Greater Cambridge Partnership to progress plans to move Newmarket Road Park and Ride

Work is due to start on a planning application to move the Newmarket Road Park and Ride to a new location further along the A1303.

The existing park and ride sits on land that is leased, with the lease previously described as “a bit like a Sword of Damocles” that needed to be addressed.

The Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) executive board has agreed to start work on a planning application for the new site, which is proposed for the land on the south east side of the roundabout where the A1303 and Airport Way meet.

However, concerns have been raised about the new location, with some fearing it is too close to the city.

James Littlewood, chief executive at charity Cambridge Past, Present and Future, said in the past it had been pointed out that some of the current park and ride sites had been “absorbed by the growing city”, with drivers having to queue in traffic to reach them.

Mr Littlewood said the lesson learnt from this was to locate future park and ride sites further from the city.

He asked if modelling had been done to look at whether future growth, including the plans to redevelop the airport, would result in traffic queuing to reach the new proposed park and ride site.

Peter Blake, interim director at the GCP, said different modelling work had been undertaken, highlighting that further local modelling had been completed at the request of the joint assembly, and that the recommended site remained the same.

Cllr Brian Milnes, representative from South Cambridgeshire District Council, said people who currently use the Quy Interchange heading into the city were “seriously concerned” about the level of congestion. He asked if the project “has a chance of reducing the congestion, which is one of its targets”.

Officers said they were aware of the concerns about the junction, but said the new park and ride site would have a ‘neutral impact’ on it.

However, they highlighted the aim to make the new park and ride site a ‘travel hub’ including facilities for cycling and potentially connecting with other bus services, rather than focusing on drivers parking there and catching a bus into the city.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough mayor Dr Nik Johnson said the new travel hub design for the relocated park and ride would fit in with work being done at the Combined Authority to create new circular bus routes.

Mr Blake added that the new site was also planned to link up with the Bottisham Greenway and said improvement work along Newmarket Road would hopefully encourage people to cycle and walk into the city.