Agenda item

Questions From the Public

To answer any questions asked by the public.

 

The deadline for receipt of public questions is midnight on Wednesday, 16 February 2022.

 

The Council’s scheme for public speaking at remote meetings may be inspected here:

 

Public Speaking Scheme (Physical Meetings)

 

Two questions have been submitted and accepted for this meeting, as follows.

 

(a)    From James Littlewood, on behalf of Better Ways than Busways

 

In July the GCP Executive Board gave approval for the Cambridge South East Busway Scheme to be submitted to the Department for Transport. Since then, there have been some significant changes in relation to this scheme:

 

Firstly. The Preferred Option for the next Local Plan is to include an extension of the Cambridge Biomedical Campus next to the A1307. Therefore, there would be significant economic and transport benefits arising from routing new public transport infrastructure to serve both the existing and the new area of the Biomedical Campus. The new area of the Campus will not be served by the GCPs proposed busway. However, one of the options that was consulted on in 2018 would serve the campus extension. This will have a significant bearing on the Benefit Cost Ratio of the option that was discounted by the GCP in 2018.

 

Second. We have reviewed the decision made by the GCP in 2018 to discount a route in the A1307 corridor in favour of a route through open countryside. It is clear that one of the major deciding factors was that the A1307 corridor options could not form part of the Cambridgeshire Autonomous Metro (CAM). The CAM has now been dropped and so there is no longer a policy requirement for fully segregated routes. Given that CAM was a major factor in reaching a decision on preferred routes, there is a requirement to review that decision. We also note that the Local Transport Plan is no longer being “refreshed” and will be a more significant review, which won’t be completed until this autumn.

 

Thirdly. A Planning Inspector has recently granted permission for a new development on the edge of Stapleford, this includes the creation of a new park. The Busway would run through or adjacent to this park. The impact of the Busway now has to be assessed in terms of impact on that park rather than the impact on private agricultural land. In other words, the negative impact of the Busway has increased.

 

Fourthly. Plans for Cambridge South Station have progressed and the permission will be granted for that scheme well ahead of the busway. This means that Network Rail’s scheme is likely to proceed first and therefore the busway works will have to fit around or be delayed by Network Rail, given that they plan to use some of the same work compounds and will both be working in the same area of the Biomedical Campus. This creates a risk of further delay, compared to alternative options.

 

Finally. There is a growing awareness of the carbon emissions created by large infrastructure projects such as the busway. Alternative options require less infrastructure and therefore will have a better carbon budget. As a Council you have pledged to reduce emissions as fast as possible.

 

We have carried out some preliminary work to consider an alternative busway within the A1307 corridor. This would involve adding sections of bus lane to the road to avoid localised congestion, as well as creating a new section of busway between the Babraham Road Park & Ride and the Biomedical Campus, which would serve the proposed expansion of the Campus. This route would then join the route currently proposed by the GCP.

 

This alternative would provide similar journey times and reliability as the proposed off-road busway but can be delivered at significantly less cost, more quickly and with less damage to the countryside. Due to the expansion plans of the Biomedical Campus it would also deliver higher economic and transport benefits.

 

Will the Council use its position on the GCP to ask the GCP at its March meeting to formally revisit the decisions that it made in 2018 and 2021 and also ask for a full assessment of an optimal scheme in the A1307 corridor as a viable alternative?

 

I am CEO of Cambridge Past, Present & Future but I am making this request on behalf of Better Ways than Busways which is an umbrella group of parish councils, NGOs and others who believe there is a better viable alternative to the scheme being proposed.

 

 

(b)   From Ben Shelton

 

Many residents in Stapleford and Shelford found out through the media that the water supply to households may have been dangerous which naturally caused panic and concern. When did the administration first become aware of this serious issue?

 

Minutes:

James Littlewood asked the following question on behalf of the organisation Better Ways than Busways:

In July the GCP Executive Board gave approval for the Cambridge South East Busway Scheme to be submitted to the Department for Transport. Since then, there have been some significant changes in relation to this scheme:

 

“Firstly. The Preferred Option for the next Local Plan is to include an extension of the Cambridge Biomedical Campus next to the A1307. Therefore, there would be significant economic and transport benefits arising from routing new public transport infrastructure to serve both the existing and the new area of the Biomedical Campus. The new area of the Campus will not be served by the GCPs proposed busway. However, one of the options that was consulted on in 2018 would serve the campus extension. This will have a significant bearing on the Benefit Cost Ratio of the option that was discounted by the GCP in 2018.

 

“Second. We have reviewed the decision made by the GCP in 2018 to discount a route in the A1307 corridor in favour of a route through open countryside. It is clear that one of the major deciding factors was that the A1307 corridor options could not form part of the Cambridgeshire Autonomous Metro (CAM). The CAM has now been dropped and so there is no longer a policy requirement for fully segregated routes. Given that CAM was a major factor in reaching a decision on preferred routes, there is a requirement to review that decision. We also note that the Local Transport Plan is no longer being “refreshed” and will be a more significant review, which won’t be completed until this autumn.

 

“Thirdly. A Planning Inspector has recently granted permission for a new development on the edge of Stapleford, this includes the creation of a new park. The Busway would run through or adjacent to this park. The impact of the Busway now has to be assessed in terms of impact on that park rather than the impact on private agricultural land. In other words, the negative impact of the Busway has increased.

 

“Fourthly. Plans for Cambridge South Station have progressed and the permission will be granted for that scheme well ahead of the busway. This means that Network Rail’s scheme is likely to proceed first and therefore the busway works will have to fit around or be delayed by Network Rail, given that they plan to use some of the same work compounds and will both be working in the same area of the Biomedical Campus. This creates a risk of further delay, compared to alternative options.

 

“Finally. There is a growing awareness of the carbon emissions created by large infrastructure projects such as the busway. Alternative options require less infrastructure and therefore will have a better carbon budget. As a Council you have pledged to reduce emissions as fast as possible.

 

“We have carried out some preliminary work to consider an alternative busway within the A1307 corridor. This would involve adding sections of bus lane to the road to avoid localised congestion, as well as creating a new section of busway between the Babraham Road Park & Ride and the Biomedical Campus, which would serve the proposed expansion of the Campus. This route would then join the route currently proposed by the GCP.

 

“This alternative would provide similar journey times and reliability as the proposed off-road busway but can be delivered at significantly less cost, more quickly and with less damage to the countryside. Due to the expansion plans of the Biomedical Campus it would also deliver higher economic and transport benefits.

 

“Will the Council use its position on the GCP to ask the GCP at its March meeting to formally revisit the decisions that it made in 2018 and 2021 and also ask for a full assessment of an optimal scheme in the A1307 corridor as a viable alternative?

 

“I am CEO of Cambridge Past, Present & Future but I am making this request on behalf of Better Ways than Busways which is an umbrella group of parish councils, NGOs and others who believe there is a better viable alternative to the scheme being proposed.”

 

Councillor Neil Gough explained that major infrastructure projects such as CSET affected a wide geographical area, took time to be implemented and included extensive consultation. This process could not be restarted when inevitable changes took place as this would simply delay improvements in the corridor. The full public enquiry by the independent inspector would hear from the Greater Cambridge Partnership and objectors. All views would be considered as part of the open and transparent decision making process.

 

James Littlewood asked if the DFT guidance had been followed and whether this could be put in the public domain. Councillor Gough replied that the correct process would be followed and information would be made available on an ongoing basis.

 

Ben Shelton asked the following question:

“Many residents in Stapleford and Shelford found out through the media that the water supply to households may have been dangerous which naturally caused panic and concern. When did the administration first become aware of this serious issue?

 

Councillor Brian Milnes stated that the Council has first come aware of this issue on Wednesday 2 February when it had been contacted by a freelance journalist. The authority had then sought verification from Anglian Water, Health Agencies and the Environment Agency. On Thursday 3 February it was announced that the bore hole had been out of service since June last year and that there was no continuing risk to customers.

 

Ben Shelton asked if residents had been safe prior to June 2021 and whether any communications with Cambridge Water would be shared with the residents of Shelford and Stapleford. Councillor Brian Milnes replied that there had been extensive communication with Cambridge Water in early February. District Councillors and representatives of Cambridge Water had attended a meeting of Great Shelford Parish Council on 9 February. Multi-agency meetings had been held with representatives from various health organisations. The responses from Cambridge Water had been passed on to residents, assuring them that the water was safe for consumption.