A MULTI-USE path connecting St Dogmaels to Poppit Sands could cost in the region of £500,000.

That is the conclusion of a report which has been published following a feasibility study commissioned by Grwp Llwybr Poppit Path Group (PPG) - a community group established in 2016 - to look into building the multiuse path, which would be approximately two kilometres in length.

The report says: “The world-renowned Pembrokeshire Coast Path starts in St Dogmaels but for the first 2km of this path, users are required to share a narrow (usually single lane) highway with motorised traffic.

“The lack of a suitable pedestrian route (suitable for not only walkers, but also cyclists, wheelchairs and push-chairs/buggies) also means that local users who wish to visit nearby Poppit Sands have to either drive the short distance or face the risks of using the existing road, which gets very busy in summer months.

“From the start of the route at Teifi Moorings, users are forced to use the highway that is subject to varied use from service buses, agricultural vehicle and access to the lifeboat by volunteer crew in emergencies. During summer months it is extremely busy and narrow.”

PPG treasurer Tom Wells said: "The project has been on the cards for probably 20 years if not more but the need is becoming more obvious because the section of road is so horrible.

"It is also important to have access for everyone and that is why we have gone down the multiuse route."

Three options for the new path were considered and a preferred route has been proposed, which ruled out a route along the foreshore and intertidal zone of the Teifi and estuary.

A key area of focus for the study was the section between the Teifi Moorings and the top of what is locally known as the Webley Hill.

The route would then pass to the west Manian Fawr Farm and then drop down to Cardigan Bay Holiday Park complex.

Various sources of funding are highlighted in the report, while negotiations would need to take place with local landowners.

The study concludes: “The feasibility has sought to balance the requirement for a multi-use path with wider consideration of land owners and the land features along the proposed route.

“With further consultation and more detailed planning, a multi-use path can be created that delivers a community and tourism resource that will have benefit for many years to come, creating a new section of the Wales Coast Path and removing the requirement for users to transit a busy and congested road section.”

PPG chairman Tim Tagg said: "There has been a great deal of consultation and a lot of support for the project in the village.

"It would provide a final link in the coastal path as more and more people get out and about and it gets more congested to go down to the beach. Yes, it is expensive but there are huge benefits to both local people and visitors and I think it is a worthwhile venture."

A copy of the feasibility study is available on the St Dogmaels Community Council website: stdogmaels.org/poppit-path-feasibility-study/