Issues
This section lists issues - problems on the street network and related matters.
Issues always relate to some geographical location, whether very local or perhaps city-wide.
You can create a new issue using the button on the right.
Listed issues, most recent first, limited to the area of Waterbeach Cycling Campaign:
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Election campaign 2024
It is important that we engage with the candidates at each election, scrutinise their views, and press for commitments to active travel and sustainable transport.
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temporary fencing on Haling way
Temporary fencing, for no apparent purpose, that then becomes a hazard as it falls over or degrades.
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Planning application : 23/00872/REM Plaza adjacent to proposed primary school
Plaza adjacent to proposed primary school on key phase 1
Waterbeach Barracks Key Phase 1 Primary School Plaza Denny End Road Waterbeach Cambridgeshire CB25 9PA
South Cambridgeshire
Application reference : 23/00872/REM
I haven't spotted whatever it is that is supposed to provide "access for picking up and dropping off pupils". There seems to be a 5-Sheffield toastrack ("exact product TBC") on what looks like the 'drive' (next to 'He' which means heritage surface coarse asphalt). I do not see anything that would encourage use of Bakfiets etc.
Image is a crop from LANDSCAPE GENERAL ARRANGEMENT PLAN
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Social Media Hostility
I have noticed that especially since the congestion charge there has been a lot of aggression towards Camcycle in social media comments. Notably on Facebook, Nextdoor, etc. I am aware that angry aggressive people have always been on the internet but I do feel the level has increased since congestion charge notoriety, with many people's opinions degenerating into conspiracy theories about Camcycle and the council.
I do worry about the effect this can have on increasing "us vs them" mentality and increasing aggressive behaviour towards cyclists on the road.
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St John's Innovation Centre - Vitrum building
22/05108/SCRE | EIA screening opinion under the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 for the proposed development to provide up to 12,442 sqm of employment floorspace in a building up to 34 metres in height with associated car parking, cycle parking and landscaping. | Vitrum Building St Johns Innovation Park Cowley Road Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB4 0WS
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Election campaign 2023
It is important that we engage with the candidates at each election, scrutinise their views, and press for their commitments to cycling.
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Route for Festive Lights Ride 2022
We need to finalise the route for the Winter Lights ride on 10th Dec
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Dangerous to cross Milton Road diagonally at Toucan crossing
As the bridleway crosses Milton Road, it swaps sides of the busway, so most pedestrians and cyclists want to cross diagonally. However the toucan crossing only protects people crossing Milton Road. It doesn't stop busway traffic.
This is confusing and dangerous. When the road traffic stops at red lights, and the Toucan crossing turns green, it feels very safe to cross the busway. Yet buses can come from three directions (busway west, busway east, Milton Road south) at speeds of 30 mph.
Cyclists in particular are tempted to cross diagonally from north west to south east. Last week I saw a near accident.
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East Cambridgeshire campaigns
Campaigns to improve active travel provision in East Cambridgeshire.
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22/02520/FUL | Installation of 11 sculptures and 5 benches (temporary)
Proposed temporary installation of art structures than in some cases will create conflict and cause narrowing at certain points in the Cam tow path towards Waterbeach.
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Fen Rivers Way north of Bottisham Lock
Google Maps suggests that Fen Rivers Way from Bottisham Lock to the A1123 is cyclable. It isn't.
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Merlin Place – North East Cambridge
A developer called Kadans Science Partner is proposing to redevelop the Merlin Place site (currently home to the Taylor Vinters building) as part of the North East Cambridge scheme.
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Removing exclusionary barriers across Cambridgeshire
Camcycle's time and energy is consistently taken up removing exclusionary barriers (e.g. Biomedical Campus, A14 active travel bridges, Warren Road). We need to consider long-term ways to prevent new barriers going in and remove existing ones which prevent people of all ages and abilities cycling.
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Tagalongs, FollowMes and child-adult tandems/triplets
I'm writing an article for the next Camcycle magazine on family cycling options with pedalling kids (so FollowMe, Tagalong and tandems/triplets). Could anyone share their experiences of using these?
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Delivery robots
A pilot of delivery robots may be coming to Cambridgeshire.
What are our views/policies about delivery robots?
What do we know about other places they have been trialled?
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Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority
A new thread for discussions related to the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, the strategic transport authority for our region.
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21/04625/FUL Waterbeach - A10 bridge & Landbeach link
Change of use from agricultural land for the construction of an A10 bridge structure with associated earthworks embankment bridge landing, construction of a shared use route for non-motorised users between the Waterbeach Barracks site and Green End including a 3m shared footway cycleway and 2m grassed verge for equestrians and 1m grassed verge, hard and soft landscaping, lighting, construction compound and temporary haul roads
Land Between Green End And The Waterbeach Barracks Site Waterbeach Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB25 9PA
South Cambridgeshire
Application reference : 21/04625/FUL
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21/03983/FUL: alterations & change of use to 6 bed HMO (Sui Generis), 7 Kent Way
Part demolition of outbuildings, erection of single storey annexe and change of use to 6 bed HMO (Sui Generis) for 6 persons
7 Kent Way Cambridge CB4 2QY
Cambridge
Application reference : 21/03983/FUL
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Science Park road layout
Before the pandemic you could turn right here, now, any cyclist ends up on car-repelling paint with nowhere obvious to go.
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Open space S106 funding
Residents in particular parts of Cambridge are being asked to put forward proposals for improving open spaces and play areas via Cambridge City Council’s 2021 S106 funding round.
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Core Site - North East Cambridge
Anglian Water and Cambridge City Council, working with U+I and TOWN, are exploring the vision for a new sustainable urban quarter at the heart of the proposed new district of North East Cambridge.
The project is currently called the Core Site, North East Cambridge (shown on the attached map). The aim is to deliver over 5,000 new homes on the Core Site over the next 20 years, along with shops, workplaces, education, community and leisure facilities, and open spaces. This opportunity is enabled by the proposed relocation of Anglian Water’s Cambridge Waste Water Treatment Plant, with the support of Homes England, and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.
Cambridge City Council is currently bringing forward an Area Action Plan (AAP) for the wider district, within which the Core Site is located, which could deliver a total of 8,000 new homes in ‘an inclusive, walkable, low-carbon new city district with a lively mix of homes, workplaces, services and social spaces, fully integrated with surrounding neighbourhoods’. The Core Site has a key role to play in delivering this vision.
The landowners of the Core Site - Anglian Water and Cambridge City Council - have selected U+I, in partnership with TOWN, as master developers for the site will be working to bring forward proposals for the site and, eventually, a planning application.
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(A10 pedestrian and cycle route) of planning application S/0559/17/OL
The plans for the improved shared pavement between Waterbeach and Milton have been added to the planning portal. Planning application: S/0559/17/COND29
Also please note the A10 SLO for a reduction of the speed limit on these sections from 50mph to 40mph.https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/travel-roads-and-parking/roads-and-pathways/traffic-regulation-orders/permanent-traffic-regulation-orders#proposed-slo--reference-number-pr--------a---and-some-surrounding-roads-in-the-vicinity-of-milton--landbeach-and-waterbeach-18-0
From looking at the plans my main concernsNarrow sections - less than 3m wide, which is not LTN 1/20 compliant and very unambitious seeing as 11,000 homes are being built in Waterbeach.
The separation from the carriageway is also very unambitious at 0,5m and not a properly segregated verge. 0,5m is the absolute minimum suggested in LTN 1/20. 1m is the minimum recommended.
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Impington Village College Cycle Access
Access to Impington Village College has not been looked at in any detail since the college opened in 1939. What issues are there for cycling to the college? What opportunities are there to make improvements?
This map shows all issues, whether points, routes, or areas:
The most popular issues, based on the number of votes:
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Chisholm Trail
Proposed route along the rail corridor through Cambridge, part of which is in the Cambridge Local Plan.
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NCN route 11 and the Waterbeach Gap
I've visited Riverside to Waterbeach with William Rayner of county cycling team. He's revising signage here and providing it along the St Ives corridor, with the old NCN 51 being renamed Regional Route 24 (blue patch). We've decided finally to continue to sign NCN 11 from Riverside Bridge to Waterbeach Station, and he's looking at suitable (hopefully temporary) wording to advise to follow NCN 51 to Bottisham for destinations beyond Waterbeach, which will hopefully eliminate misrouting those from outside the area.
Our inspection of existing signs showed that only one new signboard was provided on completion 5 years ago of Riverside Bridge. Signboards still send people via Green Dragon. Sustrans considers signage is an important part of any route project.
The intention is to sign Milton Country Park as a destination, not as part of the route, removing route signs within the park, and probably retaining Coles Road as the signed route through the village, though it would be much preferable to have improvements past the shops and the village green, pubs etc.
Retaining the route to Waterbeach as NCN will help keep the gap in people's awareness.
I am planning to contact again the landowner of the missing link between Bottisham Lock and Fen Road, Lode with a suggestion for a low-level route, southeast side of the Bottisham Lode floodbank which is the route of the public footpath, where signs forbid cycling. It might be considered more visually acceptable. All parish councils are for the route, including the one of which he is a member.
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Dangerous to cross Milton Road diagonally at Toucan crossing
As the bridleway crosses Milton Road, it swaps sides of the busway, so most pedestrians and cyclists want to cross diagonally. However the toucan crossing only protects people crossing Milton Road. It doesn't stop busway traffic.
This is confusing and dangerous. When the road traffic stops at red lights, and the Toucan crossing turns green, it feels very safe to cross the busway. Yet buses can come from three directions (busway west, busway east, Milton Road south) at speeds of 30 mph.
Cyclists in particular are tempted to cross diagonally from north west to south east. Last week I saw a near accident.
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Lack of cycle routes to Cambridge Business Park, Waterbeach
My employer is planning to relocate from central cambridge to the Cambridge Business Park (near Waterbeach). There is currently no decent cycle (or footpath!) access to this business park which avoids riding along the A10. I am a confident cyclist but I am not looking forward to riding to work along sections of the A10.
Are there any plans for cycle route construction which the campaign can, perhaps, help accelerate?
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A14 very hostile for cycling
The A14 is a very hostile, dangerous road for cycling.
Improvements to it, as well as broader changes to the national framework for cyclist crossings of major roads, are needed.
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Upgrading Milton Road to Dutch standards
Milton Road, like other main roads in the city, is a mix of typically bad bits of cycle infrastructure. There is considerable scope, possibly within the City Deal funding, to rework the whole streetscape to Dutch standards.
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The 'Milton Road Effect'
Vehicles are continually abusing cyclists who use the road here because the bus lane on the other side forces the carriageway to be narrow.
Although there is the cycleway, it has the usual problems of loss of priority at sideroads, bins in the way, people going in and out of driveways, etc.
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Landbeach to Cambridge Cycleway
The Landbeach Parish Council would like the bridgeway from Landbeach to Cambridge to be upgraded to a cycleway.
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Cambridge Cycling Campaign's "Project Orange"
Project Orange is an attempt develop our general strategy during the year 2013.
It involves
1) Should Cambridge Go Dutch (or Copenhagenize)
2) A more assertive stance in our interactions with agencies: Demanding of them to make feasible what seems infeasible
3) focus on a regional area 10 miles (15 km) around Cambridge and a dartboard network structure to connect villages,
4) the development of a Bicycle Infrastructure Assessment Tool (BIAC) which will allow us to grade and praise provision
5) Priority over sideroads as part of a Dutch-style approach
5) Development of Visualisation Tools for major projects (Chisholm Trail, Newnham to Newmarket Rd, Mitcham's Corner)
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Should Cambridge 'Go Dutch' (or Danish)
London Cycling Campaign has reorientated its policy towards a 'Go Dutch' approach.
This aims to learn from best practice abroad rather than continuing with the 'hierarchy of provision' that, in 20 years in the UK, has arguably failed to deliver meaningful change.
This is an overarching issue for conceptual discussion of this issue.
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State of Waterbeach-Lode link
Has there been any improvement in the "new" NCN 11 route from Waterbeach to Lode since last summer? Last time I went that way I had to wheel the bike across fields and carry it over two or three stiles.
Any information, including a forecast date when a proper route is likely to be built, welcome. Thanks.
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Evil posts on busway cycleway
There are some evil short grey posts on the busway cycleway that are really hard to see in the dark. I have heard of a number of people hitting them with disastrous consequences
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Parking policy review
The County appointed an officer back in June to review parking policy across the County, starting with the City.
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Horningsea to Waterbeach
A Camcycle member is looking at starting a local campaign group with the aim of getting a cycleway to connect the villages of Horningsea and Waterbeach along the B1047.
Please share your ideas and advice for the route here.
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Failing to maintain NCN paths
Over the past couple of years of regularly cycling between Waterbeach and Cambridge on NCN11 I have noticed that the path between Waterbeach and Baits Bite Lock is in really bad repair and is getting gradually worse. I have been in touch with the council to ask them to repair it, and they told me that as far as they are concerned the path is only a footpath, and they have no obligation to maintain it to a standard suitable for bikes. Sustrans tells me they have no responsibility for maintaining that section of the route, and that the council should be responsible for it.
It seems absurd to allow the path to fall into total disrepair, but at the moment it doesn't seem like anyone recognises any obligation for its upkeep.
I am happy to go out occasionally with some secateurs and chop off the more annoying bits of greenery, but the path needs resurfacing and that feels a bit beyond me!
Does anyone have any experience with this sort of problem? Have they come across it on other sections of the NCN? -
Public rights-of-way mapping
On 1 January 2026, historic routes in England that aren’t properly recorded will be lost to the public forever. We are looking for people to volunteer their time to help us identify and register these routes before it is too late.
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Greater Cambridge Partnership (City Deal)
"The Greater Cambridge City Deal was signed by Central Government, Council leaders, businesses and the University of Cambridge and aims to secure hundreds of millions of pounds for the areas of Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire.
The Greater Cambridge City Deal aims to ensure that the success of the area continues by investing in the transport infrastructure, housing and skills needed to see future economic growth.
The first £100m of funding will be made available for transport improvements in the five years from April 2015."
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E-scooters and micromobility
The government has announced it will hold a consultation on the introduction of the battery-powered scooters to British roads.
What are the implications for people cycling, walking and scooting?
What is Camcycle's position/policy about e-scooters?
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DfT consultation - HGV speed limit rise to 50mph on single carriageways?
http://www.dft.gov.uk/news/press-releases/dft-press-20121109a
A DfT consultation to see whether speed limits on single carriageways should be introduced for HGV's. This will clearly have implications for cycle safety.
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Cambridge Science Park Cycling and Walking
Cycling and Walking provision at Cambridge Science Park is poor. Lets try and get it fixed
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Removing exclusionary barriers across Cambridgeshire
Camcycle's time and energy is consistently taken up removing exclusionary barriers (e.g. Biomedical Campus, A14 active travel bridges, Warren Road). We need to consider long-term ways to prevent new barriers going in and remove existing ones which prevent people of all ages and abilities cycling.
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U&C Outline planning Application
Objections to U&Cs outline planning application need to be submitted by 10 April. There seem to be some interesting ideas for improving cycling infrastructure but a lot that could be improved upon.
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HGV and LGV traffic on Nuffield Road
Campaign for a 300m section of the unguided busway between Milton Road and the pedestrian and cyclists access at the end of Nuffield Close to be built as a road, providing a more direct access for lorries and cars to the trading estate.
Nuffield Road’s residential section should then be cut-off for motorised through traffic just past Discovery Way, turning the first part of Nuffield Road into a residential close.
Petition: http://iitm.be/ChestertonTrafficReduction
Picture Gallery: http://iitm.be/NuffieldRoad -
inaccurate "no through road" signs, missing "except cycles/pedestrians"
I've noticed a few of these around Cambridge where there's a "no through road" sign but it's a through road for cyclists and pedestrians. As there's a post already, if the council had a ready-made stock of plates saying "except cycles", "except pedestrians", a single operative could affix the plate below the sign to made it correct. It is highly deceptive and not serving those using non-motorised transport if they go the long way round not realising they can get through a quicker route.
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Inappropriate surface treatment for cycle route ie Fen Road, Milton
I've had a letter from the council. Not sure if someone put a copy through my door as they knew I was interested in the Fen Road, Milton, as it's dated 30th June which is over two weeks ago.
I think "suface dressing" ie loose chippings, is a totally inappropriate treatment for a road which has not that much motor traffic and rather a lot of cycle traffic. The loose chippings will be a skid and physical hazard for cyclists for months to come.