Political support for Cambridge congestion charge falters

The congestion charge plans - which could be introduced in 2026 - have divided Cambridge residents

Political support for a proposed congestion charge in Cambridge appears to be falling away.

The plans were watered down but are still attracting a great deal of criticism.

The Liberal Democrats, who run a district council and lead a coalition on the county council, said they had "further concerns" despite the changes.

One senior party source said a "pause" in progressing the plans was now "likely".

A group supporting the plans said if the Liberal Democrats pulled their support the situation for the city was "dire".

The Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP), which includes three councils, businesses and academia, proposed charging drivers at least £5 a day to drive into or around a Cambridge Sustainable Travel Zone.

The money raised would help fund improvements to public transport and cycling infrastructure.

After 58% of those who responded to a consultation said they were not in favour of the charge, the GCP made changes to the plans.

Motorists would be charged in the morning peak between 07:00 and 10:00 and in the afternoon peak from 15:00 to 18:00.

Drivers who registered for the scheme would also be entitled to 50 free days.

But the concessions do not appear to go far enough.

Bridget Smith, the Liberal Democrat leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: "The GCP listened to concerns raised about their original Sustainable Travel Zone proposals.

"The revised plans that have been published look to address those but the South Cambridgeshire District Council Lib Dem group have further concerns and these will be debated in full through the Greater Cambridge Partnership Assembly and Board processes later this month."

'Political heat'

The GCP hoped to start improving bus services in Cambridgeshire from Autumn 2023, with a fully expanded network in place in 2026, ahead of charging beginning in 2027.

While the GCP has drawn up the proposals, Cambridgeshire County Council would need to agree to implement them.

An unnamed Liberal Democrat source on the county council told the BBC: "It was always going to be very difficult to get these proposals through the county council; that's not a surprise for anybody."

The source added the "political heat around these issues in the run up to the General Election was not going to make things easier".

Conservative transport secretary Mark Harper previously asked planners to go "back to the drawing board"

It was "likely" there would be "some kind of pause while we wait and see what happens in the national debate on driving", they continued, though they did not say how long a "pause" might last.

Shortly after the revised proposals were published Pippa Heylings, a Liberal Democrat councillor in South Cambridgeshire and a parliamentary candidate, said: "I urge the GCP to go back to the drawing board and rethink the solutions, with funding secured from multiple, alternative, sources for the bus improvements.

"If the GCP presses ahead now, it will be missing a huge opportunity for alternative solutions to provide radically improved public transport that local people are crying out for."

The proposals have proved controversial with demonstrations held both for and against.

Cambridgeshire Parents for Sustainable Travel supports the plans. A spokesperson for the group said if the Liberal Democrats "pull their support" the "situation for the city and its surrounding communities is dire".

The group added: "We are particularly disappointed at the lack of willingness amongst too many of our political representatives to confront misinformation from the no campaign and make a confident, positive case for change.

"There also has to be a question on whether the structure of local democracy in Cambridgeshire is fit for purpose given the challenges of a fast-growing city in the south of the county."

Cambridgeshire Residents Group, which has run an anti-congestion charge campaign, said it was "delighted that political support... seems to be ebbing away".

It added: "The Liberal Democrats clearly saw the next ballot box looming over the horizon and realised that supporting this policy would be a vote loser."

The group also said it noted "with concern" that the Liberal Democrats appeared to be suggesting a "pause".

"We hope this does not mean it will be resurrected following the next election," it said.

There are five seats on the GCP's Executive Board

• One is held by the Liberal Democrats

• Two by Labour councillors

• One other is held by Andy Neely, senior pro vice chancellor at the University of Cambridge

• The other by Andy Williams, who represents the business community

Cambridge Labour was due to meet to discuss its position on Tuesday 5 September. The GCP also has a Joint Assembly, which is due to discuss the proposals on 7 September, and offer its view to the Executive Board.

A GCP spokesperson said: "Revised proposals to the Sustainable Travel Zone were published on Friday 25 August as part of the Making Connections programme.

"The updated recommendations were developed in response to feedback from local residents, communities and businesses, balancing considerations to provide a once-in-a-generation opportunity that will solve the problem of congestion that blights roads in Cambridge.

"In line with our usual procedure, the proposals are now going through a formal review beginning with the Joint Assembly meeting on 7 September who will scrutinise the options before a recommendation is made to the GCP Executive Board which meets on 28 September."

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