Prominent Lib Dem, Labour and Tory politicians call for GCP to take Cambridge road-charging proposals ‘back to the drawing board’

A prominent Liberal Democrat politician has joined the calls for the Greater Cambridge Partnership to take its £5-a-day road charge proposal back to the drawing board.

Three Cambridge city councillors in the Labour group have also broken ranks to voice their concerns that a charge would unfairly hit people on lower incomes, with one claiming “not one person” they had spoken to was in support of the plan.

And South Cambridgeshire’s Conservative MP Anthony Browne has warned that if the proposal is not changed now, it would be “a denial of democracy”.

Hundreds of people marched through the streets of Cambridge to Parker’s Piece on Sunday (November 27) in protest against the proposed charge of £5 a day for anyone who drives a car within the boundaries of a new Sustainable Travel Zone, even if they live in the city, between 7am and 7pm on weekdays. Vans would have to pay a £10 daily charge and lorries would pay £50 to enter Cambridge.

A rival march, in support of the plans – called ‘Let’s Say Yes to Better Buses’ – will be held on Saturday, December 10.

More than 12,000 people have already responded to the ongoing consultation by the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) about the charge, which the authority has put forward as a way to fund a new bus network with cheaper fares and more services.

The GCP is a partnership of Cambridgeshire County Council, Cambridge City Council, South Cambridgeshire District Council and the University of Cambridge, but the final decision on the charge will be taken by the county council, as highways authority.

This week, Pippa Heylings, the Lib Dems’ Parliamentary hopeful for South Cambridgeshire, moved to respond to the anger in the constituency.

She has said she was “listening” to people’s concerns and warned the GCP that it needs to “listen to residents, be open to any outcome of the consultation and go back to the drawing board on these proposals and make changes.”

Cllr Heylings (Lib Dem, Histon and Impington), who is also a South Cambridgeshire district councillor, said: “I’m really interested in us all finding a way to provide better buses and fund them fairly. It’s hard to see this as a simple yes or no because this is about buses, cars, bikes, vans, motorbikes, pedestrians and a vision for Cambridgeshire and funding.

“I hear some mistrust with people thinking this is a done deal or that this should rather be a referendum; some people want me to say now whether I am for or against the charge. But I wouldn’t want to say what should happen before the consultation ends because we should be listening first. Everyone deserves to be heard. Then changes will be needed to the GCP proposals.”

Mr Browne, who Cllr Heylings intends to challenge at the next General Election, was a speaker at Sunday’s protest rally.

He said afterwards: “I wish every leader, councillor and GCP assembly member could have been in front of that crowd. This issue unites across political spectrums and all walks of life – speaking to people afterwards I heard a medley of opinions on everything but this one issue. On the congestion charge they were all agreed: it must be dropped.

“To not reconsider plans now would be a direct denial of democracy. Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors have told voters they are against it when their parties are responsible for it, and behind closed doors they are supporting it. All councillors need to openly and publicly state their position, and all votes on it must be held in public not in secret.

“There clearly needs to be a referendum, but Liberal Democrats are writing to me saying they don’t want one: I have even had one Lib Dem councillor arrogantly suggest that this is too ‘complex’ a question for our residents. Utter nonsense.”

Labour city councillors Robert Dryden, Russ McPherson and mayor Mark Ashton, all representatives for Cherry Hinton, have signed a petition against the congestion charge.

Cllr Dryden explained: “I’ve had lots of emails and phone calls and people coming up to me in the street all talking about this and not one person has been in support of it. I’m not saying there aren’t any people supporting it, but they haven’t come to me to voice their opinion.

“Some things about the charge are unfair. The people I represent in Cherry Hinton will have to pay to leave Cambridge if they work outside the city. They’re not causing the problem of congestion at the centre of Cambridge, but they will have to pay the congestion charge.

“I’m also worried about people who work at Addenbrooke’s having to pay this charge, because the hospital is inside the charging zone, when they are often not well paid. It’s going to affect people who are low earners whereas the many well off people in Cambridge will just carry on driving.”

He added that the GCP’s plans to expand bus services dramatically, offering £1 and £2 fares, would hit problems due to a lack of bus drivers.

“I waited for a bus for an hour last week that was supposed to come every 20 minutes. When it arrived, the driver told me this would only get worse as he knew another three drivers who had just handed in their notice,” he said.

Labour-run Cambridge City Council and Lib Dem-controlled South Cambridgeshire District Council have both said they will wait until after the consultation by the Greater Cambridge Partnership ends on December 23 before commenting.

However, Conservative-led East Cambridgeshire District Council will consider its position in December.

Sunday’s protest rally was organised by Cambridgeshire Residents Group, in alliance with Mill Road Traders Association.

Neil Mackay, who runs the Mackays shop in East Road, was one of the organisers of the protest and was “delighted” by the turnout.

He said: “The public support was absolutely incredible. All cars were tooting their horns and people were giving the thumbs up. People winding their windows down and clapping. Everyone left feeling on a high. In my speech I told people to look up the GCP board and flood their inboxes with emails explaining why they don’t want this charge.”

He added: “It was a completely peaceful protest. I only encountered one solitary person speaking against the protest. I spoke to him and said ‘I’m glad you are here to show the strength of feeling in favour of the charge’ – and he laughed.”

He warned: “If Cambridge falls to this, then other places will follow suit. They’ll see it as a cash cow. And soon you’ll have a little meter in your car.”

Shaphour Meftah, from Mill Road Traders Association, said: “We are all going to pay for this. People are already not able to get into town because buses are cancelled so many times every day. Imagine if that was your carer, or your child’s teacher. And the extra cost to business for suppliers wanting to make deliveries – where do you think that is going to come from?”

Cllr Elisa Meschini, chair of the GCP’s executive board, said: “I’ve been to many events so far and heard that people want better buses and walking and cycling links – the challenge is how we fund it. Cambridge is currently one of the most congested cities in the country with a bus service that is unreliable.

“Our proposals offer a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform how we travel. Together we can create a London-style bus service with cheap buses operating longer hours to more locations, alongside better walking and cycling links, and less congested roads which will improve our environment.”

Supporters will have their say when the family-friendly rally backing the charge is held on December 10, organised by Cambridge Parents for the Sustainable Travel Zone, a group of Cambridge-based mums.