A bid to secure £100,000 to finance a business plan to rectify safety issues near the A142/A10 roundabout at Ely will be debated today.
Described as the “Lancaster Way non-motorised user crossing” Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CAPCA) is being asked to fund the study.
It is effectively an admission that pedestrians were not properly considered when improvement schemes were carried out in recent years.
Tim Bellamy, Interim Head of Transport for CAPCA says the £100,000 will be for an “options study”.
If approved, Mr Bellamy will be among CAPCA officers delegated to draw up a grant funding agreement with the county council.
It's actually the A142/A10 roundabout not Lancaster Way (CCC and CPCA keep getting the name wrong!). And it was put in like that under political pressure from East Cambs Tories despite all the warnings from me, @cwhelan1963 and others about the effect on walking and cycling.
— Lorna Dupré 🇯🇪 🔶 (@lornadupre) March 21, 2023
“Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) has recently successfully carried out highway improvements to the roundabouts at Lancaster Way,” says Mr Bellamy.
“Following the completion of these works, concerns have been raised about the crossing of the new layout.
“CCC highways have asked for a team to be appointed and they will manage a consultant to carry out a feasibility study for a non-motorised user crossing of the existing roundabout adjacent to the BP filling station and Lancaster Way.”
His report to the CAPCA board says the new study will “investigate the opportunity for a crossing”.
He says: “The funding sought for this project is intended to engage with CCC via a Grant Funding Agreement (GFA) to enable them to manage and appoint a consultant to investigate and produce a report for potential options, surveys, cost and risks to alleviate this problem.”
ECDC Tories didn't want to hold things up considering cyclists and pedestrians. I'm amazed there hasn't been a death yet with people running the gauntlet. A missed opportunity they have tried to blame on others.
— Steve Griffiths (@_stevegriffiths) March 22, 2023
He adds: “It will be essential that the works to improve this junction for the non-motorised users continues to align with any funding the Combined Authority is in receipt of, following its recent Active Travel Tranche 4 bid to Active Travel England (ATE).
“One of the schemes submitted for funding was the Ely to Witchford cycle link and therefore if ATE funding is secured it will be important to ensure the two projects are complementary in terms of design, delivery, and implementation.”
Mr Bellamy says that in order to improve both public health, accessibility, and active travel, this study will enable “potential options to be considered further as a business case for future development of a non- motorised user access at this location”.
