Elections

Cambridgeshire County Council elections, May 2021: Ely North

Summary: Cambridgeshire County Council elections, May 2021
Polling date: Thursday 6th May 2021
Division:
Candidates
(by surname):
  • Richard John HOBBS  (Conservative Party)
  • Richard Anthony Steffen INGRAM  (Green Party)
  • Louise MOSCHETTA  (Labour Party)
  • Alison WHELAN  (Liberal Democrat)

Questions for Ely North division candidates (6 questions)

Jump to question:  1   2   3   4   5   6 

# Question 1

Safe and responsible use of the roads is a major issue. Our view is that traffic policing, of all groups of road users (cyclists, drivers, etc.), should become a greater police priority, and that this should be evidence-based, namely based on the relative levels of danger presented by each such group. What are your thoughts, and where would your priorities be?

Richard John HOBBS
(Conservative Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Richard Anthony Steffen INGRAM
(Green Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Louise MOSCHETTA
(Labour Party)

Making roads safer is a key issue in encouraging local residents to cycle or walk in their area. I am, however, more interested in finding alternative means of making roads safer than greater policing. Ely in particular has a history of racial profiling by police officers. I’ve taken inspiration from the Vision Zero Network in the US which no longer recommends enforcement by policing in light of the BLM protests over the summer of 2020.

Such alternatives can include educational campaigns or urban design targeted to encourage better road behaviour, specifically in slowing cars down. In Ely, parking on double-yellow lines is common practice, especially on Forehill which makes the road dangerous for all users. I’d like to see the supervision of hot spots for such behaviour by parking officers although the issue on Forehill is for the ECDC.

Alison WHELAN
(Liberal Democrat)

Policing priorities are difficult with the impact of cuts to police budgets and it has proved impossible to enforce traffic regulations.
Of course, all policy should be evidence-based.
Policing is a matter for National Government with some aspects devolved to the Police and Crime Commissioner. Perhaps your question is better addressed to them.

# Question 2

How important is it for every rural village to have at least one safe and accessible off-road path for people walking and cycling, connecting to the growing network of such routes in the county? What action should be taken to enable everyone in the county to have access to the cycling network?

Richard John HOBBS
(Conservative Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Richard Anthony Steffen INGRAM
(Green Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Louise MOSCHETTA
(Labour Party)

Every rural village in the county should have safe and accessible off-road cycle paths that link them between villages and larger urban areas. The council has created a LCWIP (Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan) for the area which is very extensive. This plan now needs to go to public consultation and enough funding needs to be secured to implement as much of the LCWIP as possible, if not all of it. Encouraging the general public to cycle and to continue to cycle requires constant and proactive investment.

Ely is also in fact badly connected. Sustrans no longer recognises to a National Cycle Network standard part of Route 11 between Ely and Ten Mile Bank. There is also a missing link between Route 11 at Waterbeach and when it starts again at Bottisham Fen. These are addressed in the LCWIP (see above).

Finally, public consultations are really vital in the implementation of these processes with groups like Cam Cycle Campaign or Ely Cycle Campaign but also residents who are not cyclists currently.

Alison WHELAN
(Liberal Democrat)

The provision of safe off-road paths for walking and cycling are extremely important, providing safe exercise and commuting routes. But it is not just in villages, but also between villages and linking to our towns and cities that is so important.
The nature of Ely as a medieval City has provided a challenge in safely incorporating all forms of transport, however, there needs to be a real focus on making travel safer for all.

# Question 3

LTN 1/20 is the government's new cycling design manual, with a focus on inclusivity and accessibility for all. How would you support our call for the county to affirm that they will use LTN 1/20 (and its successor documents) in all current and future schemes related to cycling?

Richard John HOBBS
(Conservative Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Richard Anthony Steffen INGRAM
(Green Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Louise MOSCHETTA
(Labour Party)

I would like to see cycling and walking to be taken seriously by urban planners and developers and would require all schemes that impact cycling to have to incorporate LTN 1/20 guidelines as standard. This can be applied by passing a motion at full council.

Alison WHELAN
(Liberal Democrat)

Inclusivity in all aspects of public activity should be a priority. As each and every opportunity to build inclusivity and accessibility into transport schemes occurs then this should be taken advantage of.
It may be possible to pass an “executive order” or, if necessary, a motion through Full Council can ensure that all County Council schemes use the guidance paper as a foundation for cycle policy and to support low traffic neighbourhoods.

# Question 4

How would you make cycling safer and more attractive for people of all ages and abilities along National Cycle Network Route 11, including Downham Road?

Richard John HOBBS
(Conservative Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Richard Anthony Steffen INGRAM
(Green Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Louise MOSCHETTA
(Labour Party)

For Downham Road, I would widen and resurface the cycle path as it is simply inadequate in its current state especially after the Leisure Village as well as provide lighting (e.g. solar bollards). I’d also like to see more traffic calming measures put in place as well as a 20mph speed limit in Little Downham and Ely. As Downham Road is a 60mph road and the main access to the village from Ely and the A10, I’d ideally like to see the cycle path separated by a verge.

As NCN Route 11 includes significant roads in Ely I’d like to see 20mph speed limits used more extensively in Ely and reevaluating the cycle paths to encourage cycling. Currently, cycle paths in central Ely follow a lot of the one-way systems in the centre which are for cars and make cycling in the city centre impractical and indirect.

NCN Route 11 is also not well connected. I would look to invest in building a cycle-friendly bridge along the river Cam at Waterbeach to reconnect it.

Alison WHELAN
(Liberal Democrat)

The route fails to provide a safe route and safe crossings of other highways at all points along its length. The route is not fully connected with parts using narrow roads shared with often heavy transport. It is important to ensure that the route is properly maintained along its length.

# Question 5

How would you help bring a safe and more direct active travel route between Ely and Littleport?

Richard John HOBBS
(Conservative Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Richard Anthony Steffen INGRAM
(Green Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Louise MOSCHETTA
(Labour Party)

As developments are earmarked for the land between Ely and Chettisham and with it a developer-funded cycle path, I would build on this and extend the cycle path along Ely Road to Littleport making sure the cycle path is at least 2ms wide with lighting (e.g. solar bollards or street lighting). I’d be interested to investigate if the North Ely development could also include a more direct cycle path through the development and country park to join up with Ely Road past Chettisham.

I would also like to implement educational campaigns after appropriate cycle paths are built to advertise cycling between Ely and Littleport. The A10, as the fastest (in theory) route by car in the area, can give the impression it is the only route and therefore that cycling is not an option.

Alison WHELAN
(Liberal Democrat)

The road between Ely and Littleport has space to enable a dedicated active travel route to be built, Clearly, funding will always be a challenge but providing such routes would be beneficial. The routes would also benefit from appropriate lighting. Parts of this need to be urgently considered with the current housing developments happening along part of this route.

# Question 6

How would you improve the cycle route along Lynn Road to enable cycling to school and to the Princess of Wales Hospital? Would you support provision of pedestrian and cyclist access to the Princess of Wales from King’s Avenue?

Richard John HOBBS
(Conservative Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Richard Anthony Steffen INGRAM
(Green Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Louise MOSCHETTA
(Labour Party)

Lynn Road has the benefit of being, in some parts, quite a wide road for somewhere like Ely which has the option of better cycle path provisions which needs to be investigated. There are stretches of the road where car parking is not necessary for residents who live there. The shared cycle path on Lynn Road north of the Cam Drive roundabout can be quite narrow and needs to be extended. Currently the cycle routes as per the CCC website do not use the King’s Avenue development which is a great shame. I fully support pedestrian and cyclist access to the Princess of Wales from King’s Avenue. I would then look to see the ways in which King’s Avenue can be better connected to Lynn Road or High Barnes/New Barnes Road for cycle and pedestrian access to the centre and beyond. This should be done, of course, with extensive public consultation.

Alison WHELAN
(Liberal Democrat)

The development of Ely has failed to take consideration of travel and has prioritised private car routes. The developments that are currently underway will provide cycle paths from Kings Avenue directly to the new developments almost directly to the hospital. These are off-road routes, but fail to link safely directly to the centre of Ely. There is an opportunity to seek to provide cycle priority along Lynne road as the roads are developed for the new developments. However, the cycle routes being built are localised and fail to link up across the City. The priority should be in ensuring there are safe off-road routes connecting the whole of the City including the Leisure village and Lancaster Way employment area, as well as ensuring direct connection from all parts of the City to the railway station.

Camcycle is a non-partisan body. All candidates are given an equal opportunity to submit their views. Information published by Camcycle (Cambridge Cycling Campaign), The Bike Depot, 140 Cowley Road, Cambridge, CB4 0DL.