A LEADING councillor has drawn up plans for a town’s first ‘wheelchair walkway’ – which could get off the ground with help from cyclists.

Coun David Whipp, a town, borough and county representative, said wheelchair routes could be created through Victory Park, Barnoldswick.

And he wants to incorporate part of Greenberfield Lane into the proposals, from the western side of the park.

But the surfacing of some sections of the path is considered inadequate for wheelchairs, and ‘prone to potholing’.

Part of the proposed routes for the wheelchair walkway are owned by Rolls Royce and United Utilities and an approach would need to be made over access rights. Further discussions on the development of the park has highlighted the possibility of creating cycle training lanes.

Coun Whipp says: “My proposal is that the cycling scheme is combined with the wheelchair walk project to provide enhanced facilities for all such users.

“The combined scheme should be put forward for external funding so that it can be implemented soon.”

The existing stone tracks would be resurfaced, said Coun Whipp, whose plans will be debated by the West Craven committee next Tuesday.

The move follows a plan approved last year which saw thousands of pounds earmarked to improve disabled access in the Pendle countryside.

Signs for visually impaired people and audio descriptions were proposed for footpaths following a report by the Countryside Access Strategy.