New cycle path at Clephanton will bringer safer route to play area
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A NEW stretch of pathway for cyclists and pedestrians across Clephanton play park could be the first of many improvements for safer active travel in the area.
Rob Clarke, chairman of West Nairnshire Safer Paths Committee, said: “The path across the play park near the busy cross roads at Clephanton was achieved with the help of a grant of £5000 from the Cawdor and West Nairnshire Windfarm Fund. It now means children can access the play park with their bikes without having to cross that very busy junction.”
Rob added that they had ambitious plans to further improve the cycle and footpath networks in the area.
“We realise it will be a slow job and we will have to secure funding, but encouraging people to cycle and walk these paths will make it safer because they will not be using busy roads,” he said.
“Our next plan is to connect Clephanton with a 200m cycle path along the B9101 which links with an existing safer route going all the way to Cawdor. This would mean children have a direct cycle route to Cawdor without going on to what is a very fast and busy road.
“Children in Clephanton have friends in Cawdor and at Piperhill and it would be great to have a route all the way to Piperhill and eventually link with Croy and Loch Flemington.
“One of the neighbours in Clephanton has been very considerate allowing youngsters to go through their garden to reach the play park before this new path was constructed.
“As well as the surfacing, new fencing has been constructed and in a few months’ time it will look as if it has been in place for years.”
Alec Rose, of Kilravock Estate, also a member of the local safer paths committee, said: “Developing the wider network is being achieved through a collaboration with local farmers and landowners.
“This stretch was kindly supported by Kilravock Christian Trust and Chapman Lowrie, the tenant farmer of Clephanton fields.
“Highland Council also considerably enabled the development of the local safer paths network when they removed the old Leafy bends between Croy and Clephanton in 2017, completed the new bridge crossing of the River Nairn in 2019 and widened the B9090 North of Clephanton last year.
“These road improvement schemes released stretches of discontinued roads to be available for new paths and established safe access ways into woodlands next to the village.”
