‘It’s unbelievable the difference a path has made’: how volunteers are building a cycle network a yard at a time

‘It’s unbelievable the difference a path has made’: how volunteers are building a cycle network a yard at a time

The Strawberry line network in Somerset is making excellent progress, and serves as an example for harnessing the goodwill of the community, as well as a guide to navigating our complex planning law according to Laura Laker.

Photograph: Joe Dunckley/Alamy

In this article for the Guardian, she talks to local councillor Ros Wyke, as well as veterans of Sustrans, John Grimshaw and Caroline Levett to learn tips and tricks that could be applied across the UK. If you’d like to hear more about the route itself, Laura has also written about her journey on the Strawberry Line from Yatton to Cheddar here.

Laura is the author of Potholes and Pavements: A Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network, and podcast host on Streets Ahead.