Residents ‘afraid’ to go near Park and Ride after ‘dangerous’ meets

People living near the car park said they were afraid to go near the park and ride

Councils will crack down on ‘dangerous and disruptive’ driving at a park and ride after complaints from locals. People living near Babraham Road Park and Ride have reported issues including loud music and dangers to pedestrians.

Locals said issues included organised vehicle gatherings, cars and motorbikes speeding, revving engines, racing, stunts, loud music, burnouts, car horns, creating a danger to pedestrians, and noise nuisance to residents.

One person said they were ‘afraid’ to go near the park and ride during car meets, while another said they avoided using the park and ride in the evening “as I’m concerned for my safety”.

Sharon Allen OBE is chief executive of Arthur Rank Hospice, which is next door to the Babraham Road Park and Ride. Ms Allen said: “When the anti-social behaviour happens, which is frequently, it causes disturbance to our patients and their visitors.

“Many of our patients are facing the end of their life, others are staying for pain and symptom control. They need a peaceful environment which is disturbed by this anti-social behaviour causing distress and anxiety for the patients and for their loved ones.

“It also impacts our colleagues not only because of the increased workload responding to distressed and concerned patients and visitors, but also because colleagues are nervous about walking to or through the Park and Ride at the start or end of their shifts.”

A Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) has now been introduced at the park and ride, which South Cambridgeshire District Council said had seen ‘dangerous and disruptive driving’ in recent years. Anyone who breaches the PSPO can be fined.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras and CCTV cameras will be used to enforce the new rules, allowing the councils to track vehicles and issue fines without needing staff on site. A similar PSPO was introduced at the Milton Park and Ride last year.

More than 160 people took part in a consultation to gauge interest in a PSPO at Babraham Road, with 88 per cent in favour of tougher measures to tackle driving issues.

Cllr Laurence Damary-Homan, lead cabinet member for environment at South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “The levels of disruption we’ve seen at Babraham Park and Ride are completely unacceptable, and action is needed. Everyone deserves to feel safe and to enjoy peace and quiet – not to be subjected to reckless driving and intimidation.”

Cambridge City Council’s cabinet member for communities, Cllr Mike Todd-Jones, said: “Residents deserve to feel safe and respected in their own neighbourhoods. Reckless driving and anti-social behaviour put lives at risk and undermine the quality of life for so many.”

If you witness anti-social driving after 5.15pm, you can report it to Cambridge City Council via the out-of-hours phone line on 0300 303 8389, or online.