Published in Letters & Opinion, Cambridge Independent (July 9–15, 2025)
It is unusual and heartening to see such coincidence of purpose emerging across the political divide in Cambridgeshire.
First there was Brian Milnes, Liberal Democrat councillor for South Cambridgeshire. He is an executive board member of the Greater Cambridge Partnership. He welcomed the additional £200m recently extended by the government to the GCP. He said this recognised that the schemes and projects the GCP had developed “will meet the needs of Greater Cambridge”:
“Our mission is now to complete the job and deliver the joined-up transport network for Greater Cambridge so people have choice in how they travel, whether they are going to work, school or to see friends.”
Then there was Paul Bristow, Conservative MP for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. He has aligned himself with the mayors of other combined authorities in England. He has signed a joint statement on working together “to improve our streets for everyone, for the benefit of the health, wellbeing and connectedness of our communities.” This statement specifically commits him to:
“transform the school run by delivering high-quality, safer routes in neighbourhoods.”
So they share a commitment to a joined-up transport network that delivers improved safety for children going to school.
Does this mean that they will collaborate to persuade the GCP to “complete the job” by filling in the missing links in Cambridge’s designated priority cycle routes? Union Lane and the eastern end of Arbury Road must be prime candidates for this funding.
Arbury Road has six schools on or just off it—two nurseries, three primaries, and a secondary school. Action is long overdue to improve the safety of the many children who use this route, which is heavily congested (and polluted) during the school run.
We can only hope that this missing link gets the priority it deserves. But given the GCP’s woeful neglect of this missing link for the past six years, we would be wise not to hold our breath.
Ian Cooper
Arbury Road East Resident’s Association (ARERA)
Arbury Road, Cambridge