The latest section of a lengthy car-free route across Somerset has opened to the public alongside a new larger Lidl supermarket.

Lidl GB officially opened its new, improved Lidl store on the A39 Strawberry Way in Wells on Thursday (January 30), with the store being nearly twice the size as its predecessor on the same site.

As part of the plans (which were approved by Somerset Council in July 2023), the German supermarket giant was legally bound to deliver a new section of the Strawberry Line along the northern edge of the site, replacing the on-road link on West Street.

This section is now formally open to pedestrians, cyclists and other users of non-motorists vehicles – as work continues to the west of the city to close the gap with the neighbouring villages.

The Strawberry Line currently runs uninterrupted from Yatton railway station to Station Road in Cheddar, and will eventually provide a car-free route all the way through to Collett Park in Shepton Mallet.

Numerous sections of the route exist east of Cheddar, with the Strawberry Line Society (and its numerous willing volunteers) working with Somerset Council, Greenways and Cycle Routes and local contractors to deliver the remaining missing links.

The Wells section of the Strawberry Line comprises multi-user paths from the Haybridge area to the city's leisure centre (near the Priory Fields housing estate), before winding through a series of quieter roads in the city centre before rejoining a shared-use pavement along the A371 East Somerset Way.

This latest short section removes pedestrians and cyclists from the narrow West Street, providing them with an easier route onto Priory Road before picking up the existing route towards Dulcote.

Glen Stidever, regional head of property at Lidl GB, said: "We're thrilled to announce the opening of our new and improved store here in Wells.

"Not only is this store almost double the size, but it also remains in a prominent and accessible location within the town, ensuring residents still have convenient access to our affordable offering."

From the Lidl site, Wells residents can now enjoy a safe, quiet, car-free route to the Charlie Bigham quarry kitchen in Dulcote, with the off-road section largely following the route of the former Cheddar Valley railway line.

Two new sections of the active travel route officially opened in November 2024 to close the gap between Wells and Shepton Mallet – an extension east the Dulcote quarry site as far as Churchill Batch Lane, and a new bridge over the B3136 West Shepton linking Ridge Road and the West Shepton Playing Fields to the wider town centre.

Negotiations are ongoing with landowners over closing the remaining gap between Churchill Batch Lane and Ridge Road – with National Highways seeking to play a part by opening up one of the arches on Stump Cross Bridge.

A spokesman said: "The work on this projects sits with our historical railways estate team.

"We're currently refining options for opening up Stump Cross Bridge as part of the Strawberry Line active travel plans, and are keeping Somerset Council informed on progress."

To the west of Wells, volunteers and contractors have been working to close the gap between the city and the village of Easton, building on a section from Westbury-sub-Mendip which was officially completed in September 2023.

Phase one of this extension (which runs north of the village hall on Ebbor Lane) is largely in place – with further progress being limited until negotiations with landowners have concluded.

Speaking just before Christmas, a spokesman said: "The short extension at Easton, from Ebbor Lane, is only available for bikes, mobility and equestrians users for 300 metres, as far as the kissing gate/ farm gate.

"Please please respect this current restriction – it's temporary until we can build phase two.

"The area beyond the kissing gate is strictly pedestrian only, and pedestrians must keep to the marked route.

"The people who are already ignoring the signs and carrying on down the obvious farm track risk preventing us from gaining landowners' permission to build more, which is essential.

"Without the support of landowners we simply can't build. Getting this section built took a lot of negotiation and flexibility for supportive landowners."

For more information on the Strawberry Line, including how to get involved as a volunteer, visit www.thestrawberryline.org.uk.