Making Connections: update following Joint Assembly meeting

The Greater Cambridge Partnership Joint Assembly met today (Thursday 7 September) and discussed the amended Making Connections proposals.

The assembly – made up of elected councillors and representatives from businesses and academia – concluded that following the ongoing local political discussions they felt they weren’t able to scrutinise the papers.

They recommended the GCP Executive Board ask officers to prepare a paper for the Executive Board to cover the implications of not progressing with the scheme and to investigate further funding options.

Cllr Tim Bick, chair of the joint assembly, said:

”Making Connections is one of a number of ways that the Greater Cambridge Partnership is looking to improve how people can get around Greater Cambridge. It aims to reduce the traffic and congestion that blight Cambridge and, in turn, raise much-needed funds for a new and improved local bus network accessible to more people in new areas.

As today’s Joint Assembly heard, these challenges aren’t going away – congestion is increasing, collisions are still high and bus services are dwindling. We hope the insights and options developed through Making Connections will support future efforts to reduce the number of private cars on local roads and raise the funds that are so desperately needed to expand and upgrade the local bus network.

The Joint Assembly today recommended the GCP Executive Board ask officers - with colleagues from partner authorities and organisations – to prepare a paper to outline the consequences of not proceeding with the Making Connections proposals on other GCP projects, the Local Plan and potential bus reforms. This should also look at sources of funding and this should be presented to the Executive Board ahead of any final decision being made.”