Agenda item

The Issue

Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP), Cambridgeshire County Council, Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council

 

Born in Cambridge and having lived here all my life, I've watched our city change enormously. Change is inevitable, and many improvements have benefited Cambridge. But many residents now feel that the overall direction of transport, planning and development is making the city harder to access, harder to move around and less practical for the people who live, work and visit here.

 

Cambridge is one of the world's leading centres for education, science and innovation, and that success should be celebrated. But Cambridge is not London. We do not have an Underground network or the transport infrastructure of a major capital city. Many residents, carers, tradespeople, workers, families and visitors still rely on roads for everyday life.

 

The question is whether Cambridge's growth is being managed in a way that properly considers all the people who depend on the city every day.

 

This petition is about the bigger picture

This petition calls for a full independent review of the overall impact of transport policies, planning decisions and major developments on the future of Cambridge.

 

Many individual schemes and developments have been considered separately over the years. But many residents are asking a much bigger question:

 

Has anyone independently looked at the combined effect of all these changes on Cambridge?

 

The impact on congestion, accessibility, local businesses, parking, roads and pavements, public services, housing, community life and the character of the city should not simply be looked at one scheme at a time.

 

This petition is about looking at the bigger picture.

 

Who are the people signing?

One thing that has struck me while speaking to people who have signed this petition is the wide range of ordinary local people behind it.

 

There are shop workers, NHS staff, retired people, parents, tradespeople, office workers and people in professional and well-paid jobs. They have different backgrounds, different priorities and different political views.

 

Some may have voted Green, Liberal Democrat, Conservative, Reform or Labour. Some may not have voted at all.

 

This is not about party politics.

 

These are people living and working in Cambridge who are seeing the changes around them first-hand and have genuine concerns about the future of their city.

 

Most have busy lives, families and other commitments. They are not transport planners or council experts, and they should not need to spend hours trying to understand complicated council processes simply to have their concerns heard.

 

Their everyday experience of Cambridge matters too.

 

What are people concerned about?

Many residents are concerned about:

 

Increasing congestion and ongoing changes to the road network.

The loss of affordable and accessible shops, forcing more local people to travel to surrounding towns for everyday shopping.

Independent retailers struggling while the city centre offers fewer reasons for local people to shop there.

Increasing numbers of retail premises being replaced by offices and laboratories, changing the balance and purpose of the city centre.

Large-scale housing developments placing additional pressure on roads, healthcare, schools, parking and other essential services.

Rising housing costs making it increasingly difficult for younger people and families to remain close to their relatives and the communities they grew up in.

Parking and accessibility becoming increasingly difficult for people who need to drive into the city.

The combined impact these changes are having on residents, businesses, visitors and the long-term character of Cambridge.

People tell me they want Cambridge to remain affordable, accessible and welcoming.

 

They want places where families can buy reasonably priced clothes and everyday goods. They want independent shops to have a future. They want to be able to visit the city centre without feeling that parking and access make it unnecessarily difficult.

 

These may sound like simple things, but they are part of what makes a city work for the people who live here.

 

What happened to our city centre?

Having lived here all my life, I have seen many parts of Cambridge change.

 

When I walk through places such as Fitzroy Street, I sometimes find it genuinely sad to see how different parts of the city centre now feel compared with the Cambridge I remember.

 

If residents can see these changes, surely the people making decisions about the future of Cambridge can see them too.

 

That is why many residents feel they need to be listened to — not just through formal consultation processes, but by considering the real experiences of the people who live here every day.

 

Growth needs to be balanced

Cambridge's science and technology sector is one of the city's greatest strengths and should continue to thrive.

 

This petition is not against growth, science, technology or development.

 

But many residents believe there needs to be a better balance between commercial development and the everyday needs of local communities.

 

Offices and laboratories are essential to Cambridge's success, but future growth should also consider suitable locations outside the historic city centre, allowing the centre to continue providing the shops, services and facilities that local residents depend on.

 

A vibrant city centre should remain a place where people can shop, meet friends, access services and enjoy their city.

 

Supporting independent businesses, encouraging affordable shopping and improving accessibility are all important if Cambridge is to remain a city that works for the people who live here.

 

Get the basics right

Many residents believe Cambridge should focus on getting the basics right first — maintaining roads and pavements, supporting local businesses, protecting accessible shopping, providing adequate infrastructure and ensuring public services keep pace with growth.

 

There is a growing feeling that we cannot keep introducing major schemes and large-scale development without properly understanding whether the city's infrastructure and services can cope.

 

This is not about stopping progress.

 

It is about asking whether progress is being managed in the right way and at the right pace.

 

We need to look at the combined effect

Transport schemes, road changes, housing developments, laboratories, offices and changes to the city centre may each have their own justification.

 

But when they are all added together, what does Cambridge look like and how does it work for the people who live here?

 

Many residents believe that question has never been properly and independently answered.

 

That is why this petition calls for a full independent review of the overall impact of transport policies, planning decisions and major developments on the future of Cambridge.

 

The review should look at the evidence, the real-world impact and the cumulative effect of these decisions — not simply whether individual projects meet their own targets.

 

Local voices should not be difficult to hear

If councils genuinely want to understand what local people are concerned about, they should make it easier for people to have their say, not harder.

 

People should not feel that their concerns matter less simply because they do not know how to navigate a complicated council system or because they expressed their views through a community petition rather than a particular official website.

 

1,902 people have now signed this petition, and many have taken the additional time to explain in their own words why they signed.

 

For me, the important thing is not which website they used.

 

It is that 1,902 local people have taken the time to come together and speak about the future of their city.

 

Those voices deserve to be heard and properly considered.

 

This petition is not against progress

It supports sustainable growth, better public transport, safer cycling, cleaner air and continued investment in Cambridge's world-leading economy.

 

But progress should also be balanced, practical and supported by the infrastructure and services needed for a growing city.

 

Cambridge should not have to choose between economic success and being a good place to live.

 

We should be able to have both.

 

Local residents deserve meaningful consultation, transparent decision-making and confidence that the overall impact of major changes is being properly considered before further schemes and developments are introduced.

 

1,902 people have signed this petition because they believe Cambridge deserves a future that is accessible, balanced, prosperous and works for everyone.

 

If you share these concerns, please sign and share this petition.

 

Together, we can help shape a Cambridge that remains a thriving city — not just for businesses and developers, but for the residents, families, workers and future generations who call it home.