Controversial Cambridge road junction plans sent back for consultation
A controversial proposal to restrict drivers turning at a major Cambridge city centre junction will go to the public for consultation after councillors spoke out at a meeting on Monday (December 11).
The Greater Cambridge Partnership put forward the plans for the Catholic church junction to improve cycling safety.
But the plans for the junction at the Our Lady and the English Martyrs church – where Lensfield Road, Hills Road, Gonville Place and Regent Street meet – were only unveiled after the end of a public consultation about changes to the road, which means residents have not yet been able to have their say on the matter.
Now members at a meeting of the GCP’s joint assembly have demanded residents be asked for their views on the project, as it could force more traffic onto nearby streets.
The scheme would ban right turns into Hills Road from Lensfield Road, and left turns out of Hills Road and Regent Street. The GCP says this would “create additional footway space to make it safer and easier for all users”.
City councillor Tim Bick (Lib Dem, Market), who is chair of the committee, said: “I represent Newtown which is quite adjacent to this crossroads and an area which has recently adopted a low traffic neighbourhood, which has restricted their access quite considerably. At this point I have no idea what the residents of Newtown think about what could constitute a further restriction.”
He added that the residents may approve of the proposed changes to the junction and may not be using their cars much due to living in the city centre. However, he added: “They probably sat through the consultation that has taken place without realising there was an issue here as far as their access was concerned. And I think that it’s a really important process point here, that they should be accorded a public consultation.”
He also raised the issue that if turning at the junctions are restricted, traffic could be forced down Park Terrace, “a narrow road”, including more bus traffic, and would take “most of the traffic exiting from the Grand Arcade car park” as a result of the changes.
Speaking in the meeting, Cllr Heather Williams, leader of the Conservative opposition at South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “I did sort of have my head in my hands a little bit because I’m all for ensuring all residents have the ability to move around the city as they wish – and that’s as a pedestrian or a cyclist, but drivers as well. And I really don’t think these proposals will help reduce the volume of cars entering this city. It will just displace it. And at that point, we are no better off – just financially down.
“If we really want modal shift, we have to take people with us. But I don’t think that doing things like this and proposing banned turnings is the way to get people on side.
“I’m significantly underwhelmed with this part of the proposal.”
Peter Blake, transport director at the GCP, said that the comments had been taken on board and that the new proposals for the junction would go out to public consultation.
