GCP Plans to turn Arbury Road into an Urban Clearway!
Many residents and shopkeepers in Arbury Road east supported the idea of joining a residents’ parking scheme with the Milton Road, Hurst Park Ave and Leys Road areas when they were asked for their views by local councillors this summer.
It was therefore a shock to discover that the Greater Cambridge Partnership’s current proposals mean no parking at all in Arbury Road, not even for disabled drivers or customers of businesses at the Milton Road junction.
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Instead Arbury Road residents will be expected to find a parking space amongst those allocated to the streets on the Hurst Park Estate. For details, see
https://consultcambs.uk.engagementhq.com/gcp-milton-road-parking
During the day there is already some pressure on spaces in Leys Road which is the nearest parking, so if Arbury Road residents lose all their parking those who need parking will find themselves paying £54 p.a. per car with no guarantee of a space anywhere near their home. If the scheme goes ahead the squeeze on spaces will only get worse.
The above plan prepared for the Greater Cambridge Partnership shows double yellow lines along the length of Arbury Road with an unprotected (dotted line) cycle lane going from Milton Road to join the one which starts at the Rec. There will be nothing for cyclists on the other side of the road going towards the junction. This change will turn the whole of Arbury Road into a de facto ‘urban clearway’ – “a stretch of road in an urban area on which motorists may stop only in an emergency”.
If this proposal goes ahead, not only will a significant number of residents lose their parking, but the road will become even more unsafe, as a straight unimpeded road is likely to encourage speeding. The 20 mph limit is already largely ignored, but such a road could become a speedway with no traffic calming measures – none are shown on the map above..
These proposals do not address the concerns that residents have already voiced about road safety and pollution but in fact are likely to make matters worse!
There is an opportunity to view the plans and discuss them with the consultants on Wednesday 19th October from 5-7 pm at Chesterton Community College Drama Studio, or online on Wednesday 2 November at 6 pm.
We recommend residents read the proposals in detail, attend one of the meetings if possible and fill in the survey. Do share your concerns with your local councillors, the GCP and your local residents’ association – ARERA – we will do our best to represent your views.
Survey link:
If you would prefer not to complete the consultation survey online, please telephone 01223 699 906, a member of GCP Call Centre will add your responses to the survey for you.
You can also email your views to consultations@greatercambridge.org.uk