Staffordshire County Council's plan to include a winding country lane in its local cycle network has been branded as shear madness this week.

Gnosall County Councillor Barry Stamp made the comments following the publication of the Council's Consultation Document on their proposed Local Cycling Network.

"While I welcome the principle behind the Council's plan to form a network of local cycling routes, I do think a great deal of care needs to be taken in ensuring the chosen routes are safe to use. I realise that the current document has only been produced to form the basis of a consultation exercise but I am appalled that someone has seen fit to included Knightley Road between Gnosall and Woodseaves. This road is, in my opinion, not safe for cyclists to use. In parts it is very narrow, has a number of bad bends, and is extremely undulating. On paper it is the most direct route between the two villages, but it certainly not the safest. I cannot believe the officers responsible for drawing up this proposal have actually visited the road, let alone ridden along it on a bicycle. While I would hate to see this area not have a designated cycle route, I cannot support one that runs along this stretch of road. I will be writing to the County Council's Director of Development Services to express my concerns and will be asking him to find a safer route," said Cllr Stamp.