Object

Representation ID: 168129

Received: 29/07/2019

Respondent: Mrs Ann Griffiths

FIX A MAIN POINTS OF ACCESS AND PRIMARY STREETS/2.4 ACCESS, MOVEMENT AND CONNECTIVITY

As residents of Caldecote we are extremely concerned about the inevitable massive increase in traffic numbers, the vast majority of which will be funnelled onto the Caldecote roundabout and narrow local roads. There will be massive congestion at peak times resulting in long tail backs in all directions, gridlock in villages such as Hardwick, and on the Madingley Road all the way to Cambridge. The addition of commercial vehicles from the proposed Aitchinson development (which must be taken into consideration alongside this application) will create further pressure on the roundabout which is too small for this volume of vehicles. Drivers will become impatient and take risks when exiting the development. Vehicles entering and leaving the petrol station will complicate the situation further. Accidents have already occurred here - see attached photograph.

Drivers frustrated with the long queues on the A1303 are likely to rat run through Caldecote (as admitted by a representative of Countryside Properties at a consultation event). At the moment the road through Caldecote (Highfield Road) is safe for pedestrians and cyclists, including small children. Safety and amenity will be threatened when drivers use Highfields Road/Main Street and amenity will be threatened when drivers use Highfields Road/Main Street to access the B1046 into Cambridge, the M11 via Barton, Addenbrookes or the A1198 for Royston and the station, in order to avoid the hold ups at Caxton Gibbet and on the A1303. These will be major destinations for residents as there is little employment offered by the new development for the population influx and it will in no way be self sufficient for jobs. The children and teenagers from the development will, in years to come, also be looking to get out of Bourn Airfield for jobs and leisure. They will not be satisfied with football pitches and a linear park.

Efforts at mitigating the impact on Caldecote will be ineffective. We already have numerous speed cushions and a narrowing road with blind bends in Main Street. This does not stop vehicles hurtling round the bends in the middle of the road even now. What will it be like when a large proportion of Bourn Airfield traffic is added to the traffic numbers? We have little faith in the transport surveys which will be conducted by client friendly commercial transport consultants. The suggestion in the leaflet that the development will be 'well connected ... locally' seems optimistic.

The only viable solution to ameliorate the horrendous traffic implications is to have a direct access from the development onto the A428 and a rethink of the transport provision, ensuring that Caldecote receives some bus provision and that people are able to access it safely.