Zero Carbon Streets: Hunts Walking & Cycling Group

This article was published in 2021, in Magazine 152.

Montage showing two pictures of cycling issues in Huntingdonshire: a path that ends abruptly and some exclusionary barriersHunts Walking & Cycling Group aims to improve conditions for people who cycle and walk in and around the towns of Huntingdon, Godmanchester, St Neots, St Ives and Ramsey, and surrounding villages. It is a volunteer-run community group that wants to make walking and cycling in Huntingdonshire safe, convenient, and accessible for everyone.

Launched by John Morris in autumn 2019, the group is a strong and independent voice for pedestrians and cyclists throughout Huntingdonshire. He said: ‘The aim is to make cycling and walking normal by advocating for improvements to our cycling and walking infrastructure, to make our streets safer and healthier and to create safer routes for children.’

A family in Brampton trying to cross a busy and dangerous road on the way to school.

Hunts Walking & Cycling Group now has more than 1,500 members in its Facebook group and membership is increasing every month. ‘Around 60% of our 1,500 members are female and many with young children tell me they would love to see more money invested in helping to provide safer routes to school,’ said John.

People in the region are also increasingly concerned about the impact of climate change, especially as much of Huntingdonshire is at risk of flooding. Many properties and businesses were flooded in December 2020. John hopes the work of Hunts Walking & Cycling Group will encourage more people to cycle for work and pleasure, leading to fewer cars on our roads, less congestion and a safer, greener and healthier environment for all.

Strength in numbers

Hunts Walking & Cycling Group is delighted to be working in partnership with Camcycle and St Ives EcoAction – a St Ives-based community group.

‘We are working in partnership with local councils and key decision-makers to help promote walking and cycling which in turn helps them deliver their green agendas,’ said John.

Communities need to recognise that they have a voice and that by working together we can achieve so much more

Helen Dye, St Ives EcoAction Co-ordinator, said: ‘Communities need to recognise that they have a voice, and that by working together and organising ourselves around a shared agenda, we can achieve so much more. Our roads, town centres and villages in Huntingdonshire have for too long been dominated by the motor vehicle, and we now have a real opportunity to speak up and out for better cycling and walking infrastructure and to create healthier and greener places to live and work, whilst tackling climate change at the same time. St Ives EcoAction is pleased to be working with the Hunts Walking & Cycling Group and Camcycle to this end.’

Hunts Walking & Cycling Group has established a steering committee that meets monthly to discuss all things walking and cycling. The committee members are: Steve Hodgson, Amy Burbidge, John Morris, Martin Hassall, Mike Gough, Graham Campbell, Robin Clarke and Paul Ryan.