THE Teign estuary cycle-pedestrian route has NOT been cancelled, but it looks like being a long time coming.

County council officials insisted on Tuesday the long-awaited trail was only on the back burner, and quoted the case of the long wait for the Kingskerswell by-pass – first mooted more than 60 years ago and only now being built. Patience was needed.

The strength of feeling and anger over the delay was highlighted when about 100 people crammed into Bitton House – some could not get into the room and stood in the hallway – to launch a campaign for the path to be prioritised. Some made the point that if the weather had been better, even more would have turned up.

The Teign route was given overwhelming support by the public when it was unveiled over a decade ago, but priority was given to the Exe estuary scheme, now virtually complete.