University of Cambridge to negotiate lease for Cambourne to Cambridge busway land despite backlash
The University of Cambridge will negotiate a 125-year lease of land needed for the Cambourne to Cambridge busway, despite facing backlash from some staff.
Members of the university who opposed the off-road busway said it would be “destructive” and claimed agreeing to lease the land would give the impression that the project had the “university seal of approval”.
However, others said the busway would be a “significant and welcome benefit to the university”.
Cambridgeshire County Council has said the university cannot “dictate the preferred route”.
The Greater Cambridge Partnership busway project aims to create a mostly dedicated bus route between Cambourne and Cambridge via the new Bourn Airfield development, Hardwick, Coton and the West Cambridge site.
A new path for pedestrians and cyclists is also proposed alongside the busway.
The university is a partner in the GCP, along with the county, South Cambridgeshire District and Cambridge City councils.
Last year the county council, as the highways authority, agreed that a Transport and Works Act Order could be applied for to ask for permission to build the new busway.
But the project continues to come under heavy criticism, particularly around the plans to build the off-road busway through Coton Orchard, with campaigners arguing on-road option along Madingley Road should be pursued instead.
However, those working on the plans said this option had been “thoroughly examined” in the past with the off-road option ultimately chosen as the preferred route.
To enable the off-road route, an area of land owned by the university would be needed.
The university said negotiating a 125-year lease of the land was the “preferable alternative” to being forced to sell it to the county council via a compulsory purchase order.
As part of its decision process, the university asked its members to share their views and a record of the responses shows there was division.
Dr Catherine Hills claimed that before agreeing to sell or lease the land the university should consider if the project should be supported.
She argued the buses should “stay on the existing appropriate” Madingley Road and that the busway was not needed.
Dr Sam Lucy said: “The proposed disposal of land at West Cambridge effectively gives (or strongly gives the impression of giving – perhaps more importantly) the university seal of approval to the destructive planned course of the Cambourne to Cambridge busway, which in fact terminates at Grange Road.”
Dr Lucy objected to “implicit support” being given to the proposed busway, raising concerns about the “university’s apparent complicity in enabling the destruction of ancient habitat in the form of Coton Orchard”.
Other members of the university were concerned that the leasing of the land “effectively amounts to approval by the university” for the busway.
However, Dr Diarmuid O’Brien said concerns about the project itself and the discussion around leasing or selling the university land were “separate issues”.
He said the concerns about the scheme could be raised at the public inquiry expected to be called after the council submits the Transport and Works Act Order.
Dr O’Brien said the decision now was whether to lease or sell, arguing leasing was the “most favourable” to “avoid loss of control and fragmentation of certain areas of this important land holding”.
Prof David Cardwell voiced support for the busway, arguing it would create a direct transport link for staff travelling into the city, which he said would be a “significant and welcome benefit to the university”.
The county council said the university was “not in a position to dictate the preferred route” and this was “a matter for the statutory process”. It acknowledged the “strength of feeling” about the potential impact of the off-road route, but suggested objectors should raise these concerns at the expected public inquiry.
The university has stated its preference for the off-road busway in the past as it would offer “fast, reliable public transport” between new homes being built and West Cambridge.
It has also recognised that “thousands” of its own staff members would benefit from ‘shorter and more punctual journeys’ into work.
The GCP is finalising the application documents for the Transport and Works Act Order, which it said it expects to submit later this year.