Greenway route for cycling and walking won’t be ready until two years after Waterbeach New Town opens

A pause to work on a dedicated walking and cycling route between Waterbeach and Cambridge has been described as “hugely disappointing”.

Work had been due to start on the Waterbeach greenway next year, with completion expected by September 2024.

The Waterbeach route, along with the Fulbourn greenway, had been described as “high priority” by the Greater Cambridge Partnership. But completion is now not expected until 2025 – two years after the first residents move to Waterbeach New Town.

The two schemes were the first of 12 across South Cambridgeshire to be approved by the authority in 2020.

Josh Grantham, speaking on behalf of cycling charity Camcycle at a recent meeting of the GCP’s joint assembly, said the organisation was particularly concerned about the status of the Waterbeach route.

He said: “The decision to postpone construction of the Waterbeach greenway is hugely disappointing, particularly to residents of Milton and Waterbeach, and it is unclear why this has happened.”

The GCP says that work has been paused so the proposals can be reviewed in light of a number of changes in the area.

These changes include the new cycle route along the A10 by Urban & Civic as part of the development for Waterbeach New Town, as well as footpath widening on the carriageway, the relocation of Waterbeach railway station and the GCP’s Waterbeach busway proposals.

Mr Grantham pointed out that neither the new A10 cycle route or the footpath widening meet highways standards. They state that two-way cycle tracks should be between three metres and four metres wide depending on the volume of cyclists and pedestrians.

The A10 cycleway varies in width, with long stretches that are only two metres wide.

Mr Grantham said for these reasons the Waterbeach greenway “must be built to a better standard”.

He asked the GCP how it would ensure that greenways are “delivered on time” as well as meeting highway standards so they “provide realistic choices for cyclists of all ages and abilities all year round, including those travelling to school and nursery”.

Transport director Peter Blake said the GCP is not seeking to postpone the Waterbeach greenway.

He said: “What the report is seeking to do is say a lot has changed in Waterbeach in relation to active travel in the last couple of years.

“What the report is saying is that we just want to have a quick look and by that I’m suggesting a couple of months to sit down and say ‘does it all make sense?’

“Are we delivering the best possible network given those changes?’ And then we will get those things back on track.”

Mr Blake said meeting highways standards was what they were trying to achieve for a “step change” in active travel provision.

He said the GCP had thought “long and hard” about whether to continue with the current planned completion date, but that it needed to make sure that all organisations – including the planning and highways authorities, the GCP and the developer – were working together to deliver the “best possible active travel network in Waterbeach”.

Mr Blake added: “We will challenge ourselves to get it back on track if that’s doable.”

South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Cllr Paul Bearpark (Lib Dem, Milton and Waterbeach) said the approved plans for Waterbeach New Town state that there will be “measures to support walking and cycling with direct high quality pedestrian and cycle links to North Cambridge”.

The first residents will be moving into Waterbeach New Town early next year.

The Waterbeach greenway was being discussed as part of a report setting out the current timescales for each of the 12 routes.

Cllr Bearpark pointed out that a number of the greenways had been in the ‘initiation phase’ for two years, and some three years.

He said the limited progress had led to a “lack of confidence” in the conclusion dates set out by the GCP.

Mr Blake said the greenways were a “huge” project covering more than 150km and it was not “straightforward”.

He said the GCP had been putting in additional resources to the project, with the aim of completion in 2025.

Cllr Heather Williams (Con, The Mordens), opposition leader at South Cambridgeshire District Council, said it was frustrating to see the greenways on the agenda again.

She said: “I don’t want to see any more reports, I want to see the greenways themselves. We really just want to see action now.”

The joint assembly comments will now be passed to the GCP’s executive board, which meets on September 28.

Chair of the joint assembly, Cllr Tim Bick (Lib Dem, Market), added: “The overwhelming message is welcome the report, but we are impatient for progress and delivery.”

He said the assembly sees the report as a “stepping stone” but “the faster, the better” is the overall message on delivery.