Cambridgeshire villagers say new junction puts road users 'in conflict'

Parish councillors are concerned about the safety of the junction with Histon Road and Franklin Gardens in Cambridge
-Credit: (Image: Tom McKeown)


Cambridgeshire villagers have raised concerns about a new junction they say puts road users 'in conflict'. Members of Histon and Impington Parish Council have described a junction on Histon Road with new development Franklin Gardens as "not fit for purpose" in a letter to Cambridgeshire County Council.

The letter said residents of the parish would have to travel via the 'poor link' of the Franklin Gardens junction to benefit from improvements further down Histon Road. Tom McKeown, a parish councillor, said aspects of the junction made it less safe for cyclists and pedestrians.

For cyclists turning right into Franklin Gardens, Mr McKeown said cyclists are most likely to leave the cycle lane and come onto the footpath to use the shared crossing into Franklin Gardens. "There's not a decent amount of space in the first place for people who are waiting to cross over," he said.

Another part of the design that might put road users in conflict, according to Mr McKeown, is a left-hand turn into Franklin Gardens which has the cycle lane on the left. He said cyclists travelling straight across the junction "already is immediately in conflict there".

"There are different approaches that a cyclist might take, because there's no one clear design," Mr McKeown said. "And that can cause problems, because if you're not doing an expected thing, a predictable thing, it can lead to uncertainty with drivers and potentially collisions."

Tom McKeown said parts of the design put road users 'in conflict'
Tom McKeown said parts of the design put road users 'in conflict' -Credit:Tom McKeown

He added: "If that's a scary junction to negotiate, perhaps you don't make the move to the sustainable mode of travel. Perhaps you stick with driving through it."

A spokesperson for Barratt Homes Eastern Counties said: "The Histon Road junction has been constructed from designs approved with the Highway Authority. After construction they then conducted a road safety audit, which has been approved subject to a few minor items to be implemented.

"These include the addition of advanced stop lines for cyclists, updated white lining for cycle paths, and extra directional markings to help separate cyclists and vehicles. We are currently in the process of booking the road space to complete these works and hope to have a date confirmed later this week."

A Cambridgeshire County Council spokesperson said: "We assessed the new Franklin Gardens junction when it was completed in May 2024, and a number of suggestions were made to the developer. After a year, a further road safety audit will be carried out and any changes will be considered if necessary.

"The cost of any work would be covered by the developer. There will always be an adjustment period with any new road layout, so it's important we allow some time before reviewing it."