Relocating Waterbeach Station – my objections

Here is the objection I have sent to South Cambridgeshire District Council.

The application is premature. Much of the justification for the relocation of the station seems to be on the grounds that the current station can only take 4 carriage trains. However, Network Rail have clearly stated that there are plans to extend the platforms at the current Waterbeach Station and this will significantly help the demand in the short term.

The access for private cars via Cody Road is totally inadequate. Just as commuters will be heading for the new station, residents of the estate that comprises Cody Road, Capper Road, Kirby Road, etc. will be heading in the opposite direction. Similarly, residents of the new houses to the east of the Cody Road junction will be heading along Bannold Road. This will create significant conflict at, in particular, the Way Lane – Bannold Road – Cody Road staggered junction.

It should also be noted that there are significant numbers of parents and children walking along Cody Road and Bannold Road to school in the morning.

I note that the Transport Assessment at paragraph 2.2.3 states that Cody Road is suitable for buses. I would remind the planning authority that Stagecoach have abandoned their bus service serving Cody-Capper-Kirby Roads because of issues relating to residents parking along these roads. I concede that it is not intended to use Capper and Kirby Roads for access, but the already existing issues on Cody Road must be addressed.

Paragraph 6.2.2 at table 11 shows an increase in traffic of 73 vehicles per hour during the 3 hour morning peak (35%). Paragraph 6.2.2 suggests that this is ‘not considered a severe impact’. I would suggest that these figures should be examined for what is the real peak, that is 7am-9 am, since the extra hour from 9 am-10 am must depress the average hourly flow.

I do not understand the quote in the first sentence of 6.4.5 of the Transport Assessment. I thought that it was expected that cycles would use Bannold Drove. If cycles are expected to combine with commuter traffic on the already overloaded Cody Road I would suggest that collisions are inevitable.

Paragraph 6.4.11 assumes that Stagecoach, who as noted above have already abandoned their service to the Capper-Kirby Road estate, will play ball.

In summary of the above, this development should not be approved until there is an adequate link road from the A10 which avoids the village streets and, in particular, Cody Road.

I am concerned about the visual impact of the new station. I note that the proponents have not included in the Landscape Assessment a view from the west bank of the river to correspond with viewpoint 2 from the east bank. It is clear to me that, if a viewpoint immediately west of viewpoint 2 was included, the visual impact of the new station

Relocated Waterbeach station

Well, the planning permission has been submitted and can be found here. Unfortunately quite a few of the documents are unreadable and I have emailed South Cambs to tell them.

My main concern with the application is the proposed access down Cody Road. However, it is difficult to comment on everything since so many of the documents cannot be accessed. I’ll have another go at commenting when these documents are available.