The introduction of a cycle route through Tregoniggie Woods in Falmouth is an accident waiting to happen with elderly dog walkers and pre-school children likely to be the victims, claim opponents of the scheme who say their protestations have been ignored.

Cornwall Council first announced the proposals to create a cycle route from Bickland Water Road to Shelburne Road in May 2014, but the scheme has only just been approve despite opposition from many local residents and the Friends of Tregoniggie Woodland who had submitted a 200 signature petition.

The Friends are now calling on all users of the woodland who oppose the scheme to contact their local councillors and Cornwall Council in the hope of getting the decision reversed, although time is of the essence as work is due to start this autumn.

Euan McPhee, chair of the Friends, said: "I am a cyclist and I would be the first to say we need more cycle routes, but not through here. Putting cyclists here would discourage walkers - there are plenty of other routes that could be used such as Conway and Venton Roads which are not busy roads.

"If they are going to improve visibility for cyclists they are going to have to clear a lot of vegetation and that would make it more of an urban space than it is at the moment. There will also be 2.3 metre high signs dotted along the route.

"The level of use of the woodland by families with young children, the elderly, dog walkers, nursery children primary school children, is such that conflicts would inevitably arise between pedestrians and cyclists. Such conflicts have already occurred. This is the advantage of neither group and certainly represents a significant loss of amenity to the existing pedestrians."

Friends' committee member Marc Laundon, added: "This would be a path from nowhere to nowhere. Cyclists and pedestrians and dog walkers do not mix. This is one of the final places in Falmouth you can walk in safety, away from traffic and out of danger. Cyclists could be going at 30mph and pedestrians, joggers and dog walkers may not hear or see them coming. There are steep paths, blind bends and if cyclists brake on this surface they are likely to come off."

Pat Davis, whose home backs onto the woodland, said: "If they allow cyclists to just ride through here at speed, someone is going to get hurt. It's an accident waiting to happen. There are not many places people can go now and walk freely - I think it's wrong for them (the cyclists) to take it."

When announcing the decision to go ahead with the scheme, Glyn Stanley, project technician at Cormac Solutions, said: "The proposals received comments of both support and objection. After consideration of all responses, it has been resolved that the scheme will proceed as originally consulted, with a 2.5m wide shared-use path.

"The site clearance works will have minimal excavations, causing limited disruption to a shallow depth below the existing surface level. Our works programme indicates that construction will take place during autumn and take approximately two weeks to complete."

The Friends of Tregoniggie, though, are determined to make the council think again. "We are not taking this laying down," said Euan. "We are insisting they meet us, cyclists and other interested parties and change the plan."