A Public Inquiry into the controversial bus road is about to start. Can you help?
For nearly a decade, conservationists and the local community have been making the case that it is unnecessary to destroy Coton Orchard Wildlife Site and the landscape on the edge of Cambridge in order to improve public transport between Cambourne and Cambridge. Our case is that public transport should be improved by building a bus lane next to the main road, rather than a new road through open countryside.
We have asked those in charge of this project to properly assess this alternative and compare the pro’s and con’s of both options. Disappointingly, they have not, and so our last chance is to make our case to the Planning Inspectors that have been appointed by the government to lead a public inquiry into the scheme. Starting on Tuesday 16 September, the Inspectors will spend several weeks assessing the application that has been made by the Greater Cambridge Partnership to build the Cambourne to Cambridge Busway. They will be hearing evidence from those in favour and those against.
What is at stake is not just a landscape. It is the principle of how we grow Cambridge. Do we grow responsibly and sustainably, or do we sacrifice irreplaceable habitats and the climate they support for the sake of saving a few minutes on a journey? The Planning Inspectors will give their view to the Secretary of State, who will make the decision.
It might seem a simple argument, but the detail is complex. So far over 800 documents have been submitted to the inquiry as evidence. To make the best case we can to save the Orchard and its wildlife we have secured the services of a solicitor, a barrister, an ecologist, two transport professionals, an engineer and an academic with an interest in carbon emissions. Our team has been working all hours to pull together their evidence to the inquiry, which was submitted in August and is publicly available on the inquiry website: https://gateleyhamer-pi.com/en-gb/c-to-c/
There is a considerable cost associated with this and there has been an amazing response from the public to raise the funds needed, so far £133,000 has been pledged towards the target of £140,000 via the Cambridge Past, Present & Future website. Please help if you can by donating at https://app.sheepcrm.com/cambridgeppf/appeals/65c256f576eb2b57e40ce317/
Significant donations have been provided by the Coton Busway Action Group who have raised over £21,000. Their fundraising efforts have included a lottery, a cello concert, annual art shows and nearly £5,000, has been raised by the sale of fruit, vegetables and flowers grown by members of Coton Allotment Society and other villagers.
Other people have also been helping by making a toast to the campaign with a glass of Blue Barrel Cider which is made from apples from Coton Orchard and has been nominated for a Great British Food Award. The cider is set to feature on the menu of Cambridge’s two-star Michelin restaurant Midsummer House, with chef Daniel Clifford commenting that “It reminded me of the apples I grew up with. This kind of quality produce is gold dust. We should be supporting it, not bulldozing it.”
Public support will matter in another way too. Attendance at the inquiry is open. Members of the public are welcome – not only to show support, but to bear witness to the arguments made on both sides. The inquiry takes place at the Cambridge Belfry Hotel, Cambourne or it can be watched livestreamed on YouTube.
This may not appear to be everyone’s fight. Yet what happens here sets a precedent for how Cambridge grows: whether the city builds by consuming what little remains of its natural heritage, or whether it chooses to protect and regenerate the green spaces on which its future depends.