Author: Jane Spence
Combined Authority votes £££s for safer A10 crossing at Ely
In a vote for people’s safety, the Mayor and members of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority Board have approved over half a million pounds to help make the A10/A142 safer for cyclists, walkers and riders at the BP Roundabout near Ely. The Combined Authority’s own Transport & Infrastructure Committee had recommended the Board approve £550k […]
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Mayor backs Fenland campaign for connectivity between Guyhirn and March
Following a meeting with Fenland Parent Power, Mayor of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, Dr Nik Johnson, gave support to the group’s campaign for a safe cycling, walking and mobility route connecting Guyhirn to March. Parent leaders from Fenland Parent Power met the Mayor, Dr Nik Johnson, and representatives from Cambridgeshire County Council to discuss their campaign […]
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Peterborough’s electric bus depot gets fresh impetus from Combined Authority
This week’s Combined Authority Board meeting voted unanimously to push forward Peterborough’s proposed new depot for electric buses, continuing the drive towards net zero public transport for the city and for the whole Combined Authority region. The Combined Authority’s own Transport & Infrastructure Committee had recommended that today’s meeting of the full Board approved the […]
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Mayor dons wellies for Wisbech Community Farm visit
Mayor of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Dr Nik Johnson has visited a Wisbech community farm recently awarded funding from the Combined Authority’s Market Towns Programme. People and Animals UK received £225,761 to create a new social enterprise hub at Wisbech Community Farm. The space will offer room for themed workshops to support a range of local […]
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Mayor opens new Visitor Centre in latest market town investment
Mayor of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Dr Nik Johnson this week cut the ribbon on a dynamic new hub for visitors and businesses in the historic market town of Huntingdon. Huntingdon’s first ever Visitor Centre is one of several initiatives across Huntingdon and St Ives funded by the Combined Authority. They aim to deliver major improvements […]
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Peterborough public asked to comment on planned new Thorpe Cycleway
Peterborough City Council is inviting locals to have their say on a new cycleway along Thorpe Wood and a section of Thorpe Road which aims to encourage active travel between Bretton and Longthorpe. Funded with around £3 million from the Combined Authority’s successful bid to Active Travel England – the Government’s body to promote and […]
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Agile use of ‘active travel’ money gives March next steps
Walkers and cyclists in March will benefit from smart footwork by the Combined Authority’s transport committee which this week gave wholehearted backing to using underspend on one stage of a project to move forward the next. Members of the Transport and Infrastructure Committee noted progress on March Area Transport Study – MATS – and unanimously […]
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Active travel funds to make A10 safer for walkers, cyclists and riders
Safer crossing for people walking and cycling at the A10 around Ely moved closer today when the Combined Authority’s key committee on transport issues unanimously voted to recommend that the Board approves £550k to fund the next stage of this project. From the £1.8m subject-to-approval unallocated active travel capital budget for 2024/25, it would fund […]
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‘Art of the possible’ looked at for Wisbech, says Network Rail
Hopes for improving Wisbech connectivity came to the fore this week when members of the Combined Authority’s Transport and Infrastructure Committee heard from Network Rail that there was a ‘strong strategic case’ for Wisbech rail but that the ‘art of the possible’ would be key. The Combined Authority has engaged Network Rail to undertake a […]
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Train operators backtrack as campaign derails ticket-office closure plans
Following around 750,000 responses to the consultation on plans to close rail ticket offices nationwide, the transport secretary Mark Harper has asked train operators to drop proposals which had been vigorously opposed by Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority, along with many other groups. The Combined Authority had voiced its ‘deep concerns’ about the proposals and […]
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Advantage Whittlesey as town sports fresh look
Thanks to thousands of pounds in funding from the Combined Authority, the sports court in the grounds of Whittlesey’s Manor Leisure Centre is getting a makeover. It will be resurfaced, repainted and marked out to be used as either three tennis courts, or two netball courts, and the lighting will be improved. The Fenland District […]
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Combined Authority helps Whittlesey take traffic-beating plans forward
Plans to tackle transport issues and boost economic growth in the market town of Whittlesey have taken a step forward thanks to Combined Authority funding. Following the establishment of a Whittlesey Relief Road project board earlier this year, consultant Mott MacDonald has been appointed by Fenland District Council to lead the development of a Strategic […]
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Combined Authority looks towards Electric Vehicle switch
Thousands of public electric vehicle charging stations across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are needed by 2030 as the Combined Authority’s countdown to sustainable transport gathers pace. By 2030 it is predicted that the Combined Authority area needs some 10,000 public plug-in stations. They would help hundreds more drivers switch to electric vehicles, more confident there are […]
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Cambridgeshire set to benefit from over £9 million of investment to trial innovative 5G technologies
One of 19 projects benefiting from today’s Government announcement of an £88 million investment in innovative open 5G connectivity solutions across the UK, is the Cambridgeshire Open RAN Ecosystem (CORE) project led by Cambridgeshire County Council’s digital connectivity programme Connecting Cambridgeshire and a consortium of partners – AWTG, Benetel, Ontix, Wolfram, University of Surrey and University of Cambridge […]
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Name for Peterborough’s planned footbridge chosen following public feedback
Plans for a new pedestrian bridge in Peterborough linking the Embankment with Fletton Quays gain shape following a public engagement which has resulted in an official name for the structure being chosen. Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority has put in £3.4million with £2million ringfenced for the project also pledged by the Government’s Towns Fund – […]
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Mayor joins accessibility campaigners on Ely station
‘See differently’ urges the UK’s major campaigning charity for blind and partially sighted people and that’s what Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Mayor Dr Nik Johnson did when he joined Royal National Institute for Blind People at Ely Railway Station to glimpse something of the challenge they face. In the latest move by the Combined Authority to […]
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Mayor helps launch UK taskforce for more inclusive transport
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough were in at the start of a new initiative to help shape more inclusive travel in the UK when the Mayor spoke at the launch of a taskforce, chaired by sports legend and disability champion Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson. It is the latest push by the Combined Authority to help make transport more […]
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Combined Authority challenges ‘unlawful’ process in plans to scrap rail ticket offices
Denouncing as ‘unlawful’ the consultation process for the proposed scrapping of railway station ticket offices, the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority has voiced its ‘deep concerns’ on behalf of station users, especially vulnerable travellers, in a powerful response to the Rail Delivery Group consultation which has just closed. Following the consultation, Transport Focus will consider […]
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Rail summit hits Treasury with strong message from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
Sending a clear message to the Treasury, business and transport leaders have urged Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to agree improvements to the Ely Junction bottleneck which notoriously holds back trade and the wide prosperity it should bring. The case that the ‘Ely Solution’ holds what is perhaps the most vital key to growth across Great Britain […]
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Wisbech High Street ‘Gap’ to be transformed
Work to bring back into productive use a derelict space that has been a blot on Wisbech High Street for almost 40 years is at last under way, with contractors on site to revive the market town’s notorious Gap. Fenland District Council has secured funding to restore 24 High Street into an asset for Wisbech. […]
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Work starts to beat traffic jams at key Peterborough junction and free City growth
Important improvements to a crucial junction on one of Peterborough’s most congested parkways starts this month as part of a major project funded by the Combined Authority to boost capacity at the busy intersection. Following preliminary work to make walking and cycling routes near the junction safer and better, core construction at Junction 3 of […]
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Market Towns makeover for shopfronts in Huntingdon and St Ives
Funded by the Combined Authority’s Market Towns Programme, Huntingdonshire District Council has launched a new scheme offering ‘spruce up’ grants of up to £10k to give facelifts to businesses in Huntingdon and St Ives. Paul Sweeney, Huntingdon First Town Manager: “BID Huntingdon First are incredibly proud to support the Combined Authority and HDC in the […]
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‘Ely Solution’ gains momentum with Cambridge rail summit
A simple answer to getting foreign trade and growth moving through Britain will gain fresh impetus when key players gather for a rail summit at one of the East of England’s newer stations, Cambridge North. Convened by the Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Dr Nik Johnson, and co-chaired by the Rt Hon Norman Baker, Campaign […]
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Breaking new ground for Wisbech in historic Park
In a big day for Wisbech, local councillors joined officers from Fenland District Council, the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority and Cambridgeshire County Council to celebrate breaking ground on the £851,000 construction phase of the project to build a new Pavilion in Wisbech Park. Thanks to funding from Combined Authority’s Market Towns Programme, Cambridgeshire County […]
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St Ives and St Neots could get faster broadband
Around one in three homes and businesses who can upgrade to ultrafast full fibre broadband across Cambridgeshire have done so – but thousands are still missing out on the more reliable and lightning-speed services. In a £21 million local investment, Openreach engineers are building the network to make one gigabit per second available to people […]
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Active Travel wows Transport Committee with Living Streets and Love to Ride
Meeting in national Better Transport Week, the Combined Authority’s transport committee put its weight behind getting more active travel on the streets of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Chaired by Deputy Mayor Cllr Anna Smith, the Combined Authority’s Transport and Infrastructure Committee today unanimously voted to recommend that the Board of the Combined Authority approves the drawdown […]
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Work to start on March’s Broad Street regeneration
The next stage of March town centre’s multi-million pound regeneration is set to forge ahead this month. The works are being delivered with over £6million from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and £3.6million of funding from the Government’s Future High Streets Fund, awarded to Fenland District Council. The Combined Authority funding comes from two sources – […]
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Mayor hosts roundtable as accessibility champions provide transport advice
A good turnout of accessibility champions joined the Mayor of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough this week at a roundtable to help shape the Combined Authority’s work for inclusive transport that matches the needs and aspirations of people of every age and ability. In the run-up to Better Transport Week, of which the Combined Authority is a […]
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Better Transport: Mayor takes on the Six District Challenge
Dr Nik Johnson, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority will be supporting Better Transport Week by taking on his own Six District Challenge on Monday 12th June, 2023. The Six District Challenge involves getting around each of the six districts in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, within 24 hours, using only public transport and active travel […]
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Lightning broadband making life easier in Stilton, says resident
The first Cambridgeshire resident to be connected to Gigaclear’s full fibre broadband network has declared: “Life’s just got a lot easier!”. Sales manager Rich Soper is among 1,390 homeowners in Stilton to benefit from Gigaclear’s £39 million investment in the county. Prior to the connection, Mr. Soper had struggled with slow broadband that hindered his […]
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Combined Authority ‘smashes it’ to scoop active travel mi££ions
In good news for people keen to use their cars less, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough has walked away with some £4 million after the Combined Authority’s latest pitch for the region won big with the Government’s active travel experts. The Combined Authority, bidding in tight collaboration with its partners Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council, […]
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Green Nene: Have your say on walking and wheeling bridge
Peterborough residents and visitors are being invited by Peterborough City Council to share their views on the proposed walking and wheeling bridge across the river at Fletton Quays. The active travel crossing over the Nene will be for non-motor vehicles. It will offer a safer and greener alternative to the busy main road for pedestrians, […]
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Wifi in a Jiffy: New stickers in market towns show free Wifi zones
Thanks to funding from the Combined Authority, free public access CambWifi continues to expand across Cambridgeshire’s market towns, ramping up digital inclusion and helping everyone to get connected. In a campaign to remind locals and inform visitors that they can get online for free while on the go, eye-catching new stickers show Wifi areas in […]
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New A1260 footbridge completed and ready for active travel
A brand new footbridge was completed this week, one part of a multi-million pound scheme to reduce congestion and offer improved routes for active travellers trying to negotiate one of Peterborough’s busiest traffic bottlenecks. Opening to the public on March 27th, the replacement footbridge over the A1260 Nene Parkway in Longthorpe is one part of […]
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Peterborough ‘Shared Prosperity Fund’ projects revealed
A youth zone and community art initiative are among the exciting enterprises earmarked for Peterborough as part of a multi-million scheme to boost communities and drive growth. Last year the government announced that the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority area would receive £9,872,624 in funding from The UK Shared Prosperity Fund – of which £2,525,417 […]
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Deputy Mayor sees Renaissance work in Chatteris
Building improvements in Chatteris brought about with funding from the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority were welcomed by the Deputy Mayor when she visited the town on Saturday. Cllr Anna Smith was invited by the Mayor of Chatteris, Cllr Linda Ashley, to visit the Fenland market town to see for herself how Chatteris Town Council […]
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Cambridgeshire & Peterborough in the running for Active Travel millions
The Government, through Active Travel England, has announced £200m in local authority capital funding for active travel schemes. The pencil figure for Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority is almost £3 million, covering a period of 12 months. Closing date for bids is 24th February so the Combined Authority and its active travel delivery partners Cambridgeshire […]
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People power gathers pace as Combined Authority seeks ‘active travel’ lead
Plans to step up the pace on creating opportunity for ‘people-powered’ travel across Peterborough and Cambridgeshire gathered fresh momentum as the Combined Authority launched a major recruitment campaign for the ‘active travel’ lead within its transport team. This role will provide expert technical know-how and support for the soon-to-be-appointed Active Travel Advocate, the transport team, […]
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March transformation forges ahead as market town puts Combined Authority cash to work
The first of a string of multi-million pound projects to transform and futureproof March town centre is now well under way. And it was bolstered last week with approval by Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority Board of £4.2 million. Deputy Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Cllr Anna Smith said: “Investing in March is a huge […]
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Onward March: Combined Authority puts full weight behind Broad Street
Members of the Combined Authority’s Board have unanimously voted through funding to start construction of the main Broad Street scheme in the Fenland market town of March. The March Area Transport Study Full Business Case 1 (FBC1) for Broad Street has been completed and Members approved the drawdown of £300,000 to complete the Full Business […]
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Combined Authority gives Fengate £6m go-ahead
In a unanimous vote to help Peterborough achieve its growth ambitions, the Combined Authority Board has approved £6,665,696 to translate the Fengate Access Study Improvement Schemes from planning into construction. Members noted the completed Fengate Phase 1 Full Business Case and voted unanimously push the transformational Fengate scheme from the necessary paper stage of planning […]
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Combined Authority backs Peterborough growth with over £9m for A1260
In a unanimous vote, the Board of the Combined Authority has agreed over £9 million to push ahead the A1260 Junction 32/3 upgrade. The approval brings construction of the crucial Peterborough road scheme a step nearer. Gateway to south-west Peterborough, Junction 3 intersects two of the city’s strategic roads, serving eastbound, westbound, and northbound traffic. […]
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Big News for Littleport as Market Town Benefits from Combined Authority £1m
The market town of Littleport was £1million better off following today’s Combined Authority Board vote – and Whittlesey in Fenland picked up almost half a million in the same meeting. Proposed by Deputy Mayor of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Cllr Anna Smith, who was chairing the Board, members unanimously voted through the items. They agreed £925k […]
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Combined Authority co-funds smart tech pilot in St Neots for early flood risk notifications
Local councillors in St Neots spent time at the Rowing Club last week discovering why smart sensors capable of detecting river level rises are being trialled in vulnerable flood spots across Huntingdonshire. The flood sensors offer the potential to provide messages about changes in water levels and are being trialled to see if triggering of […]
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