Archive for category: News

Greater Cambridgeshire Partnership update
This week we have seen a huge amount of interest in the launch of the Making Connections consultation report.
The results have been widely discussed throughout the media and we have seen the Making Connections 2022 report downloaded extensively while the presentation of the results has had over 200 views.
As well as the report itself we have published the raw survey data in addition to the written submissions we received during the ten-week consultation. All of the information is available at www.greatercambridge.org.uk/mc-2022
To remind you, next week the report will be presented to the Greater Cambridge Partnership’s Joint Assembly meeting on Thursday 8 June where members will have the opportunity to discuss the findings. You will be able to view the meeting live at www.youtube.com/@GreaterCambridgePartnership
Members will also hear an update on the Greater Cambridge Greenways at Bottisham, Swaffham and St Ives, which links to next week being the 100th annual National Bike Week.
As the UK’s leading cycling city – walking and cycling is the main mode of transport for many of us on our daily commutes – the GCP is working to deliver improved ways to travel around Greater Cambridge. You can learn more at: https://www.greatercambridge.org.uk/sustainable-transport-programme/active-travel-projects

Making Connections update

Consultation report published

A report outlining the results from the Greater Cambridge Partnership’s Making Connections public consultation has been published today at https://www.greatercambridge.org.uk/mc-22

More than 24,000 people responded to the consultation, which proposed measures to transform the bus network alongside better walking and cycling infrastructure that would be funded in the long term by the phased introduction of a road-user charge.

The key findings and the wide-ranging views – both in favour and against the proposals – are contained in a paper to the GCP’s Joint Assembly which meets next month.

The headlines are:

• Over 70% of people were in favour of the future transport network – with more buses to more locations, cheaper fares and longer operating times supported by better walking and cycling infrastructure to give people faster, cheaper and more reliable travel alternatives to the car.
• 58% of respondents opposed the proposed Sustainable Travel Zone (STZ) as the means for delivering the transport vision. Opposition increased with age from 35 to 64 with 55-64 year olds the most likely to oppose. Those who lived outside of Cambridge were also more likely to oppose.
• 34% of people support the STZ as proposed. Support was highest among the youngest and the oldest respondents, who are more likely to find it most difficult to access education and healthcare due to the limitations of the existing bus network. Support was highest in the city centre and west of the city.
• Around half of those who oppose the STZ did support the vision for better buses.
• The views from organisations such as business, healthcare and others were broadly supportive of the plans but with caveats about the impact on staff or those who were vulnerable.
• Additional representative opinion polling was carried out which showed opposition and support for a road user charge was more balanced.

The reasons for supporting or opposing varied but covered a variety of areas:

• Those who supported the proposals were keen to get more frequent bus services, would be able to cycle more safely and generally were positive towards the idea of a charge to tackle climate change and reduce congestion.
• While those who opposed felt the exemptions didn’t go far enough, and perceived a charge to be unfair, in particular on those travelling to Addenbrooke’s and Royal Papworth hospitals, and also believed there would be a negative impact on jobs.

With a large number of free text responses in the survey to supplement the ‘closed questions’, a lot of detail is now available about what people feel could be positive amendments to the scheme. These included changing the rate for cars, changing the hours, amending the discounts and exemptions and altering the boundaries.

The report will be discussed at the Greater Cambridge Partnership’s Joint Assembly meeting on Thursday 8 June.

Route Update Announcement
May 2023

Route Update Announcement

Today, we’re publishing the route update for East West Rail (EWR), which will see new train services connecting Oxford, Milton Keynes and Cambridge moving one step closer – unlocking the area’s potential to create jobs, grow the economy and attract investment for the entire country.

Our proposals will slash journey times across the region, create new opportunities for people to access jobs, green spaces and enjoy everything the area has to offer.

Our news is part of a wider government announcement the Chancellor of the Exchequer made this morning about plans to bolster the UK’s position as a global science superpower. This announcement recognises that delivering this new line is critical to improving connections between UK science powerhouses Oxford and Cambridge and will bring more investment to the region.

The proposals we’re announcing today for EWR have been shaped by the hundreds of conversations we’ve had with local people, businesses and other stakeholders and the thousands of responses we received from local people to our second non-statutory public consultation.

Alongside this announcement, we have also launched our Need to Sell scheme, which sets out support available for those property owners potentially impacted by EWR and takes into consideration the feedback received during our 2021 consultation.

What other information is being published?  

Alongside the Route Update Report, a range of factsheets and updated maps, we’ve published several other related documents, including:

• The 2021 Consultation Feedback Report
• The EWR Economic and Technical Report 
• The Need to Sell Property Scheme Guide

All of the Route Update Announcement information can be found on our website.

Find out more here

Next steps

In the coming weeks we’ll be in a location near you holding public information events and meeting stakeholders across the route to answer questions about the updates.

The events will run from 2pm – 8pm and the dates can be found below. Further details are available on our Community Hub.

13 June – Bedford Heights
20 June – Ravensden Village Hall
22 June – Eversden Village Hall
26 June – Harston Village Hall
30 June – Summerlin Centre, Woburn Sands
04 July – Lidlington Village Hall
07 July – Tempsford Stuart Memorial Village Hall
11 July – Cambridge Belfry Hotel
12 July – John Paul ll Centre

20 July – Love’s Farm, St Neot’s

We’ll continue to work on more detailed designs and proposals, which we’ll present at the statutory consultation which we expect to take place in the first half of 2024. This will be a key part of the process to apply for a Development Consent Order (DCO).

Send us your thoughts and questions

Get in touch

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East West Railway Company

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Milton Keynes, MK9 1FB

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We’re seeing an increase in thefts from vehicles and on some occasions tools worth thousands of pounds being stolen 👀

There are some simple steps you can take to help prevent yourself becoming a victim of tool theft 🛠

Here are some tips to help you:

• Avoid leaving your tools unattended in your vehicles overnight.
• Keep your vehicle locked at all times, and park in a secure, well-lit area whenever possible.
• Consider investing in additional security measures, such as steering wheel locks, alarm systems, or vehicle trackers to deter thieves.
• Mark your tools with a unique identifier, such as your name or postcode. You can also register your tools at: www.immobilise.com to help us identify owners of recovered stolen tools.
• Remember, if you see any suspicious activity, especially near you vehicle, report it to us as soon as possible.

We take tool theft very seriously, and we’re committed to doing everything we can to prevent it. However, we need your help too.

By following these simple steps, you can make it much harder for thieves to target your tools when they’re inside your vehicle.

For more crime prevention advice visit 👉 https://bit.ly/3HTso2v

Kind regards,

Detective Inspector, Juliet Heald

Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen an increase in keyless car thefts, particularly targeting high-value vehicles such as BMWs and Mercedes.

Thieves are using a relay box to pick up the signal of car keys that are inside people’s homes and then replicating that signal to steal the car.

Unfortunately, this has resulted in the theft of £500,000 worth of cars in our county alone.

Do you own a keyless car? Here are some steps you can take to help reduce the risk of being targeted.

👉 Keep your car keys away from the front of your property.

👉 For just a few pounds you can purchase a Faraday pouch to store your keys in – this will prevent thieves picking up the signal from your car keys.

For more on how to keep your vehicle safe visit https://bit.ly/41VXQ8k.

Kind regards,

Chief Inspector, Denise Harper