A FALL in the number of people travelling to work by bike in towns including Evesham and Pershore is jeopardising the Wychavon district's prospects of meeting Government targets to cut car journeys.

The drop - from 3.6 per cent of journeys to work by bicycle in Wychavon in 1991 to 2.4 per cent in 2001 - could pose problems, according to a senior planning officer.

Fred Davies, of Wychavon District Council, said the Government wanted the percentage of bicycle journeys to rise to eight per cent by 2011 - way above the current proportion.

"It's a bit worrying," he explained, adding that the present statistics were "languishing at the 1996 figure".

The character of areas like the Vale made reversing the downward trend more difficult, he said.

"This is primarily a rural district," he explained.

"In cities you can make things a lot easier for bikes and the journeys tend to be shorter.

"Here, you're not going to get people who travel 10 miles to work to suddenly start getting on a bike. Obviously, people love their cars.

"We're not saying get out of your cars all the time but, on a nice day, use your bike or walk.

"But it also requires a change of attitude as well. It's a tricky one but we've got to do our best."

Members of the district council's executive board will, later this month, receive a report on progress towards a cycling strategy for the district.

The report, discussed at a recent council development control committee meeting, includes specific strategies for Evesham and Pershore.

Among factors that would potentially hinder the improvement of cycling provision in Evesham were limited access across the river Avon and the Worcester to Paddington railway line having only two road/pedestrian crossing points.

Opportunities, however, existed thanks to a well developed footpath network, south of the town and serving several schools.

In Pershore, there were fewer opportunities for providing dedicated cycleways, compared with Evesham. Reasons for this included heavy traffic flows along the High Street and street furniture reducing the prospects of widening footways for shared use by cyclists and pedestrians.

Lighter traffic flows along Pershore's residential roads did provide some cause for optimism.