Issues

This section lists issues - problems on the street network and related matters.

Issues always relate to some geographical location, whether very local or perhaps city-wide.

You can create a new issue using the button on the right.

Listed issues, most recent first, limited to the area of Cambridge Cycling Campaign:

  • abandoned bikes at Trumpington P&R

    Richard G // 1 thread

    Noticed recently there are a good number (>15) of bikes that look abandoned - rusty & flat perished tyres, at Trumpington P&R

    I've not seen any notes about any clear outs for years

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  • Proposed Zebra Crossing and Relocation of Residents Parking Bay, Albion Row and Mount Pleasant

    Martin Lucas-Smith // 1 thread

    Cambridgeshire County Council as part of a Local Highways Improvement scheme proposes to install a Zebra Crossing on Albion Row, Cambridge. To allow for the Zebra Crossing, it is proposed to relocate the existing Residents Parking Bays onto the south east end of Mount Pleasant, replacing a length of the existing Pay and Display.

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  • Adam and Eve rat-running

    Martin Lucas-Smith // 1 thread

    A proposal has been put forward to add bollarded access in this cut-through from Adam and Eve Street through to Burleigh Street, to avoid rat-running in the area.

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  • North Newtown area: removing unnecessary traffic

    Martin Lucas-Smith // 1 thread

    The Newtown area (basically between the Botanic Gardens and Lensfield Road on the inner ring road) is a mass of one-way streets, rat-running vehicles, children being dropped off to the schools rather than cycling, and so on.

    We should take the opportunity to work with locals to improve the area.

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  • 321 student flats, Cheddars Lane / Newmarket Road)

    Martin Lucas-Smith // 1 thread

    15/0398/FUL | Erection of student accommodation with 321 student rooms (following demolition of existing buildings), together with ancilliary accommodation comprising common/study rooms, porters lodge, laundry room, plant room, bin and bike enclosures, landscaping and associated infrastructure including a sub-station. | 8, 10 And 10A Cheddars Lane And 351-355 Newmarket Road Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB5 8LD

    Usual issues to check out:

    - Cycle parking (number, type and positioning)
    - Access, in particular need for improvements to Newmarket Road

    https://idox.cambridge.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=NKN9I5DX01700

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  • Ridgeons Cromwell Road

    Created by Monica Frisch // 2 threads

    The site used by Ridgeons (builders' merchants) on Cromwell Road in Cambridge has been identified by Cambridge City Council as a potential location for new housing in the future. As a part of this, Ridgeons and their team of consultants, along with Cambridge City Council, are working to develop a document called the Ridgeons Cromwell Road Development and Planning Brief (Supplementary Planning Document, SPD). This will provide guidance on access, land use, building types, open space and character for all future planning applications on the site.

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  • Cambridge Community Speedwatch

    Created by Simon Nuttall // 2 threads

    The Speedwatch scheme allows the public to get actively involved in monitoring the speed of vehicles travelling through their neighbourhood. It is used in areas where speeding has been identified as a priority at quarterly neighbourhood panel meetings. The scheme is run by the force alongside the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Road Safety Partnership. It is about educating motorists in the law in relation to speeding and monitoring any trends in speeding in neighbourhoods.

    Volunteers are trained to use speed indicator devices which displays vehicle speed. The registered owner of any vehicle seen exceeding the speed limit is sent an advisory letter from their local neighbourhood policing team, explaining that speeding is unacceptable to the local community.

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  • North West Cambridge Building Works

    Created by Rachel_O // 1 thread

    Ongoing work on the development of the North West Cambridge site results in cycle paths being blocked at random intervals, and inappropriate pedestrian-oriented alternative provision makes the situation more, not less, dangerous for cyclists, forcing us into a narrow roadway with fast-moving traffic. With the increase in heavy traffic, road surface is also deteriorating rapidly - increasing numbers of large potholes, which can easily lead to pinch flats and other mechanical failures on dangerous, narrow sections where lack of cycle path of pedestrian walkway means here is no escape route.

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  • Secret consultation on closure of Elm Street

    Created by Heather Coleman // 2 threads

    I noticed a poster at the junction of Elm St and Clarendon St a few days ago. As I needed a rest this morning I stopped to read it. Apparently ONLY the residents of the Kite area (and not all of them according to the note pinned below the poster) are being consulted on the closure of Elm St, as far as I can tell, at the Elm Tree pub, to motor vehicles. Allegedly access by cyclists and pedestrians will be unaffected (although if it's some kind of rubbish narrow everyone having to give way to everyone else design, some regular users might wish to take issue with this, and suggest improvements to the design).

    There is no reference to this anywhere I can find online. If I wish to reply to this consultation (and as I'm not a resident, will my views be taken into account?), I will have to go back to the poster and copy down the email address on a bit of paper. Deadline is tomorrow.

    However, as a DAILY user of Clarendon St, I feel my democratic rights are being are being totally undermined. It may well be that a very large number of residents are against this proposal. Looking at it, it looks as if, for the vast number of cyclists who cycle along Clarendon St, it will probably improve safety as there may be fewer motor vehicles trying to use the Elm St crossroads which is probably the dodgiest bit of this route. Therefore regular users of Clarendon St may well wish to support this proposal.

    My question is: how can they have a consultation that's secret and only open to those who actually live in an area rather than all those actually affected? As far as I am concerned this is totally undemocratic to the extreme.

    If anyone is passing the area in the next couple of hours and has the technology to take a photo of the posters and start a thread on here regarding it and posting the posters so we can look at them at our leisure, it might be helpful for those of us who might like to drop a quick email in support of this plan.

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  • Accidents at Davy Road/Rustat Road roundabout

    Created by Tom Corder // 1 thread

    My work colleague crashed when crossing the painted roundabout this morning as it was icy and therefore very slippery (she didn't go around the painted area as there was a pedestrian on the road). As she was recovering she met another lady who had also just crashed and as they walked together away from the roundabout, a third cyclist crashed behind them.

    It has been reported on the County Council highways fault page.

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  • Sainsbury's, 78-80 Mill Road

    Martin Lucas-Smith // 1 thread

    It appears that Sainsbury's may have acquired the Mace store at 78-80 Mill Road:

    http://www.public-notices.co.uk/cambridge/view/13895/sainsburys-7

    This could bring intensive lorry deliveries.

    The nearest equivalent case, Tesco's planning application in 2007, envisaged two deliveries of 41 minutes from on Mill Road.

    This location has no delivery bay, so deliveries blocking one side of Mill Road are presumably likely.

    The shop already has planning consent for food sales (indeed, it is a Mace store) so may not result in any planning application.

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  • Severn Place development, 64-68 Newmarket Road, 84 dwellings

    Martin Lucas-Smith // 1 thread

    Major new housing development, basically joining up East Road with Newmarket Road.

    Issues relating to cycle parking quality and number.

    Wrongly claims cycle route network in the immediate area is excellent.

    Proposes no contribution to the Eastern Gate plan.

    14/1905/FUL is the planning reference. Documents at:
    https://idox.cambridge.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=NFRGTZDXJ7M00

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  • Cambourne Western expansion

    Created by Hester Wells // 1 thread

    https://www.scambs.gov.uk/content/cambourne

    See http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Plans-2-350-homes-primary-schools-new-secondary/story-25831180-detail/story.html

    "Housing firm McA Developments has submitted proposals for the new homes on a site west of the town, along with two primary schools and a second secondary school.

    The site extends from the tree belt to the west of Lower Cambourne to the A1198, and from the A428 in the north to the Caxton Bypass in the south.

    Alongside the houses and schools, the developer has also proposed:

    -Sports pitches and play areas

    -Shops and community space

    -Offices and light industrial employment areas

    -Public open space

    -Surface water drainage and landscaping

    -Segregated cycle and pedestrian routes

    -Alterations to an existing access off the A1198 and the redesign of the Caxton bypass and Cambourne Road roundabouts."

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  • Northern Area s106 Suggestions

    Created by Hester Wells // 1 thread

    There is un-allocated money available from northern area s106 agreements for Cambridge and South cambs.

    The council are currently looking for suggestions on how to spend it, within the requirements for the projects, which include the local transport policy priorities for walking, cycling and public transport.

    The map is not accurate for the area covered: it certainly includes north Cambridge, a bit of Castle, and Histon, but the map was only up briefly. Once the minutes for the North Area Committee are published the definitive map will be available.

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  • Plan app 14/1907/FUL: Tesco Newmarket Road

    Created by David Earl // 1 thread

    Proposed extension to provide Dotcom facility with 4 bay van loading canopy & secure service yard. | Tesco Cheddars Lane Newmarket Road Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB5 8LD

    This application re-routes the path west of the shop to make room for a new structure. The problem is it adds another right angle turn to the already ridiculous one at the west corner of the shop. With a tiny change it could also allow for access to the store!

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  • Cambridge Ice Rink

    Created by Hester Wells // 1 thread

    There are proposals to build a permanent ice rink on land owned by Marshalls within the Park and Ride site. Various community groups are currently being consulted at an early stage about the plans.

    Cycling issues include cycle parking, construction and delivery lorry danger, and connectivity for cycling.

    The site in on NCN 51.

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  • Manor St cycle parking and Malcolm Place undercroft

    Created by Colin Rosenstiel // 1 thread

    A planning application (14/1818/FUL) proposes to replace the road blockers with gates. The design has such a large gate it has to open to the left of the opening as seen from Manor St (see http://goo.gl/maps/j7Lfm), requiring 3 of the 5 cycle parking hoops (obscured by the trees and not in use in the photo) to be moved to the right of the entrance. They serve shops on King St and visitors to the Malcolm Place flats so moving them would take them significantly further from the needs they serve.

    I am drafting an email to the planning department to include criticism of the gate design from my point of view as a local resident. I am also soliciting Campaign support on the cycle parking issue. I'll post a draft shortly.

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  • Injustices for the peace.

    Created by Phil Lee // 0 threads

    What to do about disgraceful decisions like this:
    http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Driver-ran-Cambridge-cyclist-mistakenly-thinking/story-24555273-detail/story.html ?

    Clearly, the magistrate erred seriously in matters of both fact and law - all the prosecution had to prove was that the way he drives falls below what would be expected of a competent and careful driver.
    Equally clearly, it did - nobody who could possibly be described as "competent and careful" would run over something the size of a cyclist without even being aware of it. He even admitted that he was talking on the phone at the time.
    It staggers the mind to think what on earth the magistrates were thinking - or what with. Maybe they slept through the case, so didn't hear the prosecution, but were woken up for the defence (how there can be any defence for that is beyond me). Maybe they are dangerous drivers themselves, so sympathise with others of the same ilk instead of adequately discharging the responsibilities they are charged with? Mark Tyler also deserves complete contempt for not pleading guilty, and so preventing this gross miscarriage of justice. He should have been thanking his lucky stars that the police and CPS are so incompetent as not to pursue Dangerous driving, which it equally clearly was.

    How can we get rid of incompetent idiots like Phil King (the lead magistrate in this case) who asserted that "there were “significant gaps” in the evidence". It is obvious to me that this dangerous idiot is perverting the course of justice by remaining in his position.
    Presumably his colleagues on the bench conspired with him in this perversion - they could (and should) have over-ruled him unless they were parties to the conspiracy, surely?

    The evidence was all there - there was a cyclist in front of him - whether the cyclist was upright or on the ground is irrelevant. Mark Tyler drove over him. Neither of those facts were in dispute. That is not the action of a competent and careful driver, and it should be beyond question that a person being in front of the vehicle is something which the driver should be expected to be aware of, which means the test in s3ZA of the Road Traffic Act is satisfied, and the accused is guilty.
    The evidence also meets the test in s2A (Meaning of dangerous driving) so there is no excuse whatsoever for clearing him of even the lesser offence of careless driving. With driving like that, it is clear, beyond reasonable doubt, that he should not be in possession of a driving license, and the magistrates failed in their duty to relieve him of it.

    As long as dangerous criminals like Phil King are allowed on the bench, the roads will never be safe for anyone.

    As a footnote, from the report is appears that this dangerous character commutes from Whitchurch, Hampshire to Clifton Way, Cambridge. What length does that make his effective working day?
    It's about 120 miles each way, so at least 4 hours driving (considerably more if in the "rush hour") on top of a full workday. It's utterly moronic to make a commute like that - when I worked anywhere near that far away, I commuted weekly. But this happened on a Wednesday.

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  • Magdalene pinch point

    Tom McKeown // 1 thread

    Drivers ignoring the marked priority at Magdalene pinch point is a regular occurrence when faced with city bound riders. At times this can be very dangerous. Especially when large numbers of riders are forced into a very small gap between the vehicle and the bollards. I should imagine the situation is especially unpleasant travelling with small children. Also difficult to resolve with a wider cargo cycle, trailer or trike.

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