The community say the road ‘deserves’ an ‘improved pedestrian experience’
Petitioners have called on Cambridgeshire County Council to get moving on work to improve Mill Road in Cambridge for pedestrians. The petition signed by 1,223 people said “thousands of people walk and wheel” along Mill Road every day and that they “deserve an improved pedestrian experience”.
The county council said it is helping to work on plans for improvements along the street. The petition was created by four community groups, including Camcycle, Mill Road 4 People, Cambridge Living Streets, and Cambridgeshire Families for Sustainable Travel.
Anna Williams, from Camcycle, said the bus gate introduced on Mill Road bridge to restrict traffic had already “made some difference to the road”. The bus gate, which was introduced in March last year, closes the bridge to all motor vehicles, except for local buses, taxis, emergency services, blue badge holders registered vehicles, vehicles in a disabled tax class, and vehicles on the council’s permitted vehicles list. Pedestrians and cyclists are also still allowed to cross the bridge.
Ms Williams told councillors at a highways and transport committee meeting this week (January 20) that it was now “time to get moving” on further work to improve the public realm along the street. She said the community in the area was “desperate for a positive uniting vision for Mill Road”.
She said: “A well planned street scheme would benefit businesses, mitigating any inconvenience that might be felt from the bridge restrictions. It would bring clear benefit to pedestrians, enabling them to walk without tripping on cracked and wonky pavements. It would benefit visitors as well, and even wildlife through increased planting and greenery.”
The petitioners highlighted that the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) decided to redirect the planned Fulbourn Greenway along Mill Road, following the introduction of the bus gate.
The petition called on the county council to “step up” and ensure that officers and councillors are committed to work on the “Mill Road vision”, and to identify funding to implement improvements “beyond the scope of the GCP’s Greenways project”. Tina Riches, from Mill Road 4 People, asked what the county council would do to “expedite real improvements to benefit Mill Road”.
Councillor Alex Beckett (Liberal Democrat), chair of the highways and transport committee, said he “fully supported” the groups’ ambitions to make sure Mill Road “has the improvements and becomes the hub of the community that it really needs to be”.
David Allatt, service director for infrastructure and project delivery at the county council, confirmed the authority is working with the GCP on plans to improve Mill Road. He said: “Following implementation of the bus gate the data we have gathered does demonstrate there have been improvements in the environment, reduction of traffic and the rate of collisions on Mill Road, but we know there is more to do, and the TRO has unlocked further opportunities regarding the street scene.
“The council is currently working with the GCP and Cambridge City Council to pull together a programme of workshops and drop in events for this year, which will ensure community and business concerns and ideas are front and centre of the development of proposals for change.
“Some members of the community have already put forward ideas and they will be carefully considered as part of that process, as well as any other ideas and suggestions identified by residents and business owners.
“An architect and urban design company based off Mill Road have been commissioned to oversee this core design work and to assemble the concept designs.
“Community events will be hosted to ensure that the feedback is integral to those proposals. So yes the council will work with the GCP and we will identify and implement short, medium and long term measures.”
