News
Greenways update: 1 August 2023
Published 01 August 2023
Welcome to the first of our greenways updates.
The 12 Greater Cambridge greenways will better connect Cambridge and its surrounding villages for people walking and cycling, with provision for horse riders, where appropriate.
By 2025, there will be a network for more people to walk or cycle more of their everyday trips to work, shop, school or see friends.
As we near the start of construction, we’re going to provide quarterly updates across the Greater Cambridge greenways programme.
In this issue we cover where we are, what we’ve recently completed and the works that are coming up.
You can sign up for these updates here: www.greatercambridge.org.uk/email-updates.
Most routes at latter development and design stage
One year into our rolling programme of public engagement and most of the routes have reached the latter stages of development and design.
Since June last year, we have worked with the public on 10 of the 12 greenways, hosting 22 public events (pictured) and receiving over 2,000 responses, as well as holding workshops with elected councillors. This has ensured communities and those who will use the new routes are shaping the plans.
All of this work means around 126 kilometres of the 150 kilometre greenway network has been reviewed by our stakeholders, members of the public and our recommended next steps approved by the GCP’s executive board.
As a result:
- Your feedback is being incorporated into the designs, where practicable
- We can now seek the appropriate planning permissions and rights of way orders
- We can negotiate access to the land needed to better connect communities
- We can start early works on the public highway, helping to enhance safety on our roads
- We will return to the joint assembly and executive board with a final plan (full business case) for each route
Recent engagement
We’d like to thank everyone who took the time to feed back on the Grantchester section of the Haslingfield Greenway and phase 1: eastern section of the Fulbourn Greenway.
We’re now analysing feedback and will deliver reports and recommendations to our joint assembly and executive board meetings later this year.
Underway
Over the coming period, we continue to develop plans toward public engagement or consultation on:
- Fulbourn phase 2: western section, working with Network Rail
- The Waterbeach Greenway, following the review announced last autumn
We are also monitoring flooding for another twelve months near Swavesey to determine how we can reduce flooding’s impact on the busway path, as part of the St Ives Greenway.
Shovels get ready on early works
We know how keen people across Greater Cambridge are to see work on the ground on the greenways network, and we have a programme to bring elements forward wherever possible.
By the end of this year, works should be underway or complete across some sections of seven greenways, including the Comberton, Haslingfield, Barton, Horningsea, Melbourn, Sawston and Waterbeach Greenways. Works continue on the Linton Greenway, which is making progress – including a new crossing outside Linton Village College.
Later this month works are planned to start on:
Subject to final arrangements, works could start this autumn on:
- Sidgwick Avenue on the Comberton Greenway
- The junction of Barton Road and Grantchester Road on the Haslingfield Greenway
- Barton Road in Comberton Village on the Comberton Greenway
Check back on the project pages for updates. Having signed-up for greenways updates, you’ll receive a monthly greenway construction update starting this autumn.
Signs inspired by the environment
In a poll to select the colour of the greenways signs, a rural green design – inspired by the natural environment gained the most votes (223) from more than 400 cast by the public. A detailed wayfinding strategy is in development for the network.