The first section of work to create a 5km cycleway between Kenilworth and Leamington Spa has been signed off by the county council.

On Friday (January 13) Cllr Wallace Redford, Warwickshire County Council's portfolio holder for transport and planning, approved the funding and designs to convert the footpath along the A452 Kenilworth Road into a continuous off-road cycle route.

In places the Leamington footpath will be widened to become mixed cycling and pedestrian use and in other places it will be segregated.

Cllr Redford also signed off on upgrading the puffin crossing on the Lillington Avenue arm of the crossroads junction at A452 Kenilworth Road / Lillington Avenue to become a toucan crossing for cycle use.

The works form section 1a of the K2L project and are estimated to cost £725,000.

The council held a public consultation on the first part of the scheme in September and received just 175 responses.

Minutes from Friday's meeting state: "Cllr Bill Gifford praised the report’s proposals as it was the first steps of K2L.

"His residents were also supportive of the scheme and K2L in general.

"No cyclists would travel between Kenilworth and Leamington until there were safe cycle routes between the two."

The minutes also showed that concerns had been raised about visibility at the Cloister Croft junction - Cllr Redford confirmed the issues were being considered.

"Cllr Redford reiterated that K2L was an important project that they did not want to delay," they added.

"It was set to start construction on the 16 January as Balfour Beatty had a slot where they could start it. It needed to be started otherwise money already spent on the project would be lost as well as funding allotted to it."

With the budget approved in 2020, the 5km cycleway was given the green light fully by councillors in January 2021, but the council is yet to finish most of the design.

The project - which could take another four years to complete - will also see a new foot and cycle bridge built over the River Avon near Chesford Grange.

The Kenilworth Road Cycle Route is the first scheme within K2L Section 1: Leamington Spa town centre to Bericote roundabout.