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).

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.

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

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 improve 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 Shepreth railway station, Meldreth Road and High Street. A 20mph zone will improve safety in the village by making the road easier to cross and safer for walking, cycling and driving

Sinusoidal speed humps will be constructed along Fowlmere Road to ensure everyone follows the 30mph speed limit. A final speed hump will also be constructed north of Barron’s Green T-junction along Fowlmere Road. Street lighting will be improved throughout the route.

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. This measure slows down vehicles when turning into and out of junctions and enhances safety, while reducing crossing distances. The road surface at these junctions will be slightly raised to support the speed reduction; making crossings more accessible (with level surfaces) and supporting the Highway Code, which requires drivers to give way to pedestrians crossing side roads.

Footways

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

A sinusoidal speed hump is a round topped hump that extends across the full width of the road.

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.

It reinforces that pedestrians have right over way vehicles entering or exiting the side road (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.

For more information on how to use a Copenhagen crossing please see our video guide: Copenhagen crossings: Supporting everyday journeys.

A 20mph zone with traffic calming provides the safest possible streets, while still allowing people to drive through and around the village.

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.

Engagement has taken place with residents between 2017 and 2022.

Public responses to each consultation/engagement 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 was carried out. This consultation received support from residents for the scheme.
• 2022
  During the early design stages, we shared proposals for the scheme, which showed traffic calming measures through the village.

In addition to the consultation and engagement that has taken place on the Melbourn Greenway, we also held a public event with Shepreth residents in March 2024, at Shepreth Village Hall. The discussions that took place helped to inform final adaptations to designs.

The impact of the scheme on the environment and habitats has been considered alongside the design of the scheme.

The work has included year-long bat surveys, with the results deciding the approach to lighting to minimise lighting impacts on bats. In addition, tree surveys have been undertaken to identify veteran trees and trees with Tree Protection Orders (TPOs) on them. A Preliminary Environmental Assessment has also been undertaken to identify any further impacts on local environment and habitats.

All of this information will also be used by the construction team to ensure they take care during around sensitive areas, for example the Chalk Stream in Shepreth.

Some sections of the greenway are being delivered sooner than others. The first stage of works in Shepreth commenced in early May.

Plans are advancing for the remaining works of the greenway.

The scheme will be delivered in 6 phases.

• Phase 1 – Angle Lane junction with Fowlmere Road
• Phase 2 - Docwra’s Close and Station entrance. Station road will be closed for three weeks at the level crossing to allow these works to take place
• Phase 3 – Meldreth Road with Station Road
• Phase 4 - Barron's Green. Fowlmere Road will be closed from phase 4 until the completion of works  
• Phase 5 – Fowlmere Road, including some works on the A10. 
• Phase 6 – Shepreth Road, including some works on the A10. Final Streetlighting installation will take place alongside phase 6

Works in Shepreth will take approximately 32 weeks to complete.