Issue - meetings

To consider the attached report.

The Executive Board:

(a)        NOTED the findings in the initial consultation report.

(b)        AGREED to take forward the initial ideas in the ‘Do Something’ option for further design work including the Union Lane closure and Elizabeth Way roundabout ideas and ‘floating bus stops’, where highway space permitted, but excluding the ideas for banned turns at the Gilbert Road, Arbury Road and King’s Hedges Road junctions.

(c)        AGREED to consider major changes to the highway layout at the Mitcham’s Corner junction for implementation as part of the ongoing tranche 2 prioritisation work.

(d)        NOTED the further technical work that would be undertaken over the summer period.

(e)        SUPPORTED the development of traffic management measures to mitigate displaced traffic and parking for the purposes of further consultation.

(f)         DELEGATED authority to the Executive Director of Economy, Transport and Environment at Cambridgeshire County Council, in consultation with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Executive Board, to approve a further consultation for a preferred option scheme design, as detailed in section 43 of the report.

(g)        NOTED the procurement plan for project delivery, the revised project programme and the consultation plan set out in the report.

(h)        INSTRUCTED officers to ensure that the preferred option design for consultation includes details of proposed landscape areas and tree planting as set out in the report.

(i)         NOTED the important role of the Local Liaison Forum in involving local Councillors and stakeholder groups in the development of the detailed layout plans for consultation.

The presentation of the report and some public questions considered as part of the item on Histon Road at minute number 10, also related to this item.

Councillor Lewis Herbert, Chairman of the Executive Board, opened the item by inviting those members of the public who had given notice to put forward questions to the Board.  Questions were grouped together based on their subject and were therefore asked and answered, as follows:

Question by Sheila Butcher

Sheila Butcher could not understand why this road would be dug up, with beautiful and mature trees and grass verges removed, to make way for bus lanes that would stay empty for most of the day.  She asked why all the other options for tackling congestion had not been tried first.

Bob Menzies, Director of Strategy and Development at Cambridgeshire County Council, acknowledged that this question was similar to that of Mr Nisbet’s in the previous item, and said that no decisions would be made to implement works or dig up roads until after peak congestion control points had been put in place. 

Question by Peter Fenton

Peter Fenton referred to proposed city-wide measures designed to reduce the flow of traffic into and out of Cambridge.  In the light of these measures and the imminent North Cambridge railway station, he asked whether the Board thought that the proposals for Milton Road had become obsolete even before they had started.  He added that all of the traffic flow projections were already out of date and suggested it would be better to shelve the project and wait to see how the other measures worked.

Mr Menzies acknowledged that further modelling would be required, but confirmed that this would be carried out prior to the public consultation, with any changes to the proposals as a result being made publicly available.

Question by Glyn Burton

Glyn Burton was concerned of the impact that a new banned turn proposed for outbound vehicles in respect of Elizabeth Way would cause for people living in the area, together with any rat-running that she felt would occur as a result.  She asked for assurance that this new option would receive full and fair public consultation before any decisions were taken.

Mr Menzies emphasised that this had been identified as something to explore further and was not being proposed as part of the scheme at this stage. 

Question by Duncan Astill

Duncan Astill said that 90% of traffic turned left at the roundabout down Elizabeth Way and then queued both at the Chesterton Road roundabout and the Newmarket Road roundabout.  He therefore asked why they were not being considered as part of any scheme of improvements.

Question by John Latham

John Latham said that the consultation revealed a majority in favour of retaining the Milton Road, Highworth Avenue and Elizabeth Way roundabout and that residents’ associations and other groups had made detailed suggestions about retaining the roundabout whilst improving its configuration to include new lane markings, peripheral cycleways and peak hour traffic signal  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11

To consider the attached report.

The Joint Assembly RECOMMENDED that the Executive Board:

(a)        Notes the findings in the initial consultation report.

(b)        Agrees to take forward the initial ideas in the ‘Do Something’ option for further design work including the Union Lane closure and Elizabeth Way roundabout ideas and ‘floating bus stops’, where highway space permitted, but excluding the ideas for banned turns at the Gilbert Road, Arbury Road and King’s Hedges Road junctions.

(c)        Agrees to consider major changes to the highway layout at the Mitcham’s Corner junction for implementation as part of the ongoing tranche 2 prioritisation work.

(d)        Notes the further technical work that would be undertaken over the summer period;

(e)        Supports the development of traffic management measures to mitigate displaced traffic and parking for the purposes of further consultation.

(f)        Delegates authority to the Executive Director of Economy, Transport and Environment at Cambridgeshire County Council, in consultation with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Executive Board, to approve a further consultation for a preferred option scheme design, as detailed in section 43 of the report.

(g)        Notes the procurement plan for project delivery, the revised project programme and the consultation plan set out in the report.

This item was considered as part of the item on Histon Road at minute number 9, which included a number of public questions, consideration of the report and receipt of an officer presentation.

The officer recommendation in the report was noted as follows:

That the Executive Board:

(a)        notes the findings in the initial consultation report;

(b)        agrees to take forward the initial ideas in the ‘Do Something’ option for further design work including the Union Lane closure and Elizabeth Way roundabout ideas and ‘floating bus stops’, where highway space permitted, but excluding the ideas for banned turns at the Gilbert Road, Arbury Road and King’s Hedges Road junctions;

(c)        agrees to consider major changes to the highway layout at the Mitcham’s Corner junction for implementation as part of the ongoing tranche 2 prioritisation work;

(d)        notes the further technical work that would be undertaken over the summer period;

(e)        supports the development of traffic management measures to mitigate displaced traffic and parking for the purposes of further consultation;

(f)        delegates authority to the Executive Director of Economy, Transport and Environment at Cambridgeshire County Council, in consultation with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Executive Board, to approve a further consultation for a preferred option scheme design, as detailed in section 43 of the report;

(g)        notes the procurement plan for project delivery, the revised project programme and the consultation plan set out in the report.

Councillor Kevin Price proposed an amendment, which took into account the many responses he had received by residents affected in the city, and thought that it reflected a better way forward than that proposed in the report and addendum.  Councillor Price therefore proposed that the Executive Board be recommended to:

(a)        note the findings in the initial consultation report and welcome the many detailed and high quality responses from residents and other stakeholder groups which have been used to shape the next stages of consultation;

(b)        take forward the initial ideas in the ‘Do Something’ option for further design work including ‘floating’ bus stops (where highway space permits) but excluding the ideas for banned turns at the Gilbert Road, Arbury Road and King’s Hedges Road junctions.  This includes:

(i)         a single bus lane for the length of Milton Road in the direction of travel leading up to junctions;

(ii)        segregated cycle lanes on each side of the road with additional on-pavement two directional cycling on the west side of Milton Road from Arbury Road to Gilbert Road;

(iii)       mature tree planting and green landscaping within the highway throughout the route;

(iv)       further investigation of options for Highworth Avenue roundabout ideas to evidence the benefits of any scheme and address the concerns of residents.

(c)        agree to consider major changes to the highway layout at the Mitcham’s Corner junction for implementation as part of the ongoing tranche 2 prioritisation work;

(d)        note the further technical work that would be undertaken over the summer period;

(e)        support the development of traffic management measures to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10