A NEW cycle track near York, built through the determination of a villager, has been opened by TV presenter Harry Gration.

The 2km track, which runs alongside the B1222 Naburn Lane, means Naburn residents can now cycle safely to the McArthur Glen designer outlet, and catch the Park & Ride buses into York.

It also allows teenagers to cycle from the village to Fulford School much more safely than on the busy and dangerous road.

In addition, Fulford cyclists now have a safe route to the main York-Selby cycle track, which runs through Naburn, said parish councillor Laurie Gunson, who campaigned to get the new track built.

"It creates a nice circular route from York, allowing cyclists to cross the Millennium Bridge, go past Terry's, the racecourse and Bishopthorpe and along the York-Selby track to Naburn, then back to York along the riverside," he said.

Mr Gunson first got the idea of building the track in 1999.

"Naburn Lane is an extremely dangerous road, with many drivers travelling in excess of 60mph," he said.

He eventually managed to secure £25,000 in funding, including materials worth £4,000 from Shepherd Construction, £10,000 from the York Challenge Fund and £5,000 from Yorkshire Water, which also gave up a strip of land to allow the track to be built.

City of York Council then put in tens of thousands of pounds received from the Government through the authority's Local Transport Plan to ensure the track could be built.

Harry Gration, who presents the BBC's Look North programme and lives near York Racecourse, was delighted to cycle to Naburn to perform the opening ceremony.

"I do a lot of cycling in York," he said. "I always go into the city by bike, if I can."

He believed more cycle routes should be built in York to make it safer for cyclists.

York's cycling officer, James Harrison, said the possibility of extending the track further, to link directly up with the A19 at Fulford, would be looked at.

Neil Pinner, property manager at Yorkshire Water, said the company had been pleased to help ensure the cycle track was built, both through the cash donation and also the donation of the strip of land near its water treatment works.

Updated: 08:51 Thursday, July 17, 2003