The Bude Partnership has started work on various projects around the Bude area. One of these, known affectionately as 'Bude: A Two-Wheel Town' is aimed at improving the facilities and environment for people who leave their car at home and walk or pedal to school, college or work, or just for pleasure.

This will involve a co-ordinated programme of projects to improve paths, cycle tracks and roads all over the area. Co-ordinated with this, the Partner­ship will also work to improve public transport.

The chair of the Partnership, Nicky Chopak explained that although there might need to be many small steps on the way to an overall improvement, each step would be important.

"We are starting by inviting everyone to do a review or mini-survey of the footpaths, cycle tracks and bridle paths near them — or which they wish to use. We want everyone to give us a report on sections of path that require improvement or just attention with a strimmer," she said.

"We will then either pass this information on to the relevant council or — if it is tidying, strimming or whatever — we will set up working parties ourselves and do the work.

"We are also working closely with the TRAC project which will link off-road multi-user tracks from the Tarka Trail to the Camel Trail, which will create a wonderful West Country attraction — and there will be a spur bringing people to Bude. This will help regenerate the rural areas with opportunities for farm diversification. The scheme will also extend our tourist season and bring new people to Bude."

The Bude Partnership is also very keen to develop community gardens and allotments for local people and it is possible that the first plot of land may have been found.

"The local people were very eager to have allotments, when we went to public consultation at the beginning of our project to improve Bude," said Nicky "and we are happy to be able to help make it a reality."

Unfortunately, the Big Lottery has recently turned down a Partnership bid, but as Nicky said: "Most people get turned down with their first bid, so we are not down-hearted. In actual fact, many of the things we wish to achieve require the sort of partnership working from local people and organisations that the Bude Partnership excels at."