Cambridge busway route through countryside sparks protest

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A local community in Cambridge is protesting a proposed busway route as they fear parts of the countryside around it will be lost.

They say the current plan for the Cambridge South East Busway would destroy important wildlife habitats.

The protest was organised by the parish councils of Stapleford to oppose the busway route proposed by the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP).

The route would run from the city's Biomedical Campus to a new travel hub near the A11 and skirt villages like Stapleford along the way. 

Around 60 people were expected to attend the protest, including covid marshalls to ensure it was compliant. Credit: ITV News Anglia

Instead, the campaigners want to see the route to go along the former Haverhill Railway.

Earlier this year, the parish councils of Stapleford and Great Shelford commissioned an independent report to establish whether using the former railway line was possible.

The GCP also carried out assessments of the railway line as a proposal for the busway.

All the reports agreed that re-using the former railway would be possible but more complex, would take longer and be more expensive.

View of the greenery on the route that the protestors took. Credit: ITV News Anglia

The protesters are asking for the GCP to pause their decision and carry out further work on the alternative route instead, ahead of their next meeting.

The GCP Assembly will meet on 10 June to discuss the recommendations and a decision will be made by the GCP Board on 1 July.

If approved, an application would be made to the Department of Transport for permission to construct the scheme.