Devon walking routes to get £6.8m for improvements

The council has said the scheme will continue until 2029

About £1.7m will be spent per year for four years on Devon's public rights of way and trails network, Devon County Council says.

The £6.8m commitment comes after the cabinet approved the framework, due to start in April until 2029.

As well as the funding, the authority can now use smaller, local contractors with local knowledge to support necessary maintenance work on 5,000km (3,100 miles) of public rights of way, 230km (140 miles) of off-road recreational trails and 590km (365 miles) of minor road network, officials said.

Council member Stuart Hughes said public rights of way provided "wide-ranging benefits, including for active travel, tourism, health and wellbeing, wildlife and landscape".

He added: "Locally-based contractors, particularly small and medium-size enterprises, provide a really important resource to enable effective maintenance.

"The extent of the network and range of work means we need multiple contractors, and local knowledge is important – for example, in minimising travel time and costs, accessing remote locations and in engaging with landowners."