The first designs for the new formal Busway crossing and upgrades to the footpath at Histon Orchard were presented to the public this week.
Representatives from Cambridgeshire County Council guided visitors through the drawings and answered their questions during the drop-in session at Histon Baptist Church on Tuesday (9 June).
A Council spokesperson told HI HUB the crossing will be part of the village’s phase of the ongoing Busway fencing works, which are expected to begin later in the summer.
She said: “We received some very positive feedback about the proposed design of the crossing point, which includes upgrading the footpath through the orchard and installing motion activated lighting at the crossing.
“The next steps are to provide an update to the Highways and Transport Committee on 30 June and to appoint a contractor to carry out the works.”
At the event, another set of drawings on display showed where the acoustic fencing along Melvin Way and the Busway is set to be replaced.
Residents were also shown samples of potential footpath surfacing materials, including compacted gravel and a recycled tyre-and-aggregate product that Council officers described as “very hard-wearing”.
Campaigning
Cambridgeshire County Council suddenly closed all informal crossing points along the entire length of the Busway last summer as part of its ongoing safety works.
While campaigners working to restore a crossing in Histon acknowledge that some progress is being made, they continue to feel public engagement could have been stronger.
And after Tuesday’s event, campaigners from the Busway Crossing Survey Group have currently identified nine points they want Council officers to consider before the plans are finalised.
These include further engagement around the footpath surface samples, comments around wheelchair access for residents and the removal of the “inappropriate” 2.4m palisade fencing.
The Group also wants the council to consider the future of the Busway. Although officers said a second bus stop is not currently financially viable, campaigners argue that any upcoming changes should properly consider the longer-term vision for the network.
Better engagement
Referring specifically to the footpath surfacing, campaigner Helena Perry said residents welcomed the opportunity to inspect the samples, but questioned how feedback was being collected.
“There is no real way of knowing which surface was the most favoured,” she said. “We feel the samples should also be placed in Histon Library, allowing more residents to take a closer look at the materials and comment on them.”
The Group’s comments have been compiled in a letter to Graeme Kane, the Council’s newly appointed Executive Director of Place and Sustainability. The letter will be presented to Histon & Impington Parish Council at its full council meeting on Monday (15 June).
The Busway Crossing Survey Groups hope individual parish councillors will also support the points.
‘Under pressure’
Meanwhile, H&I County Councillor Ros Hathorn continues to urge residents to make their views clear as the project progresses.
She said: “There is a massive issue with our phase of the fencing project not being completed yet – and the County Council is under pressure to get this section delivered. It’s important we get this crossing right for people, but I hope things will have moved further forwards by Christmas.”
H&I Parish Council will next meet on Monday (15 June) and the Busway Crossing Survey Group hopes to present their letter during the public participation session. Subscribe to the CCC Busway Newsletter here.
READ MORE: Preferred location for Busway crossing revealed, Campaigner vows to ‘keep the pressure on’ to reinstate busway crossing, Busway crossing closures – the community has its say, Residents left confused after Busway fencing drop-in
Just to correct the County Council spokesperson, the footpath leading to the crossing will run between the Community Orchard and the factory, and not “through the orchard”.
I think the CCC spokesperson has not accurately conveyed what is being considered. When I was speaking to the CCC Head of Sustainable Transport and Strategy during the session, he was clear that the crossing approach would be between the Community Orchard and the factory, but he mentioned that there had been requests [from the public] that while an all-weather path to the crossing was being constructed, could not a spur partway into the Orchard be laid to provide better access to the Orchard for all users? I suspect that it is this spur that the spokesperson was referring to.
Regarding the surface of the path leading up to the new crossing over the busway, for any wheelchair and small mobility scooter it needs to be a solid smooth surface.