5.2.8 There are a considerable number of other sites with rich wildlife that could potentially meet the criteria for County Wildlife sites (Mid Devon County Wildlife Survey 2004).
5.3 Footpath, bridleways and byways The area is covered by numerous footpaths, bridleways and byways. The CIRCULAR WALKS PROJECT seeks to join a number of these footpaths in circular walks and to provide a series of interlocking circular
walks across the area using public footpaths and
bridleways, enabling walks for health, interest and
recreation to be planned, based on appropriate
distances for the walkers. A length of the long
distance footpath, the Exe Valley Way, running south
from Collipriest Lane, Tiverton, may be widened in
the development of the EXE VALLEY CYCLEPATH
PROJECT. Signage and, where possible, provision for
horse riders is proposed.
5.3.1 The area has 139.2 miles of public footpaths, 25.6 miles of bridleway and 1.9 miles of byway. 23.8 miles of footpath lie within Tiverton parish alone. The mileage is divided between many footpaths, bridleways and byways of varying length, each numbered.
5.3.2 The Exe Valley Way runs south-east from Exbridge across the hills to Bampton, and south through Tiverton along the river valley to Bickleigh, and then takes a hilltop route to Thorverton, after which it follows the river to Exeter.
5 . 3 . 3 Several parishes, including Tiverton, run parish paths maintenance schemes (P3 schemes), working with the Devon County Council footpaths officer. Small maintenance tasks are undertaken by local volunteers who adopt a footpath. Larger maintenance and construction tasks are contracted out after consultation between the landowner and the footpaths officer.
5.3.4 The four parish plans published (Oakford, Stoodleigh, Halberton and Burlescombe) stress the importance of maintaining their footpaths and bridleways, and all value the close partnership they have with the DCC footpaths officer.
5.4 Flooding, bridging and the Exe Valley Cycle Path Project The feasibility study by Sustrans for the EXE VALLEY CYCLE PATH was completed in September 2006, and takes into account the Environment Agency’s advice
on flood risk in the proposed routing.
5.4.1 Large parts of the valley are prone to rapid flooding, with substantial areas at risk south of Bickleigh.
5 . 4 . 2 Parts of the valley contain embankments on which the old Exe Valley railway ran. These are mostly away from the worst areas of flooding and are appropriate in selected places for the cycle route.
5.4.3 The river is crossed by a number of disused railway bridges. These have also been examined for the level of repairs required to bring them to current safety standards for use as part of the Exe Valley Cycle path.
5.4.4 Two new bridges across the Exe, appropriate for walkers and cyclists, are proposed.
5.5 Landscape and renewable energy Development of various forms of micro commercial renewable energy is now becoming achievable in terms of planning permissions, and the sale of power to the national grid. The Exe Valley Plan supports the development of discreetly located renewable energy projects that blend into the landscape or develop a heritage feature of the landscape sympathetically. Members support investigation into the use of smallscale renewable energy plant in the feasibility study for the SPORT AND COUNTRY PARK PROJECT. There is potential to develop discreetly hidden commercial woodchip power generators with the advent of the EXE VALLEY FOREST PROJECT semi-natural woodland management programme, which promotes coppicing
and the sustainable management of these woodlands. The Exe Valley Plan recognises that there is a powerful lobby in the area (Two Moors Campaign), supported by local residents, rural parish councils and the CPRE, against the construction of large scale wind turbines. Plan members express their concern that erection of prominent large-scale renewable energy plant will damage the existing tourism industry, and damage biodiversity programmes.
5.5.1 A leading producer of wood-burning microcommercial generators is based in Oakford.
5.5.2 There are many old mill sites along the Exe and the Lowman. There may be scope to develop micro hydro-electricity on some sites with the co-operation of South West Water and the Environment Agency.
5 . 5 . 3 On advice of planning officers, planning permission has been granted by Mid Devon District Council’s Planning committee on a narrow majority for the erection of a giant mast on Bickham moor near Oakford to measure windspeed. This is part of the feasibility study to assess the viability of a wind farm at that location. Officers advised the planning committee that they were not being asked to make a decision about permission for a wind farm (Tiverton Gazette, 19.9.06).
The Exe Valley Plan -
