I WELCOME the recent completion of a new section of cycle track along Lancaster canal.

However, I was disappointed to learn that Lancaster City Council plans to cover the new track in loose gravel aggregate, effectively downgrading it.

As users of the existing loose gravel track between Hala and Bailrigg Lane will be aware, such a covering makes for a rougher, slower ride and increases the likelihood of skidding and injury. This will only serve to discourage cyclists from using it and force them back onto the roads.

I am writing this letter to encourage the council to make a broader consultation with cycle users before ruining all of its cycle paths in this way. I would also like to invite any readers who support this view to sign the online petition at www.petitiononline.com/bikepath James Ryder, Lancaster.