More than 1000 responses as Mill Rd consultation reaches halfway mark

More than 1,000 people have already had their say on how Mill Road could be improved in the future.

The Greater Cambridge Partnership started a conversation with the community in February to find out what people think of Mill Road and how access, safety and the environment could potentially be upgraded to ensure it remains a vibrant hub of the city’s community.

An online survey has already been completed by more than 1,000 people as we reach the halfway point of an initial six-week consultation which considers enhancements that could improve Mill Road, while also seeking feedback on longer term measures which could be consulted upon later this year.

Public meetings are being held during this consultation to ensure everyone’s voice is heard. In addition, people are also encouraged to email consultations@greatercambridge.gov.uk with their thoughts.

The consultation is also being supported by two detailed deliberative workshops, run by Involve and held over the last week, to ensure a representative mix of people who have a mutual interest in Mill Road can listen to each other’s views and develop ideas together.

Cllr Elisa Meschini, Chair of the GCP’s Executive Board, said:

“We’ve had an overwhelming response to this public consultation which shows the strong interest and feeling in the area about Mill Road and what people would like to see from it in the future.

“The Involve workshops held in the last week were full of great discussion and ideas, and gave a range of people the chance to consider the issues and to hear a range of views on what people value about Mill Road and how they think it could be enhanced in the future.

“There’s still time for people to get in touch, so I encourage residents, traders and those who visit or travel through Mill Road to tell us their thoughts via the survey, e-mail or by attending the public meetings.”

Mill Road bridge was closed to private vehicles from June 2020 to early August 2021 as part of a package of measures rolled out by Cambridgeshire County Council to help people walking and cycling to maintain social distancing following the outbreak of Covid-19.

The county council’s Highways and Transport Committee voted in July 2021 to reopen the bridge to traffic and asked the GCP in November 2021 to incorporate the scheme as part of the City Access programme and hold a consultation.

That community engagement process began with the launch of the initial six-week public consultation on 9 February that asks for views on three themes which could be put in place to improve the area, which include changing the way that traffic moves along Mill Road.

The feedback from the consultation and public meetings will be analysed and, subject to the county council’s approval, will be used to develop detailed proposals for a second consultation later this year that will likely consider how to manage traffic and access in the area in the longer term.

To view the proposals and to have your say in the public consultation visit www.greatercambridge.org.uk/MillRoadSpring2022 by midday on Monday 21 March 2022.