New cycle link for Bognor

The ribbon-cutting on the Barnham to Bognor Regis route will be performed by county councillor Derek Whittington.

He is the council's strategic planning and transport supremo but it was as an Eastergate parish councillor he suggested the idea of an off-road path for cyclists. The first recorded mention of the scheme in the parish council's minutes was 1993.

He envisaged the scheme as a milllennium project but it was dogged by delays and setbacks about funding and land use.

Those days have ended to enable county cycling champion Mr Whittington '“ after some 160,000 of funding '“ to cut a ribbon on a wooden bridge midway along the 5.5km (3.3 miles) link.

He said: "The route is a pleasure to ride and almost halves the distance between Barnham and Bognor compared to the on-road route.

"It now means cyclists will not have to navigate through traffic and long, winding roads."

The route stretches between Church Lane in Barnham and Flansham's Hoe Lane.

It offers an alternative to the A29 and A259.