Last updated 19:43, Thursday, 17 April 2008

PLANS for a new cycle route through a Workington park were chosen before the consultation period had finished, a county councillor claimed.

The cycle path is due to run through Hall Park, and athough consultation is continuing there is already planning permission for a route over the Mill Stream to the footbridge in the park.

People were given four options, but the council submitted a planning application in February.

At the county’s local committee meeting this week Coun Joe Holliday said: “The plans for the cycle route are misleading because it’s not the cycle path they chose. It was chosen for them.”

“I expect that the plans for the park had been designed before consultation had been concluded.”

Coun Allan Caine said that the plans were agreed before the consultation had been completed.

Mr Caine said: “The people were asked what they wanted but the engineer in charge had already got planning permission for this cycle way.

“He should not have got planning permission until the people had time to okay the plans.”

Coun Barbara Cannon said: “We don’t have to agree to something just because planning permission was granted.

“We ignore the public at our peril, and if we do it would bring this council into disrepute.

“This piece of land is historic. It was designed as a park and if we are to make changes then we have to follow the contours.”

The committee asked for more time to think over the plans. They want to see more information on the plans and why they were chosen.