RED tape has delayed plans to confirm new bylaws covering cycling along Weymouth and Preston promenades.

Two years ago Weymouth and Portland Borough Council agreed to amend two bylaws, one for the seashore and promenade and one for Preston Beach promenade.

The authority wanted to allow restricted cycling between the Sluice Gardens and Overcombe Corner and on the promenade from opposite Devonshire Buildings to near the Sluice Gardens.

It went through a consultation and amendment process before applying to the Department for Communities and Local Government this February for provisional approval of the bylaws.

But council spokesman Melanie Earnshaw said by the time the amended bylaws were submitted to the DCLG they had 'unfortunately' changed the way they dealt with such things.

She added: "A single model bylaw was no longer available to cover both the seashore and the promenade together and instead two separate models had been produced, one for seashores and one for promenades. Provisional approval was not, therefore, forthcoming."

She said the DCLG knew the council was in the process of producing new bylaws but there was no system to advise councils about the DCLG changes and the council had no reason to check once the original bylaw model had been obtained.

The DCLG is now advising Weymouth and Portland to revoke its existing bylaws and adopt the two new separate model bylaws for seashores and promenades.

This has given the council an administrative headache since not only can they no longer amend existing bylaws but the new ones now need 'careful consideration' because they have wider implications than just for cycling.

Council legal experts said controls on promenade and beach trading were also affected and no public consultation had been held on that.

So officers are going to contact the DCLG to get more advice on bylaw wording before reporting back to the council's management committee in February 2008.

In the meantime no action will be taken to prosecute cyclists who use the promenade strictly in accordance with the council's resolution.

Dorset Cyclists' Network Weymouth member Mike Kelly said: "I welcome the council saying that it will not prosecute cyclists following old guidance while new bylaws are being sorted out.

"Let's just hope that something is done and done quickly. It is very frustrating and we all want Weymouth to catch up with other resorts."