Trumpington locals say enforcement must improve to stop ‘surge’ in parking near new station

Trumpington residents have expressed their frustration at road management in new developments still being in private hands

Cambridge residents living near the city’s latest railway station say enforcement must improve to stop a “surge” of parking. Clay Farm and Glebe Farm were built over the last decade, but developer Vistry remains responsible for managing the residential roads within the estates.

Cambridgeshire County Council said they have agreed in principle to adopt the roads at some point, but as of yet there is no legal agreement to do this.

David Plank, who has lived in Glebe Farm since 2014, said: “It really is a scandal that more than 10 years on none of the roads in those two developments have been adopted.”

A spokesperson for the county council said that developers can offer roads up for adoption, but the council has no powers to mandate this. They said it is not possible to say when these roads may be adopted but they remain content in principle to adopt the roads “once all technical and legal requirements have been fulfilled by the developer”.

Mr Plank, a member of the Trumpington Residents’ Association (TRA), said there has been “widespread non-enforcement” of parking restrictions and signs had either worn away over the years or been removed.

The 82-year-old said: “Cars were parked all over the place and in dangerous places like corners and bends, posing a danger not just to residents, but particularly to children. The residential roads in the new developments are used by children to play, not just for driving about at high speeds.”

He said that Pinnington Close, the street nearest the station, has been used for parking and the residents association is fighting to have parking signage put up there.

Dr Kevin O’Brien, a Clay Farm resident, said parking enforcement had been “very up and down” since moving in 2016 and “more or less” stopped during the pandemic.

The 56-year-old said: “It had been a major concern, but with the opening of Cambridge South we were very worried it would get a lot worse. There was a bit of a surge where we are – but we are quite far away from the station ourselves.”

He said that there’d been an increase in parking enforcement after residents started “making a lot of noise” for around three months but “it seems to have slipped away again”.

Other residents closer to the Long Road side of the development said they haven’t noticed much of an increase in parking since the station opened.

Lloyd Decruz said that he understands why the new signs warning of parking rules have gone up, but people visiting friends and family have been hit with tickets.

The 64-year-old said: “I’ve had guests come over and get parking tickets – there’s two bays for visitors and the signs never used to be up.”

Mr Plank said many TRA members have reported increased parking outside of designated areas close to the station, but added that they are “very supportive” of the decision not to provide parking other than for people with disabilities.

He said: “It is primarily a destination station for the Cambridge Biomedical Campus not a Cambridge south-wide and beyond suburban station.

“This is the basis upon which approval of the station’s construction was approved – and we argued for at the public inquiry.”

Councillor David Levien, Liberal Democrat county councillor for Trumpington, said concerns had been raised about parking and he has been in contact with both residents and the developer to discuss the situation.

Cllr Olaf Hauk raised a motion at Cambridge City Council asking for more transparency around who is responsible for managing roads in new developments where they are yet to be adopted.

The Lib Dem councillor said: “Cambridge needs new homes, but new homes must come with accountability. Residents should not have to wait more than ten years for promised facilities.

“They should not spend years wondering who is responsible for fixing basic problems, and councillors should not have to tell them, ‘I’m sorry, but there isn’t much more we can do.’”

A spokesperson for Vistry said they were aware of the concerns and had recently subcontracted parking management company BridgePAM to install signs and enforce restrictions.

They said: “Residents are being informed through direct communications and on-site signage, which explains the parking restrictions and management arrangements. We will continue to monitor the situation and work with residents to ensure access routes remain safe and operational while the roads remain under our management.”

A Cambridgeshire County Council spokesperson said: “The council has been in dialogue with the developers throughout the design and construction phases of these developments. We approved the design of the streets and we have inspected the works throughout the entire construction period.”