Comment

Representation ID: 55727

Received: 05/10/2020

Respondent: Brookgate

Agent: Bidwells

Neutral:
Brookgate support the basis of Policy 16. There is a need for area wide non-car
interventions to cater for these trips and ensure sites can come forward in
accordance with AAP car trip/parking budgets.
Creating new and improved walking and cycling connectivity to the NEC is
essential in creating a development that is not reliant on the car as the primary
means of transport. These measures are welcomed. There appears to be an over
emphasis on new walking and cycling routes and not enough consideration of
improving existing walking and cycling infrastructure in the area.
In particular:
● Improving existing links to Milton P&R site to Milton Village and the NEC by
improving the existing footbridge over the A10 to allow cycle access. Improvement
to cycle and walking routes on Milton High Street and connectively to Jane Coston
Bridge and the NEC.
● A greater emphasis on the existing very well used walking and cycling route
to the south of the site via Moss Bank and the River Cam. This is by far the most
direct and safe ‘off road’ route for pedestrians and cyclist from Cambridge City
Centre to the whole of the NEC. And will only become more popular when the
Chisholm Trail is opened allowing high quality ‘off road’ access to the east and
south of Cambridge.
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In terms of new cycle links we note that there are no proposals to provide better
permeability between the NEC and East Chesterton between the existing Nuffield
Road / CGB footway / cycleway link to the north and Moss Bank to the south. This
creates an impenetrable barrier along the south western side of the NEC in excess
of 600m.
Brookgate consider this to be a missed opportunity and maintains the current
barriers between the NEC and established residential areas. We strongly suggest
that a footway / cycleway link is provided through the Bramblefields area (not just
wayfinding to the site which would be a very long walk and impractical for most
people).
This will not only provide better connectively between the established residential
areas of East Chesterton and the NEC but will also provide easy access to
residents and workers on the NEC to enjoy the established areas of public open
space at Bramblefields.
This is a similar approach to the proposals to provide a link from the north of the
NEC to Milton Country Park. Clearly any footways and/or cycleway through
Bramblefields would need to be design sympathetically within the established
parkland, as would be the case for the proposed links to Milton Country Park. We
would suggest that a route adjacent to the southern boundary of the allotments
(minimising any impact on the established wildlife area) linking in with the
established network of path through Bramblefields is included in the NEC
proposals.