From Adrian Lane, Exeter 383262, November 20, 2007

EMBARGOED UNTIL TUESDAY 20 NOVEMBER

SUPPORT is growing fast for Devon's cycle and walking routes in the Sustrans Connect 2 bid aiming to gain Big Lottery Funding.

Among those backing the Sustrans Connect 2 project in ITV's People's £50 million Lottery Giveaway are Westcountry adventurer Jason Lewis, the first person to circumnavigate the globe using only human power, and Devon's Olympic athlete Jo Pavey.

ITV1 will feature Connect 2 as one of four shortlisted finalists in the running for the £50 million funding next month. If it wins the public vote, Devon has two routes which will benefit.

Connect 2 will improve walking and cycling links at 79 locations around the country and Devon County Council will work with Teignbridge District Council and East Devon District Council to create new routes from Kingsteignton to Newton Abbot, and another in Ottery St Mary.

Councillor Margaret Rogers, Devon County Council Executive Member for Environment, said: "Devon County Council is committed to supporting communities determined to make Devon greener. In the interests of the contribution that cycling can make to the environment I gave Devon County Council's support to the Newton Abbot and Ottery St Mary schemes as part of the overall Connect 2 bid. The Connect 2 bid will have a major impact in reducing congestion and carbon emissions, which will benefit the whole of Devon. People from across the county can play their part in the success of the bid by voting for Connect 2 to win the £50 million of Big Lottery Funding."

In Newton Abbot, St Michaels Primary, Teign School, Knowles Hill, Coombeshead and Decoy Primary Schools are all supporting the proposed route, featuring a new bridge near Newton Abbot town quay from Greenhill Way in Kingsteignton to the Avenue in Newton Abbot, barely 1.8 km apart. This route will provide safe, traffic-free walking and cycling routes for commuters, school children and others to get to work, school, or just to see the countryside.

Councillor Gordon Hook, of Teignbridge District Council and Devon County Council, said: "Cutting carbon emissions and tackling climate change is a priority in Devon, and we'd be delighted to see the Sustrans Connect2 project winning the vote and providing new cycle paths for local people. In Teignbridge the route between Kingsteignton and Newton Abbot, is much needed, and its provision would enable us to travel in a much healthier, greener way. The Sustrans Connect2 scheme benefits Teignbridge, Devon, and indeed the whole country, so I would highly recommend that people give it their vote."

The project in Ottery St Mary plans to construct a bridge over the River Otter near the Tumbling Weir, so that residents can walk and cycle along safe, traffic free pathways away from the busy main road. This will particularly benefit people visiting Ottery Hospital and The King's School. The project has the full support of Ottery St Mary Town Council, East Devon District Council, Devon County Council, and the Environment Agency.

Councillor Roger Giles, of East Devon District Council and Devon County Council, said: "I hope everyone across the whole of Devon will unite in supporting these fantastic projects. It is not only an Ottery project. It will benefit residents from across the county who enjoy cycling and walking; and it will also provide a huge boost to our tourism potential here. All of the footpaths and cycleways in the Connect 2 scheme will be free to use, which makes our bid unique among the four contenders for the People's £50 million fund."

It is estimated that 79,000 tonnes of carbon emissions could be saved annually across the country once the Connect 2 scheme is completed.

Each of the four finalists will feature in a television programme on ITV1 in the week commencing Monday 3 December, with the Sustrans Connect 2 project being broadcast on Tuesday 4 December.

Online voting will open at 9am on 26 November at www.thepeoples50million.org.uk. Telephone voting will be held from 7th-10th December, and numbers will be announced during the programme.

Notes for Editors:

Media representatives are invited to photo opportunities with Jo Pavey on Monday 19 November at 10am at the Millennium Green by St Saviours Bridge, Ottery St Mary, and then at The King's School at 10:50am.

And on Tuesday 20 November at 10am Jason Lewis will be at Town Quay, near the Brunel Industrial Estate, Newton Abbot, and then at 12noon at the Millennium Green by St Saviours Bridge, Ottery St Mary.

For more information contact the Media and PR Office on 01392 383262.

Councillor Margaret Rogers 01297 680384.

Councillor Gordon Hook 01626 362070

Councillor Roger Giles 01404 813387

Sustrans Press Office 0117 927 7555.

Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888

Out of hours: 07867 500 572

Sustrans is the UK's leading sustainable transport charity. Its vision is a world in which people choose to travel in ways that benefit their health and the environment. It is achieving this through innovative but practical solutions to the UK's transport challenges. Sustrans' flagship project, the National Cycle Network, is now around 12,000 miles and runs within one mile of over half the UK population. During 2006 over 338 million trips were made on the Network. It is maintained by a team of 2,400 volunteer Rangers.

The Big Lottery Fund rolls out close to £2 million in Lottery good cause money every 24 hours, which together with other Lottery distributors means that across the UK most people are within a few miles of a Lottery-funded project.

The Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since its inception in June 2004. It was established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.