Joint Assembly round-up: September 2023

The Greater Cambridge Partnership’s Joint Assembly has had its say on key transport projects aimed at improving people’s daily journeys around the region.

The packed agenda covered the considerable progress which is being made on the Waterbeach to Cambridge busway, Cambridge Eastern Access, the GCP Future Investment Strategy and the Greenways.

Waterbeach to Cambridge

A revised central route for the Waterbeach to Cambridge busway and a new travel hub to the west of the A10 is to be recommended to the Executive Board as the preferred option for the scheme to connect Waterbeach New Town with the city.

The revised central route was the most popular among the 388 responses to a public consultation held earlier this year, with the proposed travel hub (option C) potentially including new cycle parking, electric charging points and click and collect services.

The project would give greater access to people travelling to work, education and meeting friends and family, while helping to cut congestion along the A10 with thousands of new homes due to be created over the coming years.

Cambridge Eastern Access

Members of the Joint Assembly will also recommend the Executive Board takes forward the Cambridge Eastern Access scheme – which aims to deliver better walking, cycling and bus journeys along the Newmarket Road – in three stages:

• Phase A1 – to advance to detailed design for Coldham's Brook to Meadowlands including proposals for a new CYCLOPS junction at the Barnwell Road roundabout which would complement plans to regenerate the East Barnwell area and would link into the Chisholm Trail.
• Phase A2 – to advance to detailed design from Meadowlands to Airport Way would include new cycleways and bus lanes to Airport Way.
• Phase A3 - Elizabeth Way to Coldham's Brook: this segment, including the proposal to infill the Elizabeth Way roundabout, would be considered further, to reflect ongoing discussions around the future of the Beehive Centre and Grafton Centre sites.

The assembly’s concerns about the proposed relocation of the Newmarket Road Park and Ride to a site just east of Airport Way will be considered by the Board.

Cambridge South East Transport and Foxton Travel Hub projects

Members recommended phase two of the Cambridge South East Transport scheme and Foxton Travel Hub project should be made ‘planning ready’ and then paused against the backdrop of rising inflation impacting the GCP’s programme.

Officers have analysed the impact of rising inflation and growing construction costs to understand its impact on the GCP’s schemes. It shows costs have increased by 20% – 30%, with Covid 19 and the war in Ukraine affecting the global market.

The Executive Board will be asked by the assembly to consider alternative funding sources so the schemes could be delivered in the future and whether some active travel aspects included in the proposals could still be progressed.

The GCP Executive Board is set to meet on 28 September to discuss the recommendations from the Joint Assembly. The papers will be published on 18 September.

To watch the Joint Assembly meeting back in full visit the GCP's Youtube channel.