Consultation on Mill Road in Cambridge launched
Residents, businesses and people who visit Mill Road are being asked to share their views on how the area could be improved to ensure it remains a vibrant place to live, work and visit.
Mill Road bridge was closed to private vehicles from June 2020 to early August 2021 as part of measures by Cambridgeshire County Council to help people walking and cycling to maintain social distancing following the outbreak of Covid-19.
This led to businesses saying they had been badly affected by the closure and fears were raised that people with disabilities were being forced to take longer routes on their journeys as a result of the closure but others, especially cyclists, welcomed the quieter street.
Now, the Greater Cambridge Partnership is starting a conversation with the community to find out what people think about Mill Road and how it could potentially be enhanced to improve access, safety and the local environment to continue to make it an attractive place to live and visit.
A consultation, which launched yesterday (February 9), will consider measures that can be brought in quickly while also seeking feedback on longer term measures – proposals for which could be consulted upon later this year.
Cllr Elisa Meschini, chair of the GCP’s executive board, said: “I’m so pleased that GCP has launched this consultation now. There is strong feeling in the area about the role and future of Mill Road and this consultation is an opportunity to take a fresh look at what people value about the area.
“We’re also keen to start the conversation on possible measures that could be put in place in the longer term, including the possibility of restricting traffic movements.
“I’d encourage residents, traders, those who visit the area and those who travel through it to share their views with us via the survey or by attending the public meetings.”
Cambridgeshire County Council’s highways and transport committee voted in July 2021 to reopen the bridge to traffic and asked the GCP in November 2021 to incorporate the scheme as part of the City Access programme and hold a consultation.
That process begins with the launch of the initial six-week public consultation today that asks for views on three themes which could be put in place to improve the area, which include changing the way that traffic moves along Mill Road.
A brochure, webpage and online survey have been published and public meetings will be held throughout the consultation period to ensure everyone’s voice can be heard.
The consultation is also supported by two in-depth deliberative workshops, run by Involve, the UK’s leading public participation charity, to ensure a diverse and representative mix of people who have a mutual interest in Mill Road can listen to each other’s views and develop ideas together.
The feedback from the consultation and public meetings will be analysed and, subject to county council approval, will be used to develop detailed proposals for a second consultation later this year that will likely consider how to manage traffic and access in the area in the longer term.
To view the proposals and to have your say in the public consultation visit here.
Read more:
Mill Road Traders in Cambridge: Closing the bridge again ‘will kill our businesses’
