[Update, 4 Sept: you may have seen the article in the Cambridge Independent today saying that I have asked for the TRO plan to be ‘halted until evidence can be shown of the impact on residents, businesss and active travel.’ I have not asked this, but do want to see data on the likely impact of the proposed TRO and for the County Council to consider it. This is not about halting the process but making sure we get the right outcome for everyone.]
A County Council decision in March 2023 to put a bus gate on Mill Road bridge under a Traffic Regulation Order was reversed after the Friends of Mill Road Bridge challenged the way that it had been processed, and instead of appealing that decision the council decided to start consultation about a new order.
The consultation is now open, and people have until Friday 13 September to make comments on the plan to close the bridge to all vehicles except buses, bicycles, emergency services, taxis, and blue badge holders. The details are online.
To me as a local city councillor and Petersfield resident this is a very important move, and one that could change the way Mill Road works as a centre of the life of Petersfield and Romsey wards. The City Council doesn’t get to make the decision here, but as a ward councillor I will always represent the views of residents and work to make sure that the steps the county council takes are the right ones.
I’ve had four different homes within Petersfield over the 38 years that I have been in Cambridge, and it’s a great place to live. But the ways we experience our neighbourhoods are significantly affected by how we choose to move around the streets, and as I walk, cycle and drive, I’m aware of the problems we face and the complex choices we must make as we try to improve our streets and open spaces.
As an architect I am always thinking of ideas to improve places, and since I became a city councillor for Petersfield I’ve been thinking about the problems and possible solutions for this area much more deeply. I’ve talked to many residents, local organisations and local businesses who have contacted me about this and tried to hear a wide range of voices expressing different perspective and different needs.
Different people face different issues and problems, but one thing that is constant is that everyone thinks that movement can be improved on Mill Road so that we can all enjoy our streets more. For me as a ward councillor my main concern at the moment is whether the proposed TRO make things better for Petersfield and how will we know if it is better.
While there may not be a perfect answer, it is very clear that if you want to come up with a good solution you need the best possible information about the current situation and the clearest description of what counts as a ‘good’ outcome. The County Council website says that the proposed TRO is intended “to promote active travel and tackle air quality and congestion”, and “in addition, the council is planning to improve the public realm”, but that isn’t enough detail for me.
Is there evidence about how people currently walk and cycle throughout Petersfield? Where is the data about how we drive to, from, or through the ward? How do the movement issues impact on those who live, work and enjoy these streets, and does this change throughout the year? School and university term times and holidays see huge changes, while day and night travel have different issues. If we’re going to promote active travel, how will we know that this is working?
Earlier this week I took part in a meeting with a range of local residents and those who run local businesses, and we had an excellent, open, discussion about how a TRO could transform Mill Road. And one thing that came out of the discussion was a clear demand for more data from the county council about current movement patterns throughout Petersfield and the potential impact of the proposed traffic restrictions.
For example, will keeping the bridge open to taxis mean that many more of them use Devonshire or Tenison Roads to get to the railway station? Could that mean traffic levels actually increase? What about cyclists crossing Mill Road at Kingston Street on their way to the station or back again? Will cyclists and pedestrians be (or feel) safer?
As the City Council representative, I’m going to be asking for information from the County Council and also asking them whether they are willing to explore options, like postponing the TRO until there’s evidence and a model of the impact. I’ll ask if traffic controls can be brought in as experimental measures so that the impact can be assessed to ensure only improvements are made and the situation is not made worse. And I will want to know what the proposed public realm improvements are, what the timetable is, how the proposals are being developed and when any consultations will be carried out.
Petersfield and Romsey residents and businesses have waited a long time for improvements. We all want things to get better in this lovely and unique area. We all want children to get to school safely, we want to keep the many independent shops thriving, we want to be one of the best communities in the city, and we want to ensure that changes will help improve things. Sometimes this can take a long time, but we all want to get it right, and the county council pushing through a TRO to restrict traffic on Mill Road bridge all day, every day, may not be the right answer.
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The current consultation is being carried out by the traffic authority, the Cambridgeshire County Council and can be found here: