Olympian backs cycle and walking path to grow town

A new cycle path and walkway through the centre of a town will encourage people to "live and linger" in the area, an Olympic champion has said.

Chris Boardman, who won gold in Barcelona in 1992 and is now national active travel commissioner for Active Travel England, joined celebrations marking the launch of the Abbey Road route in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, on Wednesday.

The 2.5-mile (4km) route runs from Ramsden Square to the junction of Park Drive linking the town centre with workplaces and colleges.

Boardman said: "Barrow is just an amazing place with such assets that frankly I don't think it's utilised yet."

Alongside the recently completed North Walney route, paths connect residential areas with BAE Systems, Furness General Hospital, the new University of Cumbria campus, Furness College and the town centre.

Westmorland and Furness councillor Adrian Waite claimed the cycle paths and walkways would "help to ease traffic pressures" around Barrow.

Boardman said the route would help people without a car, such as apprentices and students, get around, gain independence and save money.

He said: "It's not about the activity, it's about all the benefits that it realises.

"You've got amazing coastline and nature reserve there and there's the possibility for so many more people to use that - to really want to live and linger in the area as opposed to just work.

"So you've got some real exciting potential to make Barrow an even better place to live, where people want to bring up families and get old and spend their holidays."

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