The average cost of fixing a pothole is £42. H&I residents are urged to report them when they spot them. Photo: Lucy Callington
Histon and Impington residents are being encouraged to report potholes and faults in local roads caused by the recent wet and freezing weather.
Villagers can report defects to roads, bridges, cycleways and footpaths to Cambridgeshire County Council using an online tool, allowing highway inspectors to identify and repair them as quickly as possible.
If a pothole is large and deep, it will be classed as an emergency and should be fixed within five days. If it is smaller and less of a hazard, it should be repaired within 21 days.
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In winter weather, if road conditions are too wet for lasting repairs, it may be necessary to do a temporary fix to keep road users safe until the weather allows for more permanent solution.
Cllr Alex Beckett, Chair of Highways and Transport Committee at Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “After the cold spell at the end of last year, it can take time for potholes to form. We’d urge road users to be vigilant over the next few weeks and report any faults to us. We would rather have multiple reports of the same fault than none at all.”
Proposals for a new busway and active travel route connecting Waterbeach and Cambridge include two potential route options, both of which would pass through Histon & Impington to join up with the existing Guided Busway.
This would be one of four new busways around the city linking Cambridge with the surrounding areas, all aiming to take buses off the road network to avoid congestion. The need for this is particularly pressing around Waterbeach New Town, where planned employment and housing growth will see around 9000 new homes in the coming years.
The Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) is running a consultation on their busway proposals, including an in-person event in Histon on 21 February, for residents to learn more about the proposals and ask questions of the project team.
The two route options for the busway both start at a relocated Waterbeach Railway Station, which will serve Waterbeach New Town as well as the existing village. They would then head across the A10, potentially to a new Park & Ride site.
The ‘Western Option’ busway would then run south west, significantly to the west of the Mere Way boundary that marks the border between Histon & Impington and Milton.
The route would cross fields to the west of Landbeach to reach a signalled crossing at Milton Road, Impington. After that it would pass behind the residential properties around St Andrew’s Way, and cross fields again to connect with the existing Guided Busway. A new junction would be created on the Busway to the east of the Impington bus stops on Station Road.
Buses could then continue on into Cambridge via Histon Road or Milton Road.
Busway option – Revised central route. Image: Greater Cambridge Partnership
The ‘Revised Central Option’ would start on the same route from Waterbeach, but continue to the east of the Mere Way boundary and east of Landbeach, until it reaches the Milton Park & Ride site.
At that point some buses heading south towards Cambridge would turn onto Butt Lane and continue towards Impington on Milton Road.
Before reaching the residential edge of the village, the route would turn off south towards Cambridge, across fields, to meet the existing Guided Busway.
Common characteristics
For both options the route would be mainly off road, only interacting with other traffic at junctions and a short section along Butt Lane/ Milton Road. These roads would be widened and improved to make space for the buses and become more suitable for active travel.
Junctions with Butt Lane/Milton Road – Revised central route. Image: Greater Cambridge Partnership
Junctions between existing roads and the new Busway would be controlled by traffic lights, with bus priority built in.
New bus stops bus could be provided around Landbeach and on Butt Lane.
GCP envisages that both routes would be integrated with existing bus services to provide good connections, including through the Darwin Green development.
Duplication
Both of the proposed busway routes would run very close to Mere Way, where controversial improvements to this Public Right of Way were due to begin last year.
Safety concerns about the plans for Mere Way – especially the absence of lighting – were raised by County Councillor Ros Hathorn, but no resolution was found. So given that new infrastructure for walking and cycling would be developed alongside both busway options being considered, is there still a need to convert this rural route to be used for active travel rather than leisure?
Mere Way. Photo: Brian Whitehead
HI HUB asked GCP about plans for lighting the active travel route. A spokeperson said: “We are in discussions with Cambridgeshire County Council’s Street Lighting Team to confirm the lighting strategy for the busway.
“The current assumptions are the busway will be lit at junctions and that the active travel route may have some form of lighting, such as solar studs, along its length. The nature of the lighting is to be confirmed at the next stage of the study.”
As for plans for a joined-up approach to the use of Mere Way and the Busway, they said: “This is not a GCP scheme, but we have had regular engagement with Urban and Civic as they have developed their plans for Mere Way. We see the two projects as both compatible and complementary to each other.”
Have your say
The consultation is now live and will run to midday on Friday 24 March. The findings from this will go back to GCP’s Executive Board in June, together with recommendation for a preferred route option.
Histon & Impington residents are being encouraged to take part in the consultation by reading the consultation proposals, attending an event – either online or in person – and completing an online survey.
The Histon & Impington event will take place at the St Andrew’s Centre on Tuesday 21 February from 4.30pm – 7.30pm.
Other related documents, including detailed technical drawings of the proposed routes through Histon & Impington, can be found here . (See the Revised central corridor and Western corridors sections 1 and 2)
Anyone wanting to complete a hard copy of the survey, rather than the online version, should call 01223 699906.
An electronic sign displaying approaching drivers’ speeds has been positioned on the B1049 at the entrance to the villages of Histon and Impington.
The Mobile Vehicle Activated Sign (MVAS) sign was originally purchased in 2018 by the Parish Council for use by the local volunteer led Speedwatchgroup, and has, until now, only been used for short periods at the roadside, mounted on a tripod.
The County Council has now given permission to position the MVAS sign on lampposts at various locations throughout the villages. The first installation is on the B1049 next to The Coppice, as speeding on this stretch of road has been the subject of many complaints from local residents.
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The purpose of the MVAS is to improve safety by reminding road users of the speed limit as they drive past it. The speed of an approaching vehicle is lit up in white if it’s within the speed limit and in red if the limit is exceeded.
Data Collection
The sign is currently set to record the speed of approaching traffic and can also provide data on the number of vehicles passing and their speeds in both directions.
The MVAS also continues to collect data with the speed display turned off, so it will be possible to see how effective it has been it slowing traffic. Data collected cannot be used as enforcement evidence, but it can be shared with the Police and the County Highway Authority in order to suggest enforcement action such as speed cameras, lower speed limits or other traffic control measures.
The sign will be moved after a few weeks, with the next location being Cottenham Road, where traffic comes into the village from the north. The focus there will be to remind drivers of the speed limit as they approach The Park School. Future locations include Park Lane entering Histon; New Road, south of IVC and Cambridge Road opposite The Crescent.
Andy Boylett, Area Coordinator for South Cambs Speedwatch, said: “This is a helpful addition to our work. We’re always looking for volunteers which will allow us to run more roadside sessions. We particularly need a coordinator with the passion and time to organise and run sessions here in Histon & Impington with other group volunteers. Do get in touch if you think you can help”.
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The children enjoyed getting up close to a police vehicle. Photo: Grace Hardy
Local police officers visited Brook Primary School in Histon last Thursday, 26 January, to talk to children in Foundation stage classes.
The visit, part of Neighbourhood Policing Week – a national campaign aiming to shine a light on the work of neighbourhood policing teams – saw South Cambs officers meet with children and teachers at the school.
The four and five-year olds were treated to a tour of a police car, and enjoyed seeing the lights flash and hearing the siren go off. The children were also shown some of the equipment used by the police on a daily basis, and had the opportunity to quiz officers on what it’s like to do their job.
One of the children said: “We got to ask questions to find out how police officers help us. They showed us the police car and we heard the loud siren!”
This visit and other neighbourhood policing activities were documented on the force’s Facebook page, with community police officers also calling in on Oakington Cubs and Orchard Park Primary School as part of the Neighbourhood Policing Week initiative.
To meet your local policing team, get the latest crime statistics or find out what is being done to tackle crime in your area, click here or visit the Policing South Cambs Facebook page here.
Don Kelly of the Histon Beer Festival Committee presents a cheque for £1,500 to the Camtrust team. Photo: Camtrust
Local charity, Camtrust has recently been awarded £1,500 by the committee behind Histon Beer Festival. The money will go towards repairing the felt roof of a workshop at their headquarters on Cambridge Road Impington, which is leaking and badly in need of repairs.
Camtrust is a small charity and social enterprise based in Impington. It offers life and work skills for adults with disabilities, helping them to build skills for independent living. The charity is probably best known, in the village, for its refurbished bike sales and repairs.
The leaking roof was discovered recently and repairs are considered essential but very costly for the charity.
The Histon Beer festival is run by a team of volunteers and is hosted by the Red Lion pub in September every year. It raises thousands of pounds which are donated to local charities and good causes.
Lilly Mungovan, Charity Manager for Camtrust said: “We approached the committee to see whether they might be able to help, and were delighted when the committee agreed a donation of £1,500 towards the cost of repairing the roof.
Camtrust has operated since 1995 and offers support and skills to adults with disabilities. Photo: Lucy Callington
“On behalf of everyone at Camtrust, I’d like to say a big thank you to Histon Beer Festival and its customers who contributed towards the donation. Because of you, we’re able to organise the roof repair quickly and our bike team will enjoy a drier workshop very soon!”
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