GW melbourn

Ahead of early works starting on the Shepreth spur of the Melbourn Greenway, we’ve put together some FAQs to help residents understand why we’re delivering these improvements, and what the project involves.

gw wave

Melbourn Greenway is one of twelve Greater Cambridge greenways being constructed within Greater Cambridge to provide better and safer walking and cycling routes into Cambridge.

The greenway starts at Royston and connects to the villages of Melbourn, Meldreth, Shepreth, Foxton, Harston and Hauxton before routing on to Cambridge via Trumpington Meadows and the guided busway.

The length of the greenway is approximately 12 miles (20 kilometres) and consists of a range of improvements to streets, paths and pavements to create an end-to-end walking and cycling route.

The Shepreth Spur will create a link from the Melbourn Greenway on the A10 (Royston Road) to Shepreth railway station.

It will create a safer and fairer space for all road users to share. This includes connecting footways, reducing the speed of vehicles and giving pedestrians and cyclists safe crossing points. The Shepreth Spur will be delivered in two phases:

  • Phase 1: Extends between Barron’s Green and the level crossing, and will be delivered from the spring 2025.
  • Phase 2: Extends between approximately 130 metres north the A10 / Fowlmere Road priority T-junction to Barron’s Green, and will be delivered alongside Melbourn Greenway in 2026.

Improvements that will be made to the junction of A10 / Fowlmere Road will be delivered in winter 2025/2026 alongside other improvements to the A10. These Phase 2 improvements are subject to further engagement with residents and the parish council.  

Some sections of the greenway are being delivered sooner than others. Phase 1 of the Shepreth Spur has been identified as one section that will be delivered early (spring 2025).

Phase 2 of the Shepreth Spur will be constructed at the same time as the rest of the Melbourn Greenway.

Construction of the full greenway will begin in in 2026.

The works are planned to take seven weeks.

To improve safety, four traffic calming measures will be implemented between the A10 (Royston Road), along Fowlmere Road and Station Road up until the Shepreth railway station crossing.

  • Speed limit reduction and speed humps
    We will introduce a 30mph speed limit between Barron’s Green T-junction and the A10 (reduced from 60mph) which will enhance safety and reduce traffic noise on the route into the village. A 20mph speed limit will be introduced from the junction of Barron's Green to Station Road, Meldreth Road and High Street. A 20mph zone will enhance safety in the village, making the road easier to cross, safer to walk alongside, or drive or cycle along. Smoother, sinusoidal speed humps will be constructed along Fowlmere Road to ensure everyone follows the safer speed limit. A final speed hump will also be constructed approximately 85m north of Barron’s Green T-junction along Fowlmere Road. Street lighting will be introduced to improve visibility.

  • Double yellow lines
    Double yellow lines will be introduced to prevent problem parking where it affects visibility at points on Station Road, Angle Lane, Fowlmere Road and on side road junctions.

  • Junction tightening and raised tables
    Three side road junctions (Barron’s Green, Angle Lane and Meldreth Road) will be reduced in width. The widespread practice slows vehicles making turnings and enhances safety. The road surface at these junctions will be slightly raised to support speed reduction; make the crossings more accessible; and support the new Highway Code, which requires drivers to give way to pedestrians crossing side roads.

  • Footway
    Footways will be widened and/or improved at the side road junctions of Meldreth Road, Angle Lane and Barron's Green.

Three consultations have taken place with residents and people will be able to make representations to the county council when we advertise the traffic regulation order.

Public responses to each consultation have helped to shape the proposals for Shepreth. The designs have also been developed in line with the government’s guidance for walking and cycling schemes and they have undergone two independent road safety audits, which assess the safety of the proposed scheme.

Previous consultation and engagement is listed below:

  • 2017-18
    During the development of the Melbourn Greenway route, we conducted a consultation to gauge public opinion.
  • 2019
    During the development of the proposals for the Melbourn Greenway, a consultation on key elements of the Shepreth Spur. This consultation received support from residents for the scheme.
  • 2022
    During the early design stage of the scheme, we shared proposals for the scheme, which showed traffic calming measures through the village.

People will be able to give their views to the county council when we advertise the traffic regulation order. These are legal documents that regulate how parking and movement is managed on the public highway.

In addition to the consultation and engagement that has taken place on the Melbourn Greenway, the GCP also held an engagement with Shepreth residents in March 2024, at Shepreth Village Hall. Discussions that took place helped to inform final adaptations to designs.

A final opportunity for people to provide formal feedback, will be to Cambridgeshire County Council’s Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) for the scheme.

TROs are legal documents that regulate how parking and movement is managed on the public highways, including changes to yellow lines, speed limits and traffic calming. Before they are advertised to the public we consult in detail with the emergency services. Once advertised, anyone can make a representation to the county council about the proposals. They will then be considered and responded to when a decision is reached.

Traffic regulation orders are legal documents that regulate how parking and movement is managed on the public highways, including changes to yellow lines, speed limits and traffic calming.

Before they are advertised to the public we consult in detail with the emergency services. Once advertised, anyone can make a representation to the county council about the proposals. They will then be considered and responded to when a decision is reached.

A sinusoidal speed hump is a round topped hump that extends the width of the carriageway.

Sinusoidal speed humps are designed to be quieter than flat topped speed humps and provide more comfort for people cycling.

A continuous footway or ‘Copenhagen’ crossing is when the footway continues over a quiet side-road junction, rather than the pavement giving way to the carriageway.

It allows for pedestrians to have right over way over a crossing (as set out in the Highway Code) and slows a car’s speed when turning into the junction. Copenhagen crossings can be block paved or tarmacked. The proposal for Shepreth would use tarmac.

As part of the engagement with residents, we want to discuss a 20mph zone.

A 20mph zone with traffic calming provides the safest possible streets, while still allowing people to drive through and around the village at safer speeds. This will help more people to feel more comfortable walking or cycling in the village and to access the existing walking and cycling path on the A10 for longer journeys. It will significantly reduce the chances of collisions in Shepreth.

Further information on how the scheme will be delivered will be made available in advance of construction starting. We aim to deliver the scheme in spring 2025.