On the agenda of an upcoming County Area Joint Committee for transport there is an item concerning the future of Milton Road Trees.  See below for more details.


We will be at the meeting to present our petition and ask for an end to the threat to and neglect of the trees.


Plans to build thousands of new homes at Waterbeach, backed by Labour councillors and the Labour government, are an additional threat to Milton Road. These plans would mean thousands of extra cars travelling down Milton Road every day.


Please sign below to help protect this beautiful and important part of our neighbourhood.

Neil, Neale and Mike
King's Hedges Liberal Democrat Team

We the undersigned call upon Cambridgeshire County Council to reverse the decision not to replace trees on Milton Road.

Forename: Surname:
Postcode: Email:
Mobile:

Click here to get a printable petition sheet you can use to collect more signatures.

If you have opted to receive updates, then you must supply an email address. You can of course opt out of emails, calls or SMS at any time in the future, and we won't sell your details to anyone else. Full details are in our privacy policy.
Neil next to a stump on Milton Road. Sign up to help protect remaining trees and replant these.
Neil next to a stump on Milton Road. Sign up to help protect remaining trees and replant these.
Cambridge Liberal Democrats
Focus on King's Hedges
David Howarth, MP for Cambridge

This is the original story last year:

I have to alert you to a new threat to the trees on Milton Road.

Cambridgeshire County Council has decided that no new trees can be planted to replace the existing stumps because of "the risk that future developments might possibly require their removal."

Quite simply, someone in the County Council wishes to widen Milton Road for bus priority measures, which could require the removal of Milton Road's trees.

The decision to stop new planting has been taken by an officer of the County Council without telling local county or city councillors, let alone local residents.

I was told that the County Council is:



[C]urrently working up a Long Term Transport Strategy for Cambridge and unilt the findings of this are complete and any impact that it may have on Milton Road are known, we will hold off new planting in case it is not consistent with those emerging plans.


The Conservative Councillor in charge of the traffic department has backed up the decision to suspend planting. I wrote to County Councillor McGuire asking him to reverse the decision, but he replied bluntly:


I understand that [an officer] has replied to you explaining the County's position.



Despite the publication of the plans the County have refused to reverse this decision.  After a recent meeting on the congestion charging plans, Mr Preston admitted to me that such bus lanes might be needed as a temporary measure until a fully joined up off-road bus guideway can be provided.

This is despite undertakings in the Cambridge Evening News from County Cllr Shona Johnstone that this would not happen.

Cllr Johnstone at the time was Cllr McGuire's boss as leader of the County Council.

I hardly need to explain how important the trees are to the area. They improve air quality and make Milton Road a much nicer place to live, and travel through, than so many other roads. Imagine how different the road would be with another line of traffic and no trees!

I urge you to support the campaign to save Milton Road trees by signing the petition.




Thanks for your support!

Mike Pitt
Cambridge City Councillor for King's Hedges

 
Published and promoted by and on behalf of the Liberal Democrats, 16 Signet Court, Swann Road, Cambridge CB5 8LA
Hosted (printed) by NativeSpace, 7 Royd Terrace, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, HX7 7BT, www.nativespace.co.uk, who are not responsible for any of the contents of the site.