The Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) held a series of workshops for Focus Groups during the consultation. I attended one on Thursday 25th January 2018, straight after the rather long and tedious Full Council meeting at South Cambridgeshire Hall that afternoon.
The Cambourne to Cambridge C2C Busway scheme aims to deliver high quality fast and reliable bus services, cycling and walking facilities along the A428 corridor, as well as a new Park & Ride site. This is the so-called tranport solution that South Cambs District Council and Cambridgeshire County Council propose for the new traffic that will be generated by the nearly new homes being built at West Cambourne where 2,350 have already been given planning permission and potentially 3,500 at Bourn Airfield, if the Planning Inspector agrees that the site should be developed.
The workshop was attended by Ward councillors and community representatives including those from the A428 LLF, Save the Westfields, Newham Residents Association etc. The aim was to obtain our views on the proposal, collate and then present to the GCP.
The information that was presented to us was very obviously biased toward the option that the GCP want us to go fo, and it seems this was the same as has been presented at the various public events the GCP has held during this consultation. This calls into question the objectiveness of the GCP and the agenda it is pursuing for this Phase 1 of the project, from Madingley Mulch roundabout to Cambridge.
Is it really a better bus journey? No I don’t think so.
There are 3 options for this Phase 1 route, namely
- Route A (previously Option 1)- on-road option which includes the introduction of a bus lane on Madingley Road between the Madingley Mulch roundabout and Lady Margaret Road
- Route B (previously Option 6) – on-road tidal bus lane on Madingley Road running between the Madingley Mulch roundabout and the new entrance to Eddington (High Cross)
- Route C (previously option 3/3a) – An off-road busway running between the Madingley Mulch roundabout and Grange Road, Cambridge
A lot of work has gone into Routes A and C, as you will see from the documentation. Route B – proposed by the A428 LLF and which the GCP agreed they would work on with the LLF has not had as much work done as is necessary.