Bill Brooks, Northumberland County Council executive member for the environment, said: "The Coast and Castles route is a real asset to Northumberland. It has opened up some of our most spectacular countryside to both visitors to the area and local people and allows them to enjoy it in an eco-friendly way."

The 120-mile Coast and Castles route is used by around 6,000 end-to-end riders a year and is part of the award-winning 10,000-mile National Cycle Network developed by Sustrans.

As well as the new traffic-free section linking Alnmouth to Warkworth, other improvements include work on the section between Berwick and Lindisfarne. The first major project by Sustrans in the North-East was the Consett-Sunderland section of the C2C route from Cumbria to the North-East. This is cycled by 12,000 people a year, who spend almost £2m.

"It is the most successful long distance leisure route in the country," said Sustrans regional director Bryn Dowson.

The success of the C2C was one of the factors which persuaded the Millennium Commission to give £42.5m for the creation of the national cycling network.


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