Frog End to Melbourn funded

The City Deal Board has approved funding to construct an off-road cycle path between the Frog End Shepreth A10 junction and the entrance to Melbourn Science Park in Cambridge Road, Melbourn. This means that the overall Cambridge-Royston link is ever closer to realization.

We’ve asked if we could meet the officers – perhaps at the Green Man pub in Dunsbridge Turnpike Shepreth – to go over the plans and ensure that we understand the detail, particularly with regard to the crossing point: the path will actually run emerging out of Dunsbridge Turnpike, just near the Frog End junction, and run along the western side of Cambridge Road along the line of the existing narrow path. If you’d like to come along to such a meeting please let me know, and I will keep you posted.

It is very heartening to know that the owner of Melbourn Science Park is intending to create a new dedicated cyclist entrance to the site, to contribute to the encouragement of cycling to work now that a new safe link is being created along Cambridge Road Melbourn.

Grass cutting by the A10

As you will no doubt have noticed, the grass is growing tall alongside the stretches of new path. Cambs County Highways has budgeted for only TWO verge cuts per year, clearly inadequate. I did my best as a councillor to argue against a reduction from what was already a poor programme – three cuts per year – but not enough other councillors on the Highways committee saw things the same way. This aspect of maintenance is not costly.

Over the past few months we have had some good conversations with AstraZeneca, who need to encourage their workforce to take up cycling or other sustainable transport to work, in preparation for the move from Melbourn to their new Cambridge Biomedical Campus site, where there will be very limited parking. They have very kindly agreed to help pilot a sponsored maintenance programme, providing supplementary verge cuts, sweeping, siding out, etc, for two years. We need to figure out the nuts and bolts so apologies if things don’t happen instantly, but we’ll get there.

Foxton to Shepreth Path

Work to apply the final surface to the new Foxton-Shepreth path will take place soon, in conjunction with work around Foxton Level Crossing itself.

Progress on the Royston bid

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Local Enterprise Partnership is making a bid to central government for funding to connect Melbourn and Royston via path and bridge.

A10 footway improvement wins national environmental award

Innovative shared use footway improvement scheme wins Green Apple Award for environmental endeavour.

A Cambridgeshire Highways project to improve the footway on the A10 between Harston and Shepreth has been awarded a Green Apple Award for environmental best practice. Cambridgeshire County Council’s partners, Skanska and Manit Contractors, recently carried out the innovative construction work utilising existing surface material in the new footway, significantly reducing the environmental impact of the project.

Local residents and road users benefited from minimised disruption thanks to fewer lorry journeys to and from the construction site.

Cambridgeshire County Councillor Susan van de Ven, Chair of the A10 Corridor Cycling Campaign, said: “We are thrilled to hear that this improvement scheme has been recognised for its environmental credentials. Already the path has become a favourite for walkers, scooter riders and cyclists, notably including young families who previously would not have enjoyed a safe off-road link between villages. With so many cycling and pedestrian improvements being delivered across Cambridgeshire we are seeing a fundamental shift in the way people can choose to get around.”

The new 2.5 metre shared cycle and pedestrian footway is due to fully open in the coming weeks and was funded by a Cycle City Ambition Grant, obtained through the Department for Transport.