Dear Cambridge North Eastern Fringe,

Although I should have, I'm afraid I cannot find the time to complete the full consultation, but I hope the notes below are of use. I confine this mainly to transport related impacts.

I STRONGLY believe that the area must be enlarged to include that between the railway and the river (both sides of Fen Road), which is currently in South Cambridgeshire. It should also include Cambridge Regional College. Without considering both the 'Fen Road' and CRC areas there is no unity to the area.
No doubt if this is done it risks some 'change of use', but it should offer far better opportunities to protect the current green space for conservation and/or public use.

I respect the vision, but needs far, far more about transport. Without the yet to be published transport document, which only gets a passing mention in current documentation there is big hole in the vision.

The area is currently very car dominated (7000 car parking spaces?). Cambridge North already offers good opportunity for sustainable transport and ALL will benefit by reduced car use. More sustainable transport options are needed

The use of Mere Way as a route under the A14 should be an objective in the short term as a route for P&R and other buses so as to avoid congestion approaching the Milton Road/A14 Roundabout. It must also be possible to vastly simplify the road width and complexity between that junction and the Guided Busway crossing.

Although a bridge over the railway linking Cowley Road for those on foot and bike is suggested, that MUST take motor vehicles so as to permit the closure of the Fen Road crossing. Such a closure will benefit all, as it will enable more and faster trains, enable far better foot and cycle links to the Chisholm Trail on the northern side of the LC shortening many trips on foot or bike. Such a link cannot currently be opened as Network Rail would veto a connection due to the increased risk at the LC The new road link should simply be a continuation of the current Cowley Road.

In addition a cycle/foot/(& bus?) link should be created adjacent to the A14 and over both railway and river to connect to the B1047 (and beyond).
Currently cycle links over the Cam N of (under construction) Abbey/Chesterton bridge are limited as there are only FP links east of the river. Although this would mean widening parts of the existing A14 embankment, it could well be productively created as a location for much of the spoil that might otherwise be needed to landfill'. Linked to the proposed Greenway beneath the A14 this would vastly improve the permeability' for both cycling and walking in the area.

I strongly support the concept of a bridge over Milton Road similar to that on Mile End Road, which I've visited a number of times. This should be created as part of a green corridor flowing the line of the 'First Public Drain', which must be converted from a 'ditch' into a proper 'swale', perhaps with balancing ponds. Green roofs could similarly be used to reduce the peaks in surface run-off following storms. SUDs needs to be seriously considered at an early stage.

Moving some of the freight intensive uses from Nuffield Road to a strip adjacent to the A14 would reduce heavy traffic in the area and the buildings could help create a noise barrier. We also need to retain and expand light industrial units, of the type which are being lost from areas such as Clifton Road.

Being close to the A14, this would be an excellent location for a bulk/break/consolidation depot for goods. I do not believe it would be practical to be rail connected, but there are, for example, many small 'convenience' stores (SPAR/Tesco/ Co-op etc) which are serviced by large articulated vehicles, yet only receive a few 'cages' every few days. A less than 3.5 tonne electric vehicle based at such a depot could service many stores with a very much reduced environmental impact. Imagine a larger version of 'The Bike Depot' currently on Cowley Road. It might then be possible to restrict access (or have a permit system similar to that introduced by GLC) for vehicles over 24 tonnes to the rest of the City

Car Parking: With more intensive use of this area it should be possible to create a viable public transport system into and through this area. This would be easier if the Science Park, Cambridge Business Park and any other created zones were permeable to buses but not private cars. A stop should be within, at the most, 400m of any major employment site, or location generating large numbers of trips. That could help meet the objective of expanding employment and dwellings without generating more trips. I think that the target should be to reduce car trips by 15% on 2011 levels as in the GCP targets.