Draft North East Cambridge Area Action Plan
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New searchThe vision and principles described sound good and support cycling and walking in the new district and surrounding areas. But how likely are they to be realised? Will this new district be another area that brings congestion and problems to nearby communities rather than benefits? Do the profits of landowners and developers have more influence than the needs of the local community? The original vision articulated for the North East Cambridge development had much to commend it, including a green bridge designed to integrate the two halves of the development combined it with aspirations to be carbon-neutral and car-free. However, the good aspects of the development are being relentlessly diluted. Many of the mitigations are just aspirational with little legal force. There is lack of control regarding the North Station (Brookgate) and Cowley Road parts of the development
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Developing the new district around key walking and cycling routes and removing barriers on the routes to nearby areas is very important and all the links marked on the map must be included. However, more improvements will be needed to make cycling and walking safe and convenient for all ages and abilities across North Cambridge and to make sure each route is suitable for the number of people that will be using it. The towpath is already very well used and often overcrowded. Any increase in traffic may create congestion. Cycle routes across Cambridge are already very busy and sometimes poorly lit and maintained, and despite some new provisions such as the Chisholm Trail, not adequate for existing use. The loss of the green bridge across Milton Road will mean that the new district is already effectively cut in two.
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There seem to be too many jobs in comparison to homes which will increase the number of people travelling into the area from outside and therefore unable to walk or cycle to work, creating more traffic around the whole of North Cambridge and the A14. A variety of jobs in an area of mixed-use buildings is welcomed so that many people can live close to their employment, but a better balance of homes and jobs is needed. Construction should be phased so that this balance remains stable at every stage of development.
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The approach to building heights and density should be determined by aspects such as liveability rather than external factors which could lead to overdevelopment. The framework for the area should begin with walking and cycle routes and generous amounts of green space. Individual buildings and areas should be designed to provide a pleasant and attractive experience for people to move through the area on foot or by cycle. Plenty of street trees should be used in areas of tall buildings to avoid wind tunnel effects. Wayfinding should be clear and simple.
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Green spaces and verges alongside transport routes and small neighbourhood greens and play spaces are welcome to help all residents boost their health and wellbeing. However, these do not displace the need for larger areas of open space both within and outside the development – some of this could include an expansion of Milton Country Park which will benefit from better cycling and walking links. The plan makes provision for just 10 hectares of public space for 8000 homes. For comparison the new development at Trumpington Meadows has 3500 homes and 90 hectares of public space.
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It is important that existing havens for biodiversity in the area (such as those alongside the guided busway and Cowley Road cycle and walking routes) are safeguarded as well as additional measures undertaken to increase biodiversity across the site. Doubling biodiversity is the regional target, but this plan aims only to increase biodiversity by 10%. We recommend that the land area used to build new cycleways needed by the development is matched by a similar sized area of land improved to increase biodiversity, either within the district or at sites nearby.
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The street layout and design of the site includes many aspects which will help discourage car use including no through-routes and car parking which is not outside people’s homes. However, the plans rely heavily on good links to improved walking and cycling routes outside the area and the implementation of planned public transport schemes such as CAM metro. They also assume levels of car ownership which are too high for a low-carbon development: proposals should start with a more carbon-realistic limit on trips and parking spaces. Will there be any safe parking and charging spaces for mobility scooters or will the elevators on the buildings be large enough for mobility scooters to be brought up into the flats? Is it realistic to assume, as the plan claims, that there will be no extra vehicle movements on Milton Road?
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Most of the climate targets for the development are not sufficiently ambitious and contributing to local zero carbon goals in terms of transport will be particularly challenging. There is no commitment to renewable energy, the highest construction standards, conserving and reusing water that responds to the climate crisis. Trip budgets for motor traffic should be calculated based on the carbon budget rather than current highway capacity. Cycle infrastructure should be designed in a way that is adaptive to climate change: for example, cycle routes should remain clear in the event of a 100-year rain event.
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