Combined Authority and County Council respond to East West Rail

Posted byCambridge Town OwlPosted inUncategorized

Both institutions take a much broader geographical view than Cambridge City Council – and both have the expert transport officer capacity to go into more detail than their city counterparts

If you want to stay up to date with all things East West Rail expert comment, get in touch with Rail Future East Anglia here. Their AGM is coming up in Bury St Edmunds on 22 Feb 2025 at the Friends Meeting House there, a 10 minute walk from Bury St Edmund Station.

“What did Cambridgeshire County Council say?”

You can read the officer’s report at item 5 of Highways and Transport Committee here – the council committee is due to debate it on 21 Jan 2025 which is on the same day as the Cherry Hinton consultation (See here and scroll down) although the latter extends until 7pm so there’s time for both. In their draft covering letter (which awaits county councillors’ approval) it states:

“The County Council acknowledges and supports the responses of key stakeholders including:

Which indicates the sector has been talking to each other about the significant environmental impacts amongst other things. The letter goes on to state:

“It is essential that with a project of this size that all opportunities are fully explored to deliver the best possible outcomes for the residents and businesses of Cambridgeshire, including by future proofing infrastructure where needed. Within our detailed response support is noted for a potential eastern access to Cambridge Station, and also a potential new station at Cambridge East.”

Cambridgeshire County Council draft to EWR Item 5 Appendix 1, p1

Things that stand out:

  • Wants more opportunities for local communities to benefit from this development through local apprenticeships and development of skills for underprivileged groups in connection to the construction and running of the railway, for example through the provision of a community benefit fund
  • Wants a significant boost in careers outreach for young people to get them interested in the construction sector
  • 100% electrification from the start is something they are all united on
  • There are significant public health issues – positive (reduction in motoring) and negative (construction and diesel freight)
  • Significant concerns on loss of biodiversity – note their extended comments
  • Wants to see more information on links east of Cambridge, and wants the designs to be future-proofed to enable further upgrades to be made in the future.
  • Active travel facilities at railway stations – want a significant improvement to what we currently have
  • Many issues relating to Cambourne Station – similar to concerns from South Cambridgeshire. They want something better than what is proposed.
  • The County Council wants an eastern entrance to the railway station as Holford and Wright proposed to the county council back in 1950.
  • The County Council wants a new Cambridge East station to be included in the proposals.

Which is all splendid!

“What did the Combined Authority say?”

See item 9 here

The CPCA is more concise in its responses, their main focus being on:

  • Consistency and co-ordination with other transport policies and ambitions
  • Biodiversity, the environment, and electrification – “Full electrification from day one” the draft response states. (This is not something an officer would write – which indicates input from the Mayor and Deputy Mayor in leading the response)
  • Active travel facilities and connections – which means an increasing importance for new forms of urban design.
  • A well-designed Eastern Entrance to Cambridge Station that does not lead to an increase in motor traffic (similar to Holford and Wright’s proposals of 1950)
  • Comprehensive bus service integration – no surprise given the priorities of the Mayor to overhaul and improve bus services
  • Strong relationships with affected local communities – noting the lessons learnt from past nationally significant infrastructure projects.

“[East West Rail] should actively engage with local communities to ensure that the impact of its projects is minimised at the local level. Local residents possess valuable knowledge of their area, including insights into specific challenges such as severance issues, that may not be immediately apparent to external stakeholders. By fostering open communication and collaboration with these communities, the EWRC can better address concerns, identify
practical solutions, and deliver outcomes that are both effective and sensitive to local needs.”

Above – item 9 App A p6

Finally, the skills legacy on all things STEM stands out at the end. Part of me wonders whether this could extend to town and transport planning alongside other major transport and development projects. Could this be something that a charity or not-for-profit company could be established to collect S106 funds and donations from in order to produce/commission publications, guides, programmes, and events? After all, what would a town planning book aimed at children be like?

Food for thought?

If you are interested in the longer term future of Cambridge, and on what happens at the local democracy meetings where decisions are made, feel free to: