Zero Carbon Streets
Cambridgeshire communities must work together for a green recovery from Covid-19 and to play our part in reducing carbon emissions. Zero Carbon Streets is the campaign that brings local groups together to do this.
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:
Created by Anna Williams – Comms Officer // 3 threads
Cambridgeshire communities must work together for a green recovery from Covid-19 and to play our part in reducing carbon emissions. Zero Carbon Streets is the campaign that brings local groups together to do this.
Created by Rosamund Humphrey (Admin Officer) // 1 thread
21/01764/FUL | Conversion of 3bed dwelling to 2no. 1bed flats and 1no. 2bed flat, following a part two storey side and rear and part single storey rear extensions. | 45 Kings Hedges Road Cambridge CB4 2QE
Created by Edward Taylor // 1 thread
This is an ideal solution to the flow at Landbeach road.
Mobility needs from Landbeach, highlighted in Milton community are to provide cycle crossing at the A10 for school kids and parents.
Created by Rosamund Humphrey (Admin Officer) // 1 thread
20/05396/FUL
Erection of four commercial mid-tech buildings comprising Use Class E (commercial, business and service) to provide flexible office, research and development and light industrial uses, and Use Class B8 (storage and distribution) limited to a maximum of 20% GEFA; together with car parking, cycle parking, landscaping, substation and associated infrastructure (following demolition of the existing buildings).
Trinity Hall Farm Industrial Estate, Nuffield Road, Cambridge, CB4 1TG
It's hard to know where (and when) all the future cycling-related developments are, so a map showing them could be very useful. This issue is to discuss this idea, if it is useful, or already exists somewhere, and how it might be done.
Created by Roxanne (Cycling Campaign Officer) // 1 thread
Issue to collect various government strategies related to transport that might impact cycling but are not specifically related to cycling.
Created by Roxanne (Cycling Campaign Officer) // 1 thread
There is a new Living Streets group in Cambridge.
To find out more visit: https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/get-involved/local-groups/cambridge
What can we do to help promote the group and support campaigns for more, better and safer walking?
The Local Plan is being replaced to a new version.
This is a multi-year process, involving several stages of consultation, research, and review.
This will replace the 2018 Local Plan. Discussion on that was at:
https://camcycle.cyclescape.org/issues/72-local-plan-2018-creation-and-review
Martin Lucas-Smith // 2 threads
There is increasing concern about growing traffic levels in the City (and indeed around the UK), and growing calls for Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods and closing rat-runs and roads suffering unduly heavy traffic.
Created by Anna Williams – Comms Officer // 3 threads
Issues related to Milton being worked on by Milton Cycling Campaign, a new group formed by Camcycle members living in the village.
20/03523/FUL | Erection of a 5 storey building and a 6 storey building for commercial/business purposes, erection of a transport hub, gymnasium, surface parking, landscaping and associated infrastructure including demolition of the existing building (St John's House) and associated structures. | Land In The North West Part Of The St Johns Innovation Park Cowley Road Milton Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB4 0ZT
sound+fury // 1 thread
From the previous thread:
Key information:
The establishment of the new JDCC, composed of members from both South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridge City Council have now been completed and the previous JDCC has been dissolved...
'In terms of the remit of the new Committee, some cross boundary sites have been included that were not within the remit of the previous Committee ... both Councils have adopted Local Plans which include specific policy designations – some of which overlap the Administrative boundary of the two Councils. Whilst both Councils have created a shared planning service, this does not change the statutory position of the two Councils as distinct “local Planning Authorities” ... The additional sites include the North East Cambridge Area Action Plan areas within both City and SCDC, Cambridge Biomedical Campus/Addenbrookes site and the extension of Peterhouse Science Park/ARM on Fulbourn Road.'
Created by Rosamund Humphrey (Admin Officer) // 1 thread
We're working towards a glossary of key terms to help members and the public.
Created by Roxanne (Cycling Campaign Officer) // 1 thread
http://www.englandseconomicheartland.com/
"About us
Stretching from Swindon to Cambridgeshire and from Northamptonshire to Hertfordshire, England’s Economic Heartland brings political and business leaders together in a strategic collaborative partnership with a shared commitment to realise the region's economic potential.
We provide the region’s voice on strategic infrastructure and services. Our leadership is focused on addressing barriers to realising our potential.
• We are the Sub-national Transport Body for the region. Our overarching Transport Strategy will be a 30 year strategic vision for our transport system that puts the needs of businesses and individuals at the forefront of investment decisions
• Our work on wider strategic infrastructure is focused on making sure investment in transport, digital and utilities infrastructure is ‘joined up’
• Our work with our delivery partners is focused on identifying investment priorities, getting the funding secured and then delivering improvements to budget and on-time.
Working in collaboration with Government and partners across the Heartland, we are committed to creating places where people and business realise their potential, and are able to compete on the global stage for UK plc.
Our 5.1m population and 280,000 business together generate around £155 billion GVA. We have a 21st century economy, particularly rich in high value engineering, science, technology and research. Most of our firms are small or medium sized enterprises with many based in rural or semi-rural areas.
Overall, our economy is successful and we’re a net contributor to the exchequer. However, the National Infrastructure Commission believes our economy could double or even triple in size. But it also warns this opportunity cannot be taken for granted.
Indeed, our success already comes at a price. Economic growth combined with underinvestment in infrastructure and services means that the pressure on our transport, digital and wider infrastructure networks has grown to the point where they operate close to capacity most of the time. The resilience of our networks has dropped, affecting business productivity and making travel for individuals increasingly challenging.
Our transport system continues to be dominated by the legacy of investment that left us with a largely radial pattern of strategic networks centred on London. Travel across the Heartland – and in particular east-west – is hamstrung by poor connectivity and poor integration.
Digital connectivity remains a challenge at a time when lifestyle and business changes mean our demands and expectations of digital infrastructure continue to increase. And economic success brings with it further pressure on wider strategic infrastructure, including power and water supplies.
England’s Economic Heartland is the response of strategic political and business leaders to overcome these challenges, with investment in strategic infrastructure and services key to realising our potential."
Created by Paul Bearpark // 1 thread
Waterbeach Cycle Campaign has received a Zero Carbon Communities grant from SCDC for installation of some badly needed cycle racks in the village centre. We have consulted with villagers about their preferences for their location and the Parish Council has approved the installation in those locations.
We need to arrange for the installation
Created by Rosamund Humphrey (Admin Officer) // 1 thread
The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Road Safety Partnership has been renamed 'Vision Zero Partnership' for the next stage in its strategy, spanning 2020-2030.
Created by Rosamund Humphrey (Admin Officer) // 1 thread
Mention of safety for cyclists on roads leading to houses but no detail. Lacking detail of safety for storage of bikes and access for them.
Created by Matthew // 2 threads
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.
Created by Roxanne (Cycling Campaign Officer) // 1 thread
Collection of advice for people who cycle or are thinking about cycling.
Created by Edward Taylor // 1 thread
Brief proposal for temporary measures in Milton.
Raised as a result of COVID-19 distancing measures
In addition to or in concert with suggestions arising from Spaces to Breathe
1. Use a point closure at the north side of Cambridge to forbid southbound through traffic. Why? It eliminates through traffic in Milton, especially at peak times. There are other versions of this idea for Milton, such as modal filters. Driving into Milton centre should be further discouraged in favour of the A10 bypass.
2. Implement a 20mph speed limit throughout Milton. Why? Reducing speed limits slows down drivers, a bit. It shifts the balance in favour of walking and cycling. The street environment becomes calmer, cleaner and quieter. In residential areas, there are more walkers and people just drive slower naturally. In these areas, cycling and walking becomes more pleasant and statistically safer. Fatality rate in collisions drops significantly.
3. Remove on-street car storage on Cambridge Road / High street. Why? On-street car storage encourages people to choose the car when making journeys within Milton. (I've done it myself.) Nowhere within Milton is more than a 3 minute cycle journey away.
4. Give cyclists and pedestrians priority at several key junctions on the Milton-Cambridge cycle route.(Winship road to Cambride Road) Why? To encourage people to use these routes and improve safety.
The DfT has made it clear that the money will only be allocated for measures that truly make space for cycling (please let me know if you want to see the letter, as it has not been widely shared). Those painted lanes do not meet the criteria set by the government, so they will have to be paid by Cambs Highways.
The deadline for councils to bid for the funds is Friday June 5th - in 6 days! If anybody has got any follow up suggestions I would suggest emailing our concillors well before that date, as any measures proposed will also have to be reviewed by Cambs Highways before they are sent off.
Created by Anna Williams – Comms Officer // 0 threads
The Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) has secured up to £400m of funding for the second stage of the City Deal.
Created by Roxanne (Cycling Campaign Officer) // 3 threads
What makes a good school street?
Where should we have school streets in Cambridge?
How can we campaign for school streets?
Created by Jim Chisholm // 1 thread
We need a front page link to sections about bike maintanace (links to YouTube videos) and tips for novice (or returning riders) Cycle Streets/ Bikeability etc (there were articles about maintence in old newsletters.
This map shows all issues, whether points, routes, or areas:
The most popular issues, based on the number of votes:
Martin Lucas-Smith // 29 threads
Proposed route along the rail corridor through Cambridge, part of which is in the Cambridge Local Plan.
Created by Rohan Wilson // 1 thread
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.
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.
Created by David Green // 1 thread
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?
Created by Robin Heydon // 9 threads
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.
Martin Lucas-Smith // 10 threads
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.
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.
Created by Robin Heydon // 2 threads
The Landbeach Parish Council would like the bridgeway from Landbeach to Cambridge to be upgraded to a cycleway.
Created by velocipedus@gmail.com // 12 threads
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)
Martin Lucas-Smith // 4 threads
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.
Created by Colin Bell // 1 thread
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.
Created by David Earl // 4 threads
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
Created by Cllr Ian Manning // 1 thread
The County appointed an officer back in June to review parking policy across the County, starting with the City.
Created by Roxanne (Cycling Campaign Officer) // 1 thread
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.
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?
Created by Matthew // 2 threads
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.
Created by cobweb // 40 threads
"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."
Created by Roxanne (Cycling Campaign Officer) // 3 threads
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?
Created by cobweb // 1 thread
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.
Created by Al Storer // 2 threads
Cycling and Walking provision at Cambridge Science Park is poor. Lets try and get it fixed
Created by Anna Williams – Comms Officer // 2 threads
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.
Created by Paul Bearpark // 1 thread
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.
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
Created by Heather Coleman // 1 thread
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.
Created by Heather Coleman // 1 thread
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.