Elections

Cambridgeshire County Council elections, May 2021: Waterbeach

Summary: Cambridgeshire County Council elections, May 2021
Polling date: Thursday 6th May 2021
Division:
Candidates
(by surname):
  • Anna Elizabeth BRADNAM  (Liberal Democrat)
  • James Phillip BULL  (Labour Party)
  • Thomas Anthony LACHLAN-COPE  (Green Party)
  • Ben SHELTON  (Conservative Party)

Questions for Waterbeach 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?

Anna Elizabeth BRADNAM
(Liberal Democrat)

It is important that safe and legal use of highways by all users is enforced in proportion to the danger each user presents.

James Phillip BULL
(Labour Party)

Evidence-based traffic policing is the correct approach for our roads. As a County Councillor, I would push for better analysis of road safety data by County Highways (to better facilitate this approach) and look at how new technology can be used to gather (and analyse) road safety data.

Thomas Anthony LACHLAN-COPE
(Green Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Ben SHELTON
(Conservative Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.

# 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?

Anna Elizabeth BRADNAM
(Liberal Democrat)

Ideally every rural village should have at least one safe and accessible off-road path for walking and cycling, to connect to other villages. However in some locations this is difficult to achieve where roads are narrow and there is no land available. Between Waterbeach and Horningsea on the B1047 stretches of land are available first on one side of the road and then on the other side but there is no continuous land available on one side of the road to construct a cycle path. As a result this road is dangerous and not popular with cyclists.
I admire the work that has been done on (beside) Quy Road to provide an off-road cycle path to Anglesey Abbey using a strip of land inside the field hedge to provide a safe cycle path. This kind of negotiation with land-owners to provide a safer route is an exemplar.

James Phillip BULL
(Labour Party)

The best and safest cycle, walking and running routes are those that do not run alongside roads. Much of the surrounding land around Waterbeach, Milton, Landbeach, Horningsea and Fen Ditton is farmland. Cambs County Council needs to find new ways of negotiating with and working in partnership with landowners - to find innovative new ways to connect our villages for cyclists, walkers and runners. This should be part of a wider project from the County Council to investigate new ways of opening up green spaces for the whole community.

Thomas Anthony LACHLAN-COPE
(Green Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Ben SHELTON
(Conservative Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.

# 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?

Anna Elizabeth BRADNAM
(Liberal Democrat)

The principles set out in LTN 1/20 are good principles to follow when designing transport infrastructure. There must be flexibility too. For example I am glad to note that 4.2.11 does not specify a minimum width but says, "Where pedestrians and cyclists share surfaces, sufficient width should be provided to enable users to feel safe by allowing them to see other users and to avoid each other when passing." and 4.2.14 says comfortable conditions for cycling include require "adequate width for the volume of users" This allows for straighter, wider routes where there is significant (e.g.) commuter traffic but a more flexible approach where one would not wish to see a wide tarmac track where it might be preferable to maintain existing ancient biodiverse hedgerows and grass for equestrians (e.g. Mereway)

James Phillip BULL
(Labour Party)

I fully support the County adopting LTN 1/20 as its default design standard. I would also support integrating these design principles into both the updated Local Plan and also wider cycle infrastructure projects undertaken by the County Council, GCP and the Combined Authority.

As County Councillor, I would support Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in my division and encourage projects to promote cycling, walking and running.

Thomas Anthony LACHLAN-COPE
(Green Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Ben SHELTON
(Conservative Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.

# Question 4

How will you ensure that the developers of Waterbeach New Town deliver the active travel infrastructure as quickly as possible in order to benefit both new and existing residents?

Anna Elizabeth BRADNAM
(Liberal Democrat)

The Local Planning Authority is ensuring that developers are complying with their planning commitments to provide cycle infrastructure. U&C are working up plans to provide a good quality cycle connection from Waterbeach to Cambridge via a new A10 overbridge and connecting to the Mereway.

James Phillip BULL
(Labour Party)

Too often developers cut corners and find ways to avoid delivery of infrastructure. Thankfully Urban & Civic appear (so far) to be committed to delivering what they have promised at Waterbeach New Town. As County Councillor, I would work with in partnership with District and Parish Councillors to scrutinise their delivery programme and make sure they fulfil their infrastructure commitments. If they do not, I would put pressure on the planning authority (SCDC) to take enforcement action where necessary/possible.

Thomas Anthony LACHLAN-COPE
(Green Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Ben SHELTON
(Conservative Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.

# Question 5

How would you improve active travel connections to surrounding villages and the city? - Including between Waterbeach and Cottenham, Waterbeach and Horningsea, Milton and Waterbeach, Milton and Impington and Landbeach, Waterbeach and Cambridge.

Anna Elizabeth BRADNAM
(Liberal Democrat)

Waterbeach Division benefits from having three cycle paths, the best being from Landbeach to Milton, with a wide shared use path, with central reservations, separation between vehicular and cycle crossings over the A10 and good legible connections to road at each end.

The shared use path from Impington to Milton is narrow, beside a 50 mph, unlit road with a ditch and hedges on one side. It is in regular use by pupils at Impington Village College but has a poor connection at the Impington end. I'd like to see an off road connection to the eastern part of the College land to avoid cycles navigating the narrow bends at the Impington end.

The cyclepath between Milton and Waterbeach is narrow in places and has no buffer between cyclists and the A10, where traffic travels over the 50 mph speed limit. Northbound cyclists are dazzled by southbound headlights. Improvements are being planned as part of the U&C developer delivery but I'd prefer to see a route away from the road agreed with local landowners.

There has long been a wish for a safe cycle path between Cottenham and Landbeach, as Beach Road/Cottenham Road is too narrow for an on-road lane and the highway boundary is too narrow for a cycle path on the verge.

Much of the land between Cottenham and Waterbeach is in the ownership of County Farms and I believe the County could make land available for safe off-road cyclepath infrastructure.

I'd like to see annual funding commitments to regular, scheduled maintenance of cycle paths, to ensure rural cycle lanes and shared use paths are retained at their maximum built width and with a safe surface. I would prefer not to have to fight for every maintenance cut.

James Phillip BULL
(Labour Party)

We have three existing roadside cycle paths in the division:

1. Landbeach to Milton - the best of the three, representing the standard that others should be brought up to.

2. Impington to Milton - runs alongside a fast road, is narrow, needs upgrading as is unlit and well-used by school children

3. Waterbeach to Milton - worst of the three, dangerous and not fit for purpose. Some improvements are already planned but me view is that this route should be entirely replaced with an alternative route (see my answer to question 6 for more info).

Thomas Anthony LACHLAN-COPE
(Green Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Ben SHELTON
(Conservative Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.

# Question 6

What active travel changes, compliant with LTN 1/20, would you be happy to support in the Milton, Waterbeach and Landbeach areas?

Anna Elizabeth BRADNAM
(Liberal Democrat)

Where there is insufficient road space for cycle lanes, I'd prefer to see shared pedestrian cyclepaths on the pavement. In Milton there has for many years been a dedicated northbound cycle lane. It would be good to see this extended /re-painted in the northern part of the village with a safe crossing point over the Ely Road formalised. There is concern that a southbound discretionary cycle lane, introduced under the Active Travel arrangements reduces the road width to such an extent that cars cannot comfortably pass one another, which leads to cars over-riding either the discretionary (S-bound) or dedicated (N-bound) lanes and swerving into the lanes at the last minute to avoid oncoming traffic. This is particularly dangerous for cyclists in the southbound lane.
In Waterbeach I would like to see a scoping study done for a cycle lane to Horningsea, which could then link up with the existing cycleway from Horningsea to Cambridge.
I'd like to see a safe formalised crossing for the A10 between Waterbeach and Landbeach as Landbeach residents use services (Post Office, doctor, pharmacy) in Waterbeach and Milton.

James Phillip BULL
(Labour Party)

The most dangerous cycle route in my division currently runs alongside the A10 between Waterbeach and Milton. This route has experienced numerous fatalities over the years and is not fit for purpose. As County Councillor, I would work in partnership with the GCP on their delivery of the new Waterbeach Greenway active travel route, linking Waterbeach and Milton to Cambridge via a safer off-road route (running parallel to the train line to Cambridge North Station and beyond).

As County Councillor, I would ensure that new cycling infrastructure in the villages (new lanes and cycle storage) are ready to link up with the new Greenway route when it goes live. I would also put pressure on Network Rail to upgrade their security at Waterbeach station car park, where bike theft has been an ongoing problem.

As mentioned in a previous answer, I believe the County Council needs to explore new ways of negotiating and working in partnership with local landowners, to facilitate new routes - like a cycle link between Waterbeach and Horningsea, that does not run alongside an existing road.

Thomas Anthony LACHLAN-COPE
(Green Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Ben SHELTON
(Conservative Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.

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.