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 plans approved by Somerset Council in July 2023, the supermarket was required to create a new section of the Strawberry Line along the site's northern edge, replacing the West Street on-road link.

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.”

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.

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.”

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.

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