BIKING enthusiast and author Nick Cotton addressed the second Ulverston Cycle Summit and gave a sneak preview of a new circular trail planned for Cumbria.

Mr Cotton told the meeting at Ulverston Town Hall that the new 190-mile cycle route is about to launch taking in quiet country lanes and tracks as well as visiting cafes and pubs en route.

A persuasive advocate of family friendly cycling rather than competitive road-racing or white-knuckle mountain-biking, Nick has written more than 50 books describing cycle rides covering the whole of the country.

The Cycle Summit follows on from a successful event held in 2014 organised by Ulverston Town Council.

The summit also heard from Susannah Bleakley, from the Morecambe Bay Partnership, who revealed that a new Bay Cycle Way will be officially launched in June, connecting 200km of cycling routes from Walney Island to Morecambe with a ‘view and brew’ every 10 miles.

Cllr Colin Pickthall provided an update on the new cycle racks installed in Ulverston car parks – one of the primary actions from last year’s summit.

Town council clerk Jayne Kendall also reported on plans to open up the closed railway trackbed from the canal to Next Ness. This is a collaboration between the town council, South Lakeland District Council, Cumbria County Council and Groundworks.

CCC has allocated Government cash to progress the project and Network Rail has provisionally agreed to allow a ‘permissive footpath’ along a section close the canal which had been fenced off.