Work continuing on traffic-free Strawberry Line route

The beginning of the new Strawberry Line Section is on the B3136 West Shepton in Shepton Mallet

New sections of a traffic-free route in Somerset could be open within months.

The Strawberry Line aims to provide a 30-mile (48km) traffic-free route between Clevedon and Evercreech.

Mendip District Council's cabinet agreed to provide £200,000 to fund new sections near Shepton Mallet and Wells.

Councillor Barry O'Leary said: "We have to consider our great luck that we have such beautiful countryside - it is our 'natural health service'."

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the council has been working to upgrade "missing links" across the county since June 2020.

It wants to encourage people to walk and cycle more to reduce congestion and pollution levels.

Progress has been concentrated on the most deliverable parts of the links, including the extension of the Strawberry Line, where sections are gradually being added over time.

The Strawberry Line will link with the Somerset Circle to form a route around the county

It will form part of the larger Somerset Circle, a 76-mile traffic-free circuit which aims to link the north Somerset coast with Bristol, Bath, the Mendip Hills and Cheddar.

The Strawberry Line takes its name from a section of the Great Western Railway, which was famous for transporting strawberries and dairy produce to markets in London.

During the Beeching cuts of the 1960s, the line was axed.

New sections of the Strawberry Line will be constructed with a "dust" surface to allow for a rapid delivery and a relatively low cost.

Councillor Liz Leyshon, portfolio holder for corporate services and projects, said: "The way we're working in the countryside is, in my view, much more appropriate both for the countryside and the users.

"We're not talking acres of Tarmac - we're talking about a surface which I believe is much more appropriate, and the cost is much more appropriate too for off-road travel, which of course is much safer."