According to Milly Hollinshead, speaking for Brockweir Cycleway Concern, there is still much to consider before the proposed cycle path between Chepstow and Tintern can or should go ahead.
She says: "We're convinced that most people who use the cycle path will drive to Tintern, rather than starting in Sedbury, as it's so much better known."
She continues: "We just don't think the space for 4,000 cars a year that Sustrans suggests will be enough. We believe their transport assessment is seriously flawed. For instance we can't understand why they are saying that usually car users run at 50 per cent for their paths, but this one will only be 33 per cent. This isn't a sustainable transport system, it is a tourist attraction and it should be treated as such. None of these are reasons not to have a cycle path, but they are issues that must be addressed."
The Cycleway Concern group has written to planners at both the Forest of Dean District Council and Monmouthshire County Council objecting strongly to Sustan's transport assessment plans.
The group is particularly alarmed by Sustans assessment that while annual users of the Peregrine Path (Monmouth to Symonds Yat) is 116,582, the number using what's called Tintern Connect 2 is estimated to be 27,973. Similarly, they argue the number of cars arriving to use the Peregrine Path of 28,139, while the number of cars expected to use Tintern Connect 2 is estimated to be 4,167.
•A meeting of Brockweir and Hewelsfield Parish Council will be held next Tuesday (October 26) at the Mackenzie Hall from 7.30pm to discuss the cycle path. Parishioners will be allowed two minutes to make a case either for or against the proposed path.
Meantime, a war of words has broken out in Tidenham following the parish council's decision to formally object to the path.
Jeremy Cowen, of the Wye Valley Communities for Safer Cycling, supporting the path, says the council "actively discouraged our suggestion that Tidenham supporters attend their meeting or from contacting them prior to said meeting.
"Even worse is their public 40 per cent council tax hike claim, which they foolishly insist on pursuing (for potential future maintenance of the path). This is entirely false as they have no responsibility for shouldering such costs, which fall to Gloucestershire County Council, also confirmed by one of their councillors, Lance Allan.
"They know this, so this is outrageous scare-mongering, and clearly a blatant attempt at influencing local opinion, rather than representing it. As a result, it's highly likely that I andother parishioners will be making a formal complaint to the local standards committee as this represents a scandalous abuse of local democratic procedures and a clear breach of the councillor's code of conduct."
On the other side of the argument, the clerk of Tidenham Parish Council says the council is actively considering legal action against the cyclepath supporters for their comments.