Draft Greater Cambridge Local Plan for consultation

Comment

Representation ID: 211859

Received: 30/01/2026

Respondent: Riverside Area Residents Association

Agent: Maria Cleminson

The Elizabeth Way / East Road Roundabout is a well-known 1970s piece of infrastructure containing a pedestrian underpass, reached through tunnels decorated with Cambridge-themed murals. About a third of it is landscaped, containing 3 mature plane trees, and, to get a sense of its scale, the IMAX cinema in Waterloo could fit into it. Current GCP plans propose to infill the drum with concrete and replace it with an at-grade ‘Cyclops’
intersection, which all traffic users would negotiate at ground level. The draft plans have undergone several public engagements but were in the majority rejected.
If current plans can be set aside, there is potential for adaptive reuse of the space, which would save the thriving biodiversity and maintain separation between pedestrians and traffic. Possible uses could address Cambridge’s insufficient space for young people by way of community centres. A Youth Zone in the space could offer a varied and intergenerational programme, including podcasting studios, arts and crafts, repair workshops, a community
kitchen, and an auditorium.