City Council elections 2026: candidates views

5th Studio have been commissioned by the City Council to co-ordinate and develop a holistic spatial design for the whole of Mill Road. What are the top 3 improvements you would like to see on Mill Road?

Wider pavements. Continuous footway (pavements) NO pavement parking

Local residents identify pavement parking as one of the key issues for Mill Road what would you suggest should be done to address this issue?

Create delivery only bays (20 minute limits on stopping) by creating build-outs reducing Mill Road to one lane bypasses. The build out should be used for outside tables and plants.

The Fulbourn Greenway is due to be routed via Mill Road; what more can be done to encourage active travel on Mill Road?

The most important action will be to co-ordinate with phase 2 of the Chisholm trail. I also want them to continue to maintain the current designated cycle route to the bottom of the Cater bridge over the railway.

5th Studio have been commissioned by the City Council to co-ordinate and develop a holistic spatial design for the whole of Mill Road. What are the top 3 improvements you would like to see on Mill Road?

Potholes repaired Derelict buildings made less unsightly Pavements improved

Local residents identify pavement parking as one of the key issues for Mill Road what would you suggest should be done to address this issue?

Ban cycle parking on the paths.

The Fulborn Greenway is due to be routed via Mill Road; what more can be done to encourage active travel on Mill Road?

Fill in the potholes. Potholes are dangerous for cyclists.

5th Studio have been commissioned by the City Council to co-ordinate and develop a holistic spatial design for the whole of Mill Road. What are the top 3 improvements you would like to see on Mill Road?

Wider pavements, rain gardens (that take run off from the road) and the renovation and reopening of the public toilets into an accessible toilet and cafe/shop kiosk.

Local residents identify pavement parking as one of the key issues for Mill Road what would you suggest should be done to address this issue?

Use the powers given to Cambridgeshire County Council 15 years ago to prohibit pavement parking and enforce by issuing civil penalties. This could act the same way as parking enforcement that already happens throughout Cambridge. Having worked as a landscape designer I know there are also design tools you can use to prevent this from occurring such as planting, encouraging cafe spill out areas and installing bollards if necessary.

The Fulbourn Greenway is due to be routed via Mill Road; what more can be done to encourage active travel on Mill Road?

Ultimately we need to flip the traditional hierarchy of design priorities by instead starting with the needs of children, elderly and wheelchair users, then broadening out to think about other users once their needs are met. As stated above, widening pavements, introducing rain gardens and providing public toilet access will all help encourage active travel. I would also add the need for places to sit, play and park your bike or electric buggy. Zebra crossings are the most pedestrian friendly crossing as they allow pedestrian movement almost instantaneously rather than having to wait for traffic signals at crossings such as Pelican crossings. Pelican crossings also take longer and cause more delay for traffic. In terms of encouraging cycling or scooting, we need to sort out the quality of the roads. Potholes are incredibly dangerous for cyclists, not only because they cause people to fall off their bikes when people ride into them, but because they require cyclists to swerve into the traffic to avoid them. Finally, we need a far more reliable public transport network throughout Cambridge, so that fewer people feel the need to use their cars, making the roads emptier of traffic and therefore safer for cyclists and pedestrians.

5th Studio have been commissioned by the City Council to co-ordinate and develop a holistic spatial design for the whole of Mill Road. What are the top 3 improvements you would like to see on Mill Road?

My three improvements are based on the many conversations I have had with residents and my own observations.  1. Resurface Mill Road and tackle pavement parking by adding more bike racks, planters (for greening) and outdoor seating, without obstructing wheelchair and buggy access. 2.  Improve pavement surface and design to create a more attractive public realm that encourages outdoor socialising and builds on the existing seating and use by cafes in the neighbourhood. 3.  Residents have told me they would like to see a greater diversity of shops on the road. I would talk to 5th Studio and other agencies and stakeholders to look at examples of successful high street regeneration that would help in addressing this. For example, create meanwhile use spaces in empty premises for other businesses and community use; and encourage landlords to improve their exteriors of empty buildings.

Local residents identify pavement parking as one of the key issues for Mill Road what would you suggest should be done to address this issue?

Discussion with the County Council, traders and residents to understand why it is happening. Explore options for car parking in other more appropriate areas. Planters placed on the pavement as barriers to parking would be an attractive solution and should be part of the overall enhancement of the streetscape.   I would also call on the County Council and other agencies to adopt a much more active policing of the area, along with speed cameras and fines.  

The Fulbourn Greenway is due to be routed via Mill Road; what more can be done to encourage active travel on Mill Road?

Work with Camcycle and other organisations to look at options. Greater focus on traffic control and enforcement, in particular, speeding and illegal parking. Investigate speed bumps as a way to slow traffic and consider ways to stop overtaking of cyclists on Mill Road bridge such as central wands. A dedicated cycle lane on Mill Road, if practical, and more cycle parking areas. Signage to promote active travel giving information on the routes that can be taken from Mill Road across the city with distances and travel times. Completion of the Chisholm Trail.

5th Studio have been commissioned by the City Council to co-ordinate and develop a holistic spatial design for the whole of Mill Road. What are the top 3 improvements you would like to see on Mill Road?

1. Wider pavement in Petersfield on the north side. This pavement is currently very narrow, meaning that pedestrians can be forced onto the road at busy times. 2. Segregated cycle lanes on both sides of Mill Road, for the full length of the road 3. A less cluttered pavement, with more space for pedestrians, and less car traffic, both on Mill Road and side roads

Local residents identify pavement parking as one of the key issues for Mill Road what would you suggest should be done to address this issue?

I fully support measures to prevent pavement parking. Ultimately, the only thing that will be truly effective will be for physical barriers of some sort to be put in place: planters, bike racks, trees, bollards. Labour councillors have secured funding for planters or bollards between Covent Garden and Mawson Road to prevent pavement parking, and this may need to be replicated along most of the road. In addition, from talking to businesses, it is clear that an alternative for parking off Mill Road itself could help with deliveries and similar. The County Council also has the opportunity to bring in a ban on pavement parking (a power recently granted by the Government) which could make enforcement easier.

The Fulborn Greenway is due to be routed via Mill Road; what more can be done to encourage active travel on Mill Road?

We should widen the pavements where possible, to make Mill Road safer and more pleasant for pedestrians. We should also create segregated cycle lanes on both sides of the length of Mill Road, to make cycling safer. More immediately, the whole road needs resurfacing, including re-planing and the removal of subsidence. This is due to take place in the coming months, and would be very welcome. There are several places where the gutter is slightly lower and puddles easily if it rains, which can also cause problems for pedestrians being sprayed by cars. Routes off Mill Road, such as Devonshire Road and Tenison Road should also be considered for improved active travel infrastructure but also as part of a review of the impacts of the closure to private cars of Mill Road bridge and a holistic assessment of traffic impacts in the surrounding area.

5th Studio have been commissioned by the City Council to co-ordinate and develop a holistic spatial design for the whole of Mill Road. What are the top 3 improvements you would like to see on Mill Road?

I am excited about the holistic spatial design project that is now being undertaken by 5th Studio for Mill Road even though the improvements will be short-term. It is really important that Cambridge citizens can quickly see the benefits of traffic-calming Mill Road, especially those who did not support the closure of the bridge. Further, it is vital that these improvements are shaped democratically through thoughtful engagement with local people who use Mill Road and stakeholders such as local business owners. The top three improvements that I would like to see on Mill Road are:

1. Clearly marked out bus lanes along Mill Road to make an emphasis in the design that Mill Road is bus friendly. This is part of the campaign to include more frequent and better-connected electric buses running along Mill Road so people can see that there is a credible alternative to taking a car. I get many complaints about the bridge closure from residents in Coleridge who lament the lack of mobility around Cambridge in a car. These are people who are not cyclists; some due to disabilities or because they are elderly. In response, telling them that the C2 runs every 20 minutes is not very persuasive. Also we need a more frequent service connecting Cherry Hinton Road and Coleridge Road that run every ten minutes so Coleridge residents can get to Mill Road quickly and easily. Finally, bus fares should be much cheaper than they are to convince people to get out of their cars and onto buses.

2. Wider pavements to enable better walking infrastructure for pedestrians, including ease for wheelchair users and family members using prams/pushchairs. Parts of Mill Road’s pavements are so narrow that it pushes pedestrians and wheelchair users etc onto the road which is unsafe. This cannot go on.

3. Clearly marked cycle-paths down either side of the road/bus lane (this might need to be achieved by making Mill Road a one way road). For too long cycling on Mill Road has been an unsafe and confusing experience especially when delivery lorries to service the numerous shops and pavement parking are included in the mix.

Local residents identify pavement parking as one of the key issues for Mill Road what would you suggest should be done to address this issue?

Pavement Parking has been a long-standing feature of travelling down Mill Road and means that many journeys down this street are not straightforward and often addled with potential hazards. This is even more problematic for those with disabilities including visual impairment and those pushing child buggies.

I suggest two ways of dealing with this: firstly, by using planters to obstruct cars from straddling the pavement; and secondly, by enforcement: traffic wardens issuing on the spot fines for drivers who decide to ignore walkers and wheelers using Mill Road.

The Fulborn Greenway is due to be routed via Mill Road; what more can be done to encourage active travel on Mill Road?

1. Clearly mark the road to show designated paths for cyclists, pedestrians and bus lane so that users are more confident to use active travel because it feels safer and there is much less likelihood of collision.

2. Signs should be shown to indicate that this is slow-speed environment for cyclists so respect is given to walkers as well as wheelers.

3. Much more cycle parking to be installed as often it is the case that you have to hunt up and down Mill Road for somewhere to safely lock your bike; consideration should also be given to cargo bikes in parking too.

4. More frequent and reliable buses (every ten minutes) with good connections around the city would increase the amount of passengers choosing a bus to get to Mill Road and then walking after disembarking the bus.

5th Studio have been commissioned by the City Council to co-ordinate and develop a holistic spatial design for the whole of Mill Road. What are the top 3 improvements you would like to see on Mill Road?

Mill Road is all about its independent businesses and community spaces. I’d prioritise space for businesses and the community to use to boost the local economy and improve the atmosphere – like, for example, outdoor seating areas. Mill Road is a point of pride for so many Petersfield residents – but lots of people have said it should look better all year round. The Liberal Democrats are campaigning to reverse Labour’s cuts to street cleaning, but I’d also like to see more thought given to plants and greenery, including evergreen plants. In general, I’d like to see improved pavement quality, with an increase in pavement size – to make it easier and more attractive for pavement users to enjoy Mill Road and support our local businesses.

Local residents identify pavement parking as one of the key issues for Mill Road what would you suggest should be done to address this issue?

Wherever possible, we should use attractive and functional elements to tackle pavement parking – like planters on build outs. These planters could border, for example, an outdoor seating area for a restaurant or cafe – also improving the atmosphere on the street. Bike stands could also be used. We should also consider dedicated enforcement at key times of day given the impact on large volumes of people affected by pavement parking – its one of the top local issues people raise with me.

The Fulbourn Greenway is due to be routed via Mill Road; what more can be done to encourage active travel on Mill Road?

To encourage activel travel on Mill Road, we need to make it safer; we need to improve bike parking and security; and we need more connectivity to make as much of the route onto Mill Rd as attractive and safe as possible too. We need to use elements like build-outs, planters and attractive and functional street furniture (while removing redundant and unattractive street furniture) to calm vehicle speeds, making it safer for pedestrians and all those on wheels. And we need to tackle the state of our roads – the Lib Dem County Council were left with an £800million repair blackhole, and although they are working hard to turn the tide further government investment will be needed to get our roads up to scratch. The current amount of funding sadly hardly touches the sides. I’m already working alongside Cambridgeshire’s Lib Dem MPs to campaign for this funding. Mill Road desperately needs more dedicated bike parking – to make it easier to cycle, and to improve the experience for pedestrians and other pavement users too. We could use the space created by the measures described above to deliver some of this. We also need to tackle the growing problem of cycle theft at the station bike park – I believe Greater Anglia are failing to meet the commitments they made when renovating the station by offering insufficient security (for example, if a bike is stolen, you have to specify the hour window in which it was stolen for CCTV to be checked). The Fulbourn Greenway, as well as projects like the Chilsholm Trail, are important for improving connectivity – to make the whole journey by active travel attractive where possible.

5th Studio have been commissioned by the City Council to co-ordinate and develop a holistic spatial design for the whole of Mill Road. What are the top 3 improvements you would like to see on Mill Road?

In answering this, I’m going to focus on improvements that can be made within the scope of the city council’s project (which does not include any decision by County on the future of the Mill Road bus gate). Traders, residents and shoppers all deserve support to make improvements now, and that’s what this project is about. The most important thing for me is that any improvements must work for residents and for traders, and that both residents and traders are properly consulted. This must include local residents who don’t live immediately on Mill Road, such as Coleridge residents. Residents in Coleridge not only use the road a lot, but changes to Mill Road often have a big impact on our ward.

1. Actions ASAP to help our traders: Mill Road is still a vibrant and wonderful place, but too many traders, especially those running shops, tell us they are struggling. The package of improvements should be led by the traders themselves, but they might include: short term free parking spaces to allow customers to pick up near shops; better car parking options off Mill Road, especially at the Romsey end; marketing support; the return of a paid coordinator (I’d suggest a Cambridge East High Streets Coordinator, who could support a range of high streets such as Mill Road, Cherry Hinton Road, Cherry Hinton High street and so on); working with bus and rail companies to introduce subsidised public transport voucher for people who spend money in independent local businesses.

2. Restoring facilities to the street: Good facilities are crucial to encourage footfall. This might include: explore options to restore and fund public toilet facilities; a community banking hub to bring much-need banking back to the street (perhaps, as suggested by traders, with a public toilet attached, supervised by the hub); better cycle parking for a range of bike types.

3. Safety improvements: We need to see more enforcement both against speeding cars and dangerously-driven e-bikes and e-scooters. We also need to look at better lighting (including in side-streets). The road needs pavements which are wide enough to walk on, and especially to use a wheelchair or mobility scooter on, or push a buggy along. We also need continued work to improve safety in Mill Road cemetery and protect the monuments from vandalism. Whilst I welcome the investment in Mill Road, we should also be thinking about how we support other shopping streets in the East Area. For instance, Cherry Hinton Road would benefit hugely from a similar project in the future and I’m already pushing for that to happen.

Local residents identify pavement parking as one of the key issues for Mill Road what would you suggest should be done to address this issue?

Pavement and verge parking is an issue around the city. It’s certainly something that comes up regularly with Coleridge residents. Measures to improve this on Mill Road might include the following (and some of these are relevant across our area more widely): • Better enforcement by the County Council is absolutely key here. I welcome the current legal changes going through parliament which will make it easier for local highways authorities to take action against inconsiderate pavement and verge parking.

• Well-placed planters or street trees could also make a difference, as well as making the street more attractive. However, they would need to be placed in a way that didn’t make it harder for people with limited mobility.

• Better car parking near to Mill Road, especially at the Romsey end, could help to provide alternatives, and also serve those who are unable to get to Mill Road except by car.

• We also need to ensure that appropriate planning decisions are made when it comes to granting change of use from shops to food outlets. Takeaways are part of our high streets but too many in one place not only reduces the range of retail options for shoppers but can exacerbate the pavement parking issue.

The Fulbourn Greenway is due to be routed via Mill Road; what more can be done to encourage active travel on Mill Road?

Note that almost all of these mitigations are in the hands of the County Council or the Combined Authority. However, as city councillors, we are able to lobby the appropriate authorities – something I do frequently.

• Better cycle-parking and more effective cycle paths.

• Dealing with sections of pavement which are dangerously narrow, and addressing broken/uneven road surfaces, including potholes. I’ve been working hard on pushing the County Council to fix our Cambridge potholes, and have also been working with our Labour county councillors to lobby for more efficient and long-lasting approaches (such as not returning several times to fix potholes in the same street but fixing them all on the first visit).

• Improve bus stop provision and bus provision, because better public transport complements good quality active travel. When I was deputy mayor for transport at the Combined Authority, I developed a safer bus stop plan, including better lighting and an emergency call point. I also proposed a last bus guarantee. I also brought in the Tiger Pass, as well as free pre-9.30 travel for concessionary bus pass holders. We need to retain these concessions, and bring back the local bus fare subsidy that the current mayor scrapped. We also need more wheelchair spaces on buses.

• Whilst not a Mill Road point specifically, a good cycle network only functions if it’s just that – a network. The phase of the Chisholm Trail that was proposed to run along the side of the railway line would be a huge addition to active travel in the east of the city, as would the County Council finally completing the long-promised segregated cycleway along Cherry Hinton Road.

5th Studio have been commissioned by the City Council to co-ordinate and develop a holistic spatial design for the whole of Mill Road. What are the top 3 improvements you would like to see on Mill Road?

Three improvements would be:

• Pavement widening, especially where they are particularly narrow, along with road crossing and other provisions to provide continuous routes for walking and wheeling.

• Support public transport by moving and enhancing bus stop locations.

• Review parking and loading restrictions and add short stay parking for shoppers.

Local residents identify pavement parking as one of the key issues for Mill Road what would you suggest should be done to address this issue?

The council should make the best use of existing powers to control pavement parking, including enforcement. This would be made easier by marking of approved parking spaces, loading bays and signage, with consultation with businesses, to make restrictions clear. Provision of other improvements, such as planters and cycle stands also offers opportunities to discourage and limit the scope for pavement parking.

The Fulbourn Greenway is due to be routed via Mill Road; what more can be done to encourage active travel on Mill Road?

The Greenway is a great opportunity to open up Mill Road for a wider number of customers for its businesses and enhance its identity as an active transport area. Provisions described above will support this and the Greenway strengthens the case for funding them. Additional considerations should include control of traffic speeds along Mill Road and an emphasis on pedestrian-focused road crossing.

5th Studio have been commissioned by the City Council to co-ordinate and develop a holistic spatial design for the whole of Mill Road. What are the top 3 improvements you would like to see on Mill Road?

I’m really looking forward to seeing improvements to Mill Road. Pavement widening will be key to making the road more practical for pedestrians and people using mobility vehicles, whilst also lending space for more aesthetic features like planters and parklets for summer trade. There is a need for community storage which could be housed under Mill Road bridge next to the car park on Gt Eastern St. The boarded up shops on Mill Road need to be addressed so the area retains it’s unique character and feel.

Local residents identify pavement parking as one of the key issues for Mill Road what would you suggest should be done to address this issue?

I would suggest delivery bays to minimalise pavement parking, alongside lobbying the County Council to get the new enforcement powers which County Councils can apply for.

The Fulbourn Greenway is due to be routed via Mill Road; what more can be done to encourage active travel on Mill Road?

The biggest danger for cyclists is speeding vehicles, so traffic calming measures would be beneficial, (and let’s not forget the potholes!). Cycling could also be encouraged by having more cycle racks to secure bikes, with good lighting around the parking area at night time.