A MAJOR study is being carried out to provide a designated cycle and walkway linking two communities at the gateway to the Dales.

Hambleton District Council is to plough £30,000 into employing specialists to look at creating the new route between Aiskew and Bedale.

Up to £570,000 will be available for the work with money coming from new developments which have been constructed or are in the pipeline. The scheme will tie in with the new £34m bypass currently being built around Bedale, Aiksew and Leeming Bar.

The move's been welcomed as a major step forward.

Cllr John Noone said: "This is great news for Bedale, any development that will provide better services for the public are important and it will fit in well with the new road which is due to be finished next year. The whole point is to improve the situation for residents and to attract more people to come to the area.

“We need to work out how it will fit in, how the cycleway can be developed to tie in with the bypass, Wensleydale railway, and new housing developments to link the two communities together. We need to look at how all this will work to benefit the area."

Hambleton Council’s cabinet committee is setting aside the money after being told that £316,000 has already been secured from developers, which have to allocate money towards community schemes as part of their permission to build. Together with cash from Aiskew Parish Council, North Yorkshire County Council and future developments that is due to increase to £571,000. It's hoped money could also be found from other groups such as the cycling charity Sustrans.

Deputy council leader Cllr Peter Wilkinson said: “The development of Bedale Station ten years ago advocated the need for both a new bridge and improved pedestrian and cycle access across the river.

“In 2009, through our Local Development Framework developers were required to provide cycleways and footpaths in new schemes, and contribute towards the network with cash.

“Now we need to utilise this money and with several developments underway and the new relief road being built there is a greater need for safer cycling and pedestrian routes,” he added.

British Cycling says 5,000 more cyclists a week are taking to the roads of Yorkshire, particularly North Yorkshire, which has been riding high on the back of the Tour de France and Tour de Yorkshire.