Author: chris

A new pedestrian and cycle route joining Impington and Orchard Park will cut the travel time between the two, improving access to community facilities on both sides of the A14.

A concrete staircase with cycle ramp will replace an informal short-cut that pedestrians have created to access the roundabout over the dual carriageway, in order to avoid using the much longer paved route via the Busway or King’s Hedges Road.

The muddy climb up a 7m embankment and over a roadside barrier has damaged trees and been identified as posing a “significant risk” to the public who have been scrambling up the bank.

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The staircase that will replace it has been manufactured offsite but work to install it will take up to 12 weeks, starting 17 February. During this period, a temporary speed limit of 40mph is due to be introduced on the A14 and there will be some overnight closures on the westbound exit slip road at Junction 32.

The new route, known as Ring Fort Path, is set to benefit residents on both sides of the A14. Members of the Orchard Park community who take this route include students and other users of Impington Village College and its sports centre, users of the New Road Recreation Ground and the Holiday Inn, and patients at Firs House surgery.

Similarly, non-vehicle travel will be easier for Histon & Impington residents using Orchard Park’s sports and other facilities, which include a play area, a multi-use games area, a skate park, an astro turf pitch and tennis/volleyball courts.

Consultation

Proposals for a shorter route between Histon & Impington and Orchard Park date back to 2011 when David Jenkins, former County Councillor for Histon & Impington, signed a petition by cycle lobby group Camcycle to create a path between them.

The project was approved and in 2014 a public consultation considered options for the route – either a straight path or zig zag path up the embankment. David explained: “ramp option[s] were considered because of the need to consider wheelchair and less able users.”

Current County Councillor Ros Hathorn, who picked up the project after David stepped down from the Council, told HI HUB that the consultation had involved many stakeholders, “in particular a wheelchair user who lived very close to the proposed path and was very active in the community”. 

Compromises

The ultimate decision to opt for a staircase with cycle ramp instead of a path makes the route less accessible for wheelchair users and prams/buggies, but avoids more extensive loss of trees and scrub habitat for wildlife. It is also much cheaper.

“Much soul searching was done with the community council as to how to proceed as all options had compromises” Ros said.

Preserving habitats serves a double function in Orchard Park. As well as biodiversity benefits, the trees also shield the community from air pollution from the A14 slip road and the B1049. 

Ros continued: “Orchard Park sits in an air quality monitoring area. The primary school and sports facilities are adjacent to the B1049 and A14 slip road, and there is air quality monitoring equipment at the primary school. 

“Although the way particulates affect air quality is complex, trees and scrub habitat do offer some protection in terms of capturing particulates and improving air quality. So whilst the decision about not having a sloped path does have drawbacks, there are air quality grounds which prioritise minimising the loss of trees and scrub habitat.”