Cambourne to Cambridge busway inquiry could be postponed after blunder
Update: Cambourne to Cambridge busway inquiry to continue after blunder
Uncertainty clouds the Cambourne to Cambridge busway public inquiry today (Wednesday) after it was revealed that it may be postponed over a legal technicality.
As proceedings got under way yesterday (Tuesday) it came to light that there had been a procedural “oversight” ahead of the inquiry.
Notices had not been published, as required, in “one or more places where public notices are usually posted”.
A request was made for the Secretary of State to waive the need for that so the long-awaited two-month inquiry can proceed.
Later in the day, inspector Richard Clegg read out an email that had been received from the government, which said: “The Secretary of State has no option but to advise the appointed inspector to postpone the public inquiry for the Cambourne to Cambridge Transport and Works Act proposed order application until advertising requirements have been met.”
The news was questioned by Cambridgeshire County Council’s legal counsel, which asked that representations it had made be passed on and considered by the Secretary of State before any postponement.
A decision was made to go ahead with site visits today. The inquiry will continue this afternoon where a decision over the postponement will be announced after further discussions with the government.
Mr Clegg said: “We may continue with the inquiry or we may not.”
A GCP spokesperson said last night: “Due to a legal technicality regarding the advertisement of the public inquiry for the Cambourne to Cambridge Transport and Works Act proposed order application, the sessions have been adjourned.
“The site visit will continue tomorrow and the meeting will reconvene at 2pm where further discussions will take place.”
The two-way 8.5-mile (13.6km) busway has been devised by the GCP on behalf of the highways authority, Cambridgeshire County Council, to improve public transport between the town and the city.
But the busway, expected to cost at least £200million, has faced huge opposition from campaigners for the off-road route it is due to take through the West Fields at Coton, which will mean cutting down hundreds of mature trees at Coton Orchard.
If it is not postponed, the inquiry is scheduled due to sit each week from Tuesday to Friday until Friday, 21 November. It will not meet during the weeks of 6-10 October and 27-31 October.