A crossing at Lancaster Way that will address the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, and horse-riders could be on the cards, following pressure from many people including Ely Cycling Campaign, the British Horse Society, and Liberal Democrat councillors.

An amendment was proposed by Cllr Ian Manning (Lib Dem, Chesterton) at the meeting of the County Council’s Highways & Transport Committee on Tuesday 10 November. It means that the County Council will now ask the funders, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority, for a ‘Pegasus’ crossing that can be used by horse-riders as well as walkers and cyclists – and liaise with Ely Cycling Campaign and the British Horse Society over the design and location.

This is what I said to the Committee to try to persuade them of the need for a better design than the dismal effort originally consulted on.

“The design for the Lancaster Way roundabout as published for consultation was clearly the wrong one, as evidenced by the fact that of those who expressed a view in the recent consultation, it was opposed by a 2:1 majority.

There are at least ten reasons why the junction design put out to consultation was the wrong choice, and why it received such a strong negative public response. I am conscious that I only have five minutes to address you, so I will narrow these down to the following.

The concept of ‘improvement’ of this roundabout has only ever been viewed through the prism of increasing capacity and speed for motor traffic. For pedestrians, cyclists, and equestrians trying to cross busy lanes of traffic onto reduced verges, the original design self-admittedly makes matters worse.

If the promised additional jobs are created, most of those employees will travel by car as this is the mode the original design promotes, and because the roundabout will make active travel more difficult and more dangerous.

The original design ignores successful solutions implemented elsewhere in Cambridgeshire, including on the A1307 by Babraham Research Park.

It ignores the commitment of the Combined Authority’s Local Transport Plan to active travel, the direction of the government’s Gear Change report, the National Planning Policy Framework, the district council’s Local Plan, and the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2019 Summary for Policymakers, which all promote sustainable transport and reduction in car use.

And at a technical level it also fails to comply with the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges, and with Local Transport Note 1/20.

Fortunately the residents of East Cambridgeshire are more committed to sustainability than that, and have given the original design a big thumbs-down.

The report before you seeks to address the deficits in the original design, and the objections of consultation respondents, by adding a signalised crossing on the eastern arm of the roundabout. However, this is specified as a pedestrian crossing, offering little help for cyclists, and none whatever for equestrians needing to cross from livery facilities south of the A142.

A better solution, supported by both cyclists and equestrians, would be to place a crossing on the western arm of the roundabout, with a path on the north side of the roundabout to connect it with the existing path. This is a route already taken informally by a number of existing pedestrians and cyclists. This should be a Pegasus crossing, capable of accommodating cyclists and horse-riders as well as pedestrians, with push buttons high enough to be capable of being pressed by someone on horseback. Such a crossing has recently been installed at the Babraham Institute roundabout.

A Pegasus crossing on the western arm would at least demonstrate some alignment with the Combined Authority’s Local Transport Plan. It would also assist in furthering the aims of the Rights of Way Improvement Plan, reconnecting pre-existing paths bisected by the A142, and offering entry from south of the A142 into the triangle between Mepal, Ely and Pymoor which has enormous potential for leisure and other uses.

An amendment to provide a Pegasus crossing to the western arm of the roundabout, rather than a pedestrian crossing to the eastern arm, is absolutely critical in addressing the objections that have been made to the original design. It has the support of local representatives of the British Horse Society, as well as of the Ely Cycling Campaign, and I would urge members to amend the recommendation to this effect. The Council should then work with local equestrian and cycling representatives on the design of such a crossing to ensure it is fit for purpose.

Finally, the recent works to the BP roundabout at the junction of A10 and the A142 have caused months of misery to residents on unofficial cut-through routes both north and south of the A142. I would ask officers to liaise with affected residents and parish councils at the earliest opportunity to discuss working practices and how residents can be protected as far as possible from the negative effects of these road works while they are ongoing.”