Construction work on sections of six of the 12 Greater Cambridge Greenways is set to start this summer as part of the £76m scheme.

The announcement follows a series of events with local residents and organisations in Barton, Melbourn, Sawston, Comberton, Haslingfield and Horningsea.

In total, surveys open to the public across the six routes received nearly 1,350 responses. This engagement helped to develop route layouts and designs to enhance the Greenways network, which will connect people as they travel by foot or bike to work, see friends or go for exercise.

The approvals from the Greater Cambridge Partnership’s Executive Board (9 March 2023) mean that early construction works can start across the six routes, while work continues on the Linton Greenway. At the same time, the GCP continue to work through a range of agreements with landowners, planning applications, and a variety of legal permits and orders to create new bridges, new bridleways or create safer road layouts on the six Greenways.

The construction works being scheduled include:

• improving links to Meldreth and Shepreth railway stations as part of the Melbourn Greenway,
• widening the Genome Path (on National Cycle Route 11) as part of the Sawston Greenway and
• making Sidgwick Avenue in the city one-way with a new cycle lane for people travelling in the opposite direction, as part of the Comberton Greenway.

Cllr Elisa Meschini, Chair of GCP Executive Board, said:

“The Greenways are the next step in our plan to give people in our region greater choice in how they travel.

“As Greater Cambridge continues to grow, the 150km network of walking, cycling and, where appropriate, horse-riding routes will provide better alternatives to the car, helping to improve our health and quality of life while tackling climate change and toxic air pollution.

“We are very keen to get work started on these Greenways and get sections of the routes up and running even if it means waiting a little longer for the routes to be complete as a whole.”

Thomas Fitzpatrick, Transport Programme Manager at the GCP, added:

“Over the past year we have been working closely with local communities and listening to their feedback before updating the designs for the routes.

“As we move into the building phase, we will work with local councillors and parishes to minimise the impacts of construction and give people plenty of warning ahead of any disruption.”

Three greenway routes are currently open to public feedback via the ConsultCambs webpage:

• Engagement is ongoing on the Swaffhams and Bottisham Greenways with surveys open until the 24 March.
• Consultations are still open on proposed links to the St Ives Greenway from Over, Fen Drayton, Oakington and Cottenham until 31 March.

Public engagement took place on four Greenways between October and December last year, including plans for the routes to Barton, Melbourn, Sawston and Horningsea.

The Greenways routes to Comberton and Haslingfield were engaged on in summer 2022. Changes to the designs approved at December’s Executive Board.

The GCP are planning further engagement on the Fulbourn and Waterbeach Greenways and for the section of the Haslingfield route that passes through Grantchester.