Cornwall Council holds reviews into failed cycle trails

Cornwall Council has announced it will be reviewing a cycle paths project which failed.

The local authority said there would be an internal and external review of the failed Saints Trails cycle paths project which councillors have described as an "unmitigated disaster".

The council cut back the £19m scheme after failing to secure the land and running over time and budget.

The scheme aimed to create four new trails across Cornwall.

Concerns had been raised about the project in January 2021 after the council's audit committee was told that it was expected to go £6m over budget and was unlikely to be delivered on time, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The entire project was set to be mainly funded through government grants with £17m coming from Highways England and the remainder of money coming from the council.

However, the council admitted that it had hit problems in securing the land needed for the trails.

Cornwall councillors had called for a full investigation into the project, and at a meeting of the audit committee it was revealed two reviews had been commissioned.

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