‘Done deal’ concerns as plan revealed for Whittlesford Parkway station

Concerns have been raised about the impact of Greater Cambridge Partnership plans for Whittlesford Parkway Station.

The plans, which were published in a GCP report in December, look at the creation of a multi-modal transport interchange to accommodate demand from both the village and the wider area.

The report highlights a number of high priority schemes including the redevelopment of the main railway station car park, more cycling parking and a new footbridge and lift.

But villagers are angry that the £23million plans were not put out to public consultation ahead of being published online.

The GCP said that the reports were published for transparency and that a formal public consultation will take place if the authority’s executive board agrees to move the project forward.

Former South Cambridgeshire District Council leader, county and district councillor Peter Topping, said: “The GCP is now claiming that public consultation comes later, but shoving something on a webpage on December 20 and saying we want views by January 29 to take to the board has people locally thinking if they don’t get their views in quick it will be a done deal.

“It’s not a bad report – but it’s not being handled well.”

Whittlesford was identified as a location for a pilot rural travel hub following a study of potential sites in South Cambridgeshire in 2017.

A GCP spokesman said: “We need a world-class public transport system that helps people travel quickly, reliably and more sustainably to support the thousands of extra jobs and homes planned for Greater Cambridge. Bringing forward plans for transport hubs that provide opportunities to increase capacity, improve accessibility and interchange with other public transport, along with links to cycling and walking routes, are a core part of that vision.

“At Whittlesford Parkway Station we have been looking at a wide range of potential options to ensure it is able to cope with the pressures it faces now and in the future, and to ensure it can be part of the wider transport network with all the opportunities that brings.

“We need to take this work to decision makers to agree whether they wish to progress to the next
stage of the project which would
then include a formal public consultation. But for transparency, we’ve published these reports and engaged with Whittlesford Parish Council and other local stakeholders to get their views before taking it to our executive board.”