Projects to transform people’s daily journeys between Waterbeach New Town and Cambridge as part of a proposed major investment in the transport network are to be discussed.
The Greater Cambridge Partnership has published reports to its Joint Assembly which set out the next steps for improving travel along the busy A10 corridor.
Waterbeach to Cambridge, Waterbeach Greenway and the proposed relocation of Waterbeach Station would unlock thousands of new homes at Waterbeach New Town and provide frequent and reliable public transport journeys for people travelling in and out of the north of the city.
Waterbeach to Cambridge
The proposed scheme would deliver a dedicated busway alongside a new walking and cycling route to provide fast, frequent and reliable journeys between Waterbeach New Town and the north Cambridge via Landbeach village to make it easier for people to get to work and school.
A new travel hub would be delivered to give people travelling along the A10 the option to leave their cars outside the city and continue their onward journey on public transport – helping to cut congestion and improve air quality.
It is proposed that a maintenance track alongside the busway would also be used as a new walking and cycling route – which would link in with other routes and transport hubs – to make it easier for people to travel around.
If approved by the GCP’s Executive Board, the GCP will ask Cambridgeshire County Council – as the highways authority – to submit a Transport & Works Act Order (TWAO) application to the Government for permission to progress the scheme.
Waterbeach Greenway
The assembly will be asked on 16 October to consider a revised route for the northern section of the Waterbeach Greenway after further evaluation of a previous alignment found flooding concerns.
Last October, the GCP held a consultation on the newly proposed alignment which follows a route behind the A10 and through Milton Village. Additional spurs linking the Greenway to Denny End and to improvements being delivered in Waterbeach by Urban & Civic were also included.
The scheme seeks to provide new and improved walking, cycling and – where appropriate – equestrian links between Cambridge and villages to the north of the city, as well as onward links to employment sites and public transport hubs. It is one of 12 Greenway routes in development.
Improvements to Cowley Road, which forms part of the Waterbeach Greenway, is already under way. The improvements to Cowley Road will include the widening of the existing path to create a two-way cycle way and footpath.
Waterbeach Station relocation
To unlock the delivery of thousands of new homes as part of the Waterbeach New Town development, the GCP is proposing to support the relocation of Waterbeach Station.
An application for up to 4,500 new homes as part of the new town development was approved by South Cambridgeshire District Council in 2021. But the scheme is subject to the delivery of a new station, and it cannot be delivered under a traditional planning gain arrangement.
The GCP’s Executive Board agreed in 2022 to provide £20m to plug the funding gap to enable the station to be relocated by 2025 but, following discussions with the developer, a further £17m is required to forward fund the station which will be provided by Homes England.
The scheme would not only safeguard the delivery of thousands of new homes, but it would link into the Waterbeach to Cambridge and Waterbeach Greenway projects to create a joined-up travel network to cut congestion and improve air quality along the busy A10 corridor.
The assembly will be asked to consider the business case for the project ahead of the Executive Board meeting on 7 November where members will be asked to approve the plan and agree the budget.
PIC-SHUTTERSTOCK/CAMBRIDGESHIRE CC
