GCP’s Waterbeach to Cambridge busway plan progresses
A new off-road busway between Waterbeach and Cambridge has moved a step closer after councillors agreed to submit a Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO) to government.
The proposed scheme would deliver a dedicated busway alongside a new walking and cycling route to provide fast, frequent and reliable journeys between Waterbeach New Town and north Cambridge via Landbeach.
A new travel hub would also give people travelling along the A10 the option to leave their cars outside the city and continue their onward journey on public transport.
It is proposed that a maintenance track alongside the busway would be used as a new walking and cycling route, which would link in with other routes and transport hubs
The busway is the third of the Greater Cambridge Partnership’s (GCP) proposed busway schemes to reach this key milestone after gaining the support of Cambridgeshire County Council’s full council on Tuesday (11 February).
Concerns were raised by the members of the public and councillors over whether an on-road solution had been properly assessed. However, others felt that an on-road option along the A10 could hamper efforts to dual the route.
Conservative group leader Cllr Steve Count said: “I don’t choose to support the Waterbeach option of an on-road option and that is simply because I fully support the dualling of the A10.
“We’ve got to have a new junction of the A10 and the A14.”
GCP chair and deputy leader of the county council, Labour’s Cllr Elisa Meschini, said: “This is an important moment for this major transport project.
“Our busway links a new travel hub at Waterbeach to Milton Park & Ride, the existing busway, Cambridge Regional College and the science park. The adjoining walking and cycling path gives people more travel choices, making it quicker, easier and more reliable to get to where you need to go.
“Whether you’re travelling to work, school or to spend time enjoying our beautiful city, our busway will give you more choice in how you get around”.
The submission of the application to the Department for Transport will be made later this year with a date for a likely public inquiry set for 2026.
