WHAT great news about the proposed Cycle West route for Dorset and northern France (“£7.6m route to explore by bike”, Echo July 4). But can I suggest that we need a bit of joined-up thinking here – largely between the councils in Poole and Dorset – to make the best of this?

How about using this as an opportunity to complete the Poole Harbour Trails?

The idea of a round harbour walking and cycling trail has been knocking around for years and has the potential to be a nationally recognised tourist attraction.

At the moment there are existing paths round the harbour and five walks have been mapped by the Poole Harbour Trails group (pooleharbourtrails.org.uk) but crucially, the final sixth walk – the Lytchett Gap – is blocked by current rights of way and the lack of a pedestrian/ cycle bridge at the mouth of Lytchett Bay.

It’s time this was sorted out.

Combine this with a cycle hire centre, walkers’ cafe and camping facility at Upton Country Park and we could end up with a fantastic resource for locals and holidaymakers alike.

HARRIET STEWART-JONES, Victoria Crescent, Parkstone