Work on a safe route out of Chideock village for walkers and cyclists has been stopped due to a gas pipeline issue.
Construction on a new safe pedestrian route towards Bridport began in January, following a long running campaign by Chideock locals.
The route will take walkers and cyclists out of the village on the north side of the A35 in Park Farm along West Road up to Quarr Lane.
Concerns were raised over the safety of cyclists or walkers who wanted to leave the village but had no suitable pedestrian route, instead having to resort to walking near the busy road.
READ MORE: Safe Chideock pedestrian path out towards Bridport
Fencing was subsequently installed in the first two fields from Park Farm along West End. However, the discovery of a gas pipe in the area means construction has been halted.
The fencing ends just before the Broadmead bus stop on the approach to Bridport, opposite the first row of houses on the south side of the A35.
Council funds allocated for this part of the new bridleway have now been diverted to another project.
Resident Winton Maskell, who has been campaigning for this new path for nearly four years, has shared his great disappointment at this setback.
He said: “Unfortunately the discovery of the gas pipe scuppered works for this financial year as it means the money we had has been diverted to another project.
“We’re trying to see if there’s a way to overcome this but we’re not confident at this stage and that was the wretched hammer blow that was delivered to us.”
Dorset Council Senior Greenspace Ranger Russell Goff has been overseeing the project and stated the “location, depth, and restrictions of the gas main through the field,” means that works are legally not allowed to continue.
Mr Goff has started a process with SGN to find a way to overcome this problem so that work can continue in the next financial year.
A spokesperson from Dorset Council said: "Work has been paused while we liaise closely with SGN to determine the exact location of the pipework, which we believe is situated within the general area of the proposed path.
"We’ll be working with SGN to dig trial holes to locate the pipes later this year. It’s a small setback, but we’re confident we can safely complete the project with SGN’s guidance."
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