Cyclists could have to wait another four years before the Kenilworth to Leamington Cycleway opens, according to the leader of the county council.

The £4.75million K2L Cycleway was given the green light by Warwickshire County Council in January 2021, but as yet no planning application for the route has been submitted.

A number of compulsory purchase orders and a bridge across the River Avon at Chesford need to be completed before the 5km route can open.

And despite WCC saying last year that construction would begin in 2022, Cllr Izzi Seccombe said "it certainly wont be tomorrow".

Speaking to Kenilworth Nub News she said: "It is a big scheme.

"Firstly there is some compulsory purchase needed, so we don't have all the land. There is some quite technical engineering needed as we have got to put in the bridge.

"It is one of our more difficult schemes and it was always going to be a medium term scheme. We have got it underway but it's not going to be tomorrow."

Cllr Seccombe received a student-led petition for safer cycling provision to the new Kenilworth School on Saturday.

Whilst there she reiterated that safe cycling is an "important initiative and one that needs to be taken seriously".

And with regard to K2L, which campaigners have been asking for since 1986, she said it was more important to get the scheme done properly than done quickly.

"Absolutely we want to get it right," she added.

"In my head I had four to five years when we started this. But much of this depends on CPO and of course we have had Covid.

"Construction schemes have been very difficult over the last two years and they are now difficult because of funding, and construction inflation is through the roof."

The council leader joined MP for Kenilworth and Southam Jeremy Wright on Saturday in emphasising the need for a network of cycleways in Warwickshire.

"We have got the Lias Line with Sustrans which is fantastic - that is going to connect Southam to Leamington," added Cllr Seccombe.

"Jeremy and I have been working on Warwick to Leamington, then K2L, and we are working on something for Warwick to Kenilworth.

"I think it is so wonderful to be able to get families off the road, with their children, cycling and walking – that is what I want for Warwickshire."

More Kenilworth news stories:

- Number of Covid-19 deaths in district hits 300

- Property of the Week: Grade-II listed cottage in Stoneleigh