Cambridgeshire Active Travel Policies

Active Travel Strategy

Cambridgeshire’s Active Travel Strategy (opens as a .pdf) provides a set of policies. They will support quality provision of active travel infrastructure. It will enable and encourage more people to travel by active modes. Making it a natural first choice, resulting in a reduction in the number of journeys made by car. This will contribute to the County Council’s target to achieve net zero carbon by 2045.

The overarching vision for the Cambridgeshire Active Travel Strategy is that:

“Active travel will be embraced in all transport policies, projects, investment, and development in Cambridgeshire, prioritising cycling and walking and associated travel modes. We plan to create a well-connected, safe, and inclusive active travel network that will become the ‘go-to’ travel option for local journeys.”

The following objectives are set out within the Active Travel Strategy:

Embrace a clear, deliverable vision for a connected active travel network across Cambridgeshire. This will enable and encourage more journeys made by car shift to walking or cycling.
Develop the active travel network by identifying improvements to local journeys. Linking to connections to public transport for onward travel.
Deliver significant step change in active travel provision across the county. Improving internal processes and collaborative working with key partners, stakeholders, and communities.
Ensure existing and future active travel networks are fit for purpose by:
Identifying improvements to the active travel network. Filling gaps in connectivity and providing supporting infrastructure. Making routes safer and more pleasant to use.
Ensure active travel provision is part of all transport schemes and developments at the outset.
Review and improve maintenance of existing infrastructure.
Embedding a whole life cycle approach to scheme development. Ensuring all new schemes meet the highest design standards.
Encourage new initiatives to create behavioural change and modal shift.

The strategy includes thirty active travel policies. All focused around the four key themes Embrace, Enhance, Expand and Encourage. Shifting away from private cars and increasing active modes for everyday journeys.

Local Cycling and Walking Plan

The Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) (opens as a .pdf) is the next part of the process. Identifying the top priority active travel routes in each district for improvement. The current adopted LCWIP document is available below.

Additional routes have been identified through the consultation on the Active Travel Strategy and LCWIP. These routes have been illustrated in the connected network vision maps within the Active Travel Strategy and will form part of an expanded LCWIP in the future.

Active Travel Design Guide

Cambridgeshire’s Active Travel Design Guide (opens as a .pdf)

Provides information for the planning and design of active travel routes.
Defines what is and is not acceptable when designing for active travel.
Supports maintenance of existing public rights of way for ‘non-motorised users’ (NMUs).

Active Travel Toolkit for New Developments

Cambridgeshire's Active Travel Toolkit for New Developments (opens as a .pdf)

The Toolkit helps planning authorities, the County Council, and developers make decisions about prioritising active travel for all scales of new developments in Cambridgeshire.
The Toolkit sets out 13 key principles for a developer to consider when planning new developments.
Developers will need to fill out a Design Checklist (opens as a word document) and send it in with their Transport Assessment or as part of their Design and Access Statement.

Documents

All the documents mentioned below are live working documents. They will continue to improve. Including new action plans, techniques, materials, and applications when available.

Other Local Transport policies

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA)

Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC)

Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP): Delivering the Greater Cambridge City Deal

Greater Cambridge Partnership’s Future Investment Strategy (FIS)

Local Planning Authority (LPA)

District Local Plans

District Supplementary Planning Documents

East Cambridgeshire District Council (ECDC) Supplementary Planning Documents
Fenland District Council (FDC) Supplementary Planning Documents
Cambridge City Council (CCiC) Supplementary Planning Documents
Huntingdonshire District Council (HDC) Supplementary Planning Documents
South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC) Supplementary Planning Documents

District Area Action Plans

Neighbourhood Plans

Other guidance which is relevant includes:

NHS Healthy New Towns and particularly Section 5
Homes England - Building for a Healthy Life referred to in National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) paragraph 133
Healthy Streets for London (tfl.gov.uk)
Inclusive Mobility (ATE Sport) England Active Design guidance

National policies

Central Government

Regional Government

England’s Economic Heartland (EEH)