For the past 8 years Cambridge Past, Present & Future has been campaigning to save countryside and wildlife habitats from being destroyed by the building of a new road. The road is part of the Cambourne-Cambridge busway scheme which is being proposed by our local councils. We support much needed improvements to public transport, but this can be achieved without unnecessarily destroying the environment.

We have been lobbying for an alternative route for the scheme, which involves building bus lanes next to the main road (A1303) rather than building a new road through open countryside and the Coton Orchard County Wildlife Site. You can find more information about the busway and our alternative route on our campaign page.

Despite our strong advocacy, support from experts and a petition with over 20,000 names, our councils have recently submitted an application to government for permission to go ahead with their scheme. This means that we now face a costly public inquiry that will decide whether permission is granted. We need your help to stop this destructive development.

How can I help to Save Coton Green Corridor and Orchard?

1. Support the fighting fund

We need legal and expert representation to make the case at the inquiry for our alternative – a less damaging, less expensive route that meets transport needs without devastating our countryside and wildlife.

Thanks to fantastic support so far, we have raised £80,000 towards our target of £110,000. Please click here to donate whatever you can to enable us to take a stand and fight for nature and the environment. 

2. Submit your objection to government before 8 January

You can also support the cause by putting your objections in writing to the Secretary of State for Transport via [email protected] or c/o Transport Infrastructure Planning Unit, Department for Transport, Great Minster House, 33 Horseferry Road, London, SW1P 4DR.

Doing this will help to show the government the strength of support for our alternative and against the plans put forward by the council.

To do this you should:

• Send your response before 8 January.
• State who is making the objection.
• Include your postal address (even if responding by email).
• State the grounds of your objection. We would recommend that you include any of the following but written in your own words:

Title of letter/email = Objection to Transport and Work Act Order to the Department for Transport (DfT) for a new busway linking Cambourne to Cambridge

I… (Name)   of …. Postal Address …. am writing to make a formal objection to the “Application for a Transport and Work Act Order to the Department for Transport (DfT) for a new busway linking Cambourne to Cambridge”, as submitted by the Cambridge Greater Partnership on 12 November 2024. The grounds for this objection are the following:

The construction of the busway would go through Coton Orchard Wildlife Site destroying valuable habitats and veteran trees. The habitats that would be destroyed would take over 50 years to recreate.

The busway would also go through two other local wildlife sites, destroying habitats.

The busway would be built on the side of Madingley Hill, one of the few hills and high points in our area, which separates the historic villages of Coton and Madingley. It would create an urbanising scar on this locally important landscape.

All of this harm, and more, could be avoided by building new public transport infrastructure adjacent to the A1303, including new bus lanes and bus priority measures. Cyclists and walkers would be better served by extending the new Greenway from Hardwick to Cambourne because that would be more direct and avoids the large hill. These two measures would provide the transport improvements needed to support the planned new development at Bourn Airfield, without significant harm to nature and the environment.

To read the documents submitted with the application, click here. https://www.greatercambridge.org.uk/sustainable-transport-programme/public-transport-schemes/cambourne-to-cambridge/cambourne-to-cambridge-latest

Blog posted on 28 Nov 2024