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News  »  Proposed cycle bridge a bridge too far for some residents of Fen Ditton



   Proposed cycle bridge a bridge too far for some residents of Fen Ditton    30 July, 2014

Judging by the number of signatures on a petition, the proposed bridge options over the River Cam by Ditton Meadows did not go down well with the locals.

Cambridgeshire County Council’s Transport Delivery Team is proposing two locations and three designs for a new foot and cycle bridge to link Abbey to Chesterton, in addition to the existing Green Dragon and Riverside bridges. Here's a link to the details.

But, following what appears to have been a flawed consultation and very unconvincing exhibition, a number of Fen Ditton residents organised a petition against the proposals. The overwhelming majority of the people approached were against this proposal and 324 signatures were collected in less than a week.

The main concerns seem to be that on the north bank there is no clear route from the bridge to the new station, and the restricted width of the access to the bridge for cyclists passing under the railway bridge on the south bank. The proposed size, location and reported 5m width were also concerns, even to those who could see a need for a new bridge.

For others, the thought of an imposing new bridge in an area of outstanding natural beauty was unwelcome – and that’s putting it politely.

It was also reported that a number of residents had not received a copy of the survey and were not aware of the proposals until they were asked if they would like to sign the petition.

The petition was delivered to Cambridgeshire County Council’s offices on the 28th July.

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