Councillor Mrs B E Boddington to move
“This Council notes that:
The A428 is a route of significant national importance as well as a key strategic route in Cambridgeshire.
The A428 is experiencing some of the highest traffic growth in the country, and further significant growth is planned along the length of the corridor.
At peak time there are often long delays which lead to ‘rat running’ on to local roads with associated negative impacts.
There are concerns that without improvements, the A428 will not be able to cope with the growth planned from Bedfordshire, through to St Neots and onto Cambridge where some 20,000 homes are planned to 2031. Some 10,000 homes alone are planned on the corridor, with significant growth planned for Cambourne and Bourn.
The average number of vehicles using the single carriageway section per day is 18,000 rising to 25,000 on the dual carriageway between the A1198 at Caxton and the A1303 at Madingley.
This Council believes:
Early commitment is needed from Government for an improvement scheme on the A428 between A1 Black Cat roundabout and the Caxton Gibbet roundabout. This section of the A428 is the only remaining single carriageway part of this important east west route. It lacks the capacity to support current travel demands, and with planned growth it won’t be able to function effectively as a strategic link without a comprehensive improvement scheme.
A comprehensive approach is needed as piecemeal improvement schemes which only deal with congestion problems at key hotspots run the risk of relocating the congestion to the next pinch point on the route and would not offer a satisfactory solution.
Given the strategic nature and volume of traffic, modelling work carried out for the Draft Cambridgeshire Long Term Transport Strategy is showing that additional new capacity is needed to facilitate growth.
It is important that improvements on this section of the A428 are brought forward as soon as possible so that the route does not act as a barrier to the future growth and prosperity of the area.
Therefore, this Council calls on the Executive Leader and Executive Councillor for Planning & Housing Strategy to work with their fellow Members to:
¿ seek a commitment from Government and the Highways Agency that comprehensive improvements will be prioritised for the A428 to enable it to perform effectively as a strategic east west link; and
¿ develop an A428 alliance to work with our key partners including neighboring authorities, the Highways Agency and local Members of Parliament to lobby government for early investment and improvements on the A428 to support the continued growth and prosperity of this area.”
Minutes:
Before proceeding to the Motion on the Agenda, the Chairman announced his intention to invoke the discretion awarded to him under paragraph 9.5 (iii) of the Council Procedure Rules and to rule that the Motion submitted by Councillor Mrs B E Boddington on being moved and seconded will be dealt with at the meeting in the interests of the convenient and conducive despatch of the Council’s business.
Accordingly, it was moved by Councillor Mrs B E Boddington and duly seconded that –
“This Council notes that:
The A428 is a route of significant national importance as well as a key strategic route in Cambridgeshire.
The A428 is experiencing some of the highest traffic growth in the country, and further significant growth is planned along the length of the corridor.
At peak time there are often long delays which lead to ‘rat running’ on to local roads with associated negative impacts.
There are concerns that without improvements, the A428 will not be able to cope with the growth planned from Bedfordshire, through to St Neots and onto Cambridge where some 20,000 homes are planned to 2031. Some 10,000 homes alone are planned on the corridor, with significant growth planned for Cambourne and Bourn.
The average number of vehicles using the single carriageway section per day is 18,000 rising to 25,000 on the dual carriageway between the A1198 at Caxton and the A1303 at Madingley.
This Council believes:
Early commitment is needed from Government for an improvement scheme on the A428 between A1 Black Cat roundabout and the Caxton Gibbet roundabout. This section of the A428 is the only remaining single carriageway part of this important east west route. It lacks the capacity to support current travel demands, and with planned growth it won’t be able to function effectively as a strategic link without a comprehensive improvement scheme.
A comprehensive approach is needed as piecemeal improvement schemes which only deal with congestion problems at key hotspots run the risk of relocating the congestion to the next pinch point on the route and would not offer a satisfactory solution.
Given the strategic nature and volume of traffic, modelling work carried out for the Draft Cambridgeshire Long Term Transport Strategy is showing that additional new capacity is needed to facilitate growth.
It is important that improvements on this section of the A428 are brought forward as soon as possible so that the route does not act as a barrier to the future growth and prosperity of the area.
Therefore, this Council calls on the Executive Leader and Executive Councillor for Planning & Housing Strategy to work with their fellow Members to:
¿ seek a commitment from Government and the Highways Agency that comprehensive improvements will be prioritised for the A428 to enable it to perform effectively as a strategic east west link; and
¿ develop an A428 alliance to work with our key partners including neighboring authorities, the Highways Agency and local Members of Parliament to lobby government for early investment and improvements on the A428 to support the continued growth and prosperity of this area.”
Following debate and having been put to the vote, the Motion was declared to be CARRIED.
The meeting concluded at 6.52pm.