Draft Greater Cambridge Local Plan for consultation

Comment

Representation ID: 203230

Received: 27/01/2026

Respondent: Cambridge Area Bus Users

Number of people: 2

2c - The list of facilities should include comfortable waiting areas. The phrase starting ‘located within walking,' should
be strengthened so that it reads ‘located within easy walking, wheeling and cycling travel
distance of residents.’

2g - The needs of buses are entirely missing from 2g. Revise:
2gii - ‘it restricts through access for private cars where
appropriate’, so as not to exclude buses'

There needs to be a new sub-section in between 2gi and 2gii as follows:
- It [new road and road access] is designed to facilitate direct and efficient bus operation

Comment

Representation ID: 203231

Received: 27/01/2026

Respondent: Cambridge Area Bus Users

Number of people: 2

The supporting information that accompanies this policy should make clear that streets in new developments should be designed as outlined in Bus Services & New Residential Developments (Second Edition) in line with expectations set out in DfTCircular LTN01/24 “Bus User Priority”.

There should also be an additional sub-section about adoption of new roads by The Highway Authority. Cambridgeshire County Council should adopt new roads as early as possible in the construction process. As explained in the blog Embedding public transport in new developments: time to adopt a new approach? (Bus Centre of Excellence 2024.

Comment

Representation ID: 203232

Received: 27/01/2026

Respondent: Cambridge Area Bus Users

Number of people: 2

The importance of tackling existing challenges around bus travel in Greater Cambridge. We welcome the inclusion of ‘services’ in this subsection, alongside infrastructure and behavioural change measures. We emphasise that for bus travel, services are as, if not more important, as dedicated bus infrastructure. The final phrase of this sub-section should be amended to ‘to encourage the use of walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport.’ It should be clear that electric private cars, while preferable to diesel and petrol vehicles, are not the modes of transport the Plan prioritises.

Comment

Representation ID: 203233

Received: 27/01/2026

Respondent: Cambridge Area Bus Users

Number of people: 2

We also welcome inclusion of the phrase ‘to address transport infrastructure in the wider area’ (our emphasis) in this sub-section. The geographical consideration is relevant to services as well as infrastructure, however. The point should read: “to address transport infrastructure and services in the wider area including across the
district boundary, or behavioural change measures….”

Comment

Representation ID: 203234

Received: 27/01/2026

Respondent: Cambridge Area Bus Users

Number of people: 2

If new development is going to minimise reliance on the private car, then the Local Plan and the accompanying Greater Cambridge Transport Strategy must have a wider aim of making public transport convenient and much more reliable across Greater Cambridge (or more
widely), not just to provide new bus links to Cambridge from new developments. Will a resident of Grange Farm consider bus travel a real choice if bus services to and from that development are highly unreliable due to motor traffic congestion along Hills Road in Cambridge? Will that household forgo purchasing a car or a second car if few daily journeys are easily achievable by bus?

Comment

Representation ID: 203235

Received: 27/01/2026

Respondent: Cambridge Area Bus Users

Number of people: 2

The Local Plan must include strong policies to support the introduction of the following (which should also be detailed in the Infrastructure Delivery Plan):
- Measures to enable buses to travel through Cambridge freely, e.g. more bus gates
traffic filters, a circulation plan, road charging.
- Schemes to raise funds to invest in public transport e.g. Workplace Parking Levy
road charging.
These policies will enable the delivery of an expanded bus network and the provision of the attractive, reliable services our communities require to make bus travel a genuine choice for all.

Comment

Representation ID: 203236

Received: 27/01/2026

Respondent: Cambridge Area Bus Users

Number of people: 2

Criteria 3 - it is essential that travel by bus is easy, safe and attractive from day one of occupation of a new development, otherwise driving a car will immediately become the default choice. The wording ‘to meet the first or early occupation of a site’ is too ambiguous and should be tightened. We also suggest that developer contributions should support bus services for at least ten years (or five years af full occupation of a site, whichever is the longer), so residents have the services they need to build the habit of bus travel, as is set out in The City of York adopted plan (p294/295).

Comment

Representation ID: 203237

Received: 27/01/2026

Respondent: Cambridge Area Bus Users

Number of people: 2

Section 1e of this policy discusses how new developments should facilitate walking, wheeling and cycling and promote accessibility for all, but does not mention public transport. A new subsection should be added below 1e:
- Ensuring that developments provide easy access to bus stops, mobility hubs or railway stations for easy onward travel across the wider area.

The supporting text should also outline the importance of buses to reducing social exclusion and promoting wellbeing and health.

Comment

Representation ID: 203238

Received: 27/01/2026

Respondent: Cambridge Area Bus Users

Number of people: 2

Community, sports and leisure facilities only benefit those who can travel to them easily and affordably. This policy should prioritise access to those facilities by walking, cycling and public transport. This will both reduce the negative impacts of increased car traffic and ensure they can be used by all.

Comment

Representation ID: 203239

Received: 27/01/2026

Respondent: Cambridge Area Bus Users

Number of people: 2

We support plans to improve bus access to Cambridge Biomedical Campus (CBC) and links between the Babraham Park&Ride and CBC.