UK Top 10 News

The proposed £200 million guided busway project linking Cambourne and Cambridge (C2C) has met with strong opposition from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mayor Paul Bristow, who told an ongoing public inquiry that he believes it is the ‘wrong scheme.’ Planners behind the project, developed by the Greater Cambridge Partnership, hope the 8.6-mile (14km) modified bus track will ease congestion on local roads and serve an estimated 10,000 trips each day, including stops at the Bourn Airfield development, Hardwick, and Coton.
However, Mayor Bristow, whose office would oversee the bus services, has raised multiple concerns, primarily focused on the financial cost to the taxpayer when he argues cheaper alternatives are available.
Crucially, he aligns himself with local campaigners, stating, “I’ve walked the route.
I’ve spoken to campaigners.
I’ve stood in Coton Orchard.
I find their objections convincing.” The proposed route is set to run directly through Coton Orchard, a cherished, century-old 60-acre site, as well as farmland currently designated as green belt.
Campaigners have suggested a new bus lane on existing roads would be a preferable, less destructive option.
Furthermore, Bristow, while describing himself as pro-growth, expressed scepticism about the estimated passenger numbers.
He noted that the scheme has not adequately modelled the impact of the proposed East West Rail (EWR) station at Cambourne.
Bristow warned that if passengers switch to the faster and more reliable EWR service, the busway could become a financial burden, requiring subsidisation from the mayoral authority’s budgets, potentially leading to it being an unsustainable investment.