CYCLISTS from Wellington Wheelers went to the Market House in Taunton on Saturday to support the call for a Wellington to Taunton cycle route.

The need for a safe, direct route was identified in a recent survey of 300 local cyclists as a missing link in the Taunton Area Cycle Network.

The survey, taken over the summer, led to the formation of Taunton Area Cycling Campaign (TACC) last month.

More than 50 cyclists from the Taunton area gathered outside the Market House to launch TACC and highlight the top 15 local cycling ‘hotspots’ – missing links, poor

road surfaces and problematic road

layouts – those most often cyclists identified in the survey, which local councils need to ‘fix’.

Three members of TACC will give short statements at a meeting of Somerset County Council today (Thursday) and present

the group’s hotspots map and the results of its survey to councillors and transport officers.

Cllr Charles Biscoe, of Wellington Wheelers Cycling Club – who was at the event with other Wellington cyclists – said: “Wellington is growing rapidly, and is a manageable cycle ride from Taunton for work and leisure.

“The benefits for everyone from people leaving their cars at home are well known but the route to the county town is congested and dangerous.

“Developing a separated route for cyclists can only encourage more sustainable journeys which are better for all our futures.”