Sign off has been given for the final part of a new shared cycleway and footpath between Peterborough and Huntingdonshire.

The volunteer group, Peterborough Cycle West, said it has spent 10 years fundraising to create a safe cycle route to the west of the city.

The new cycleway and footpath will follow a disused railway line between Sutton and the Nene Valley Railway, Wansford Station.

The majority of the route falls within the area of Peterborough City Council, with a small section coming under Huntingdonshire District Council at the Wansford Station end.

The plans were initially refused by the city council, but this decision was overturned after a successful appeal to the planning inspectorate.

At a meeting of the district council’s development management committee this week (Monday, May 22), councillors unanimously supported the plan for the final section of the route.

Andrew Nash, the chair of Peterborough Cycle West, said he and the other members of the group wanted to try and improve the cycle network in their area.

He said: “The major problem was that from the west of Peterborough there was no safe cycle route towards the A1 and over and across into either Northamptonshire or Huntingdonshire.

“Over the last 10 years we have raised a total of £20,000 to try and pay for the design and then the application for such a route.

“This mainly would be almost entirely within the Peterborough City Council area, I am only here to talk about a very small aspect of it which is in your area.

“The major route would come from the village of Sutton, southward on a disused railway line curving through the fields, and then off the railway line for a short distance until it reached a new set of steps up towards the Nene Valley Railway’s footbridge over the Nene. At the other end of the footbridge would be Huntingdonshire.

“The basic thing in Huntingdonshire, at the end of the footbridge as you go to the other bank of the River Nene we are asking for a few very small things.

“All we are asking for is a small area of tarmac to be set down approximately the size of one car parking space and then the erection of a small length of fencing to separate that from the car parking spaces to the right side of it.

“The purpose of that area is to allow cyclists approaching from Huntingdon side to dismount from their bikes and let anyone on the footbridge come across without causing any problem.”

An objection to the plans was lodged by Sibson-cum-Stibbington Parish Council, which said there were concerns around flooding.

However, a report presented to the district council said the flood risk had been considered by the planning inspector in the appeal against the city council decision, and it had been concluded there would not be an increase in flooding risk.

Officers at the district council said the plans were considered acceptable in terms of flood risk.

The committee councillors voiced their support for the project. Councillor Lara Davenport-Ray said it was an “ambitious scheme” and that she looked forward to cycling along the new path once it is completed.