College withdrew busway objection after deal

A University of Cambridge college withdrew its opposition to a £200m busway after reaching an agreement about payments for screening.

Clare Hall had opposed the route of the Cambourne to Cambridge (C2C) busway proposal which aims to ease congestion in the city.

But it has since emerged the college entered a confidential agreement with Cambridgeshire County Council, which also stated buses would not run between 00:00 and 06:00.

The council said the agreement - which included a £158,000 payment and "reasonable costs" for screening - "addressed the matters [Clare Hall] had raised" and as a result it withdrew its objection.

Clare Hall has been approached for comment but has not responded.

The C2C project is awaiting a government decision on whether it can go ahead, following a public inquiry last year.

It has been put together by the Greater Cambridge Partnership on behalf of the council and planners expect 10,000 daily trips will be made on the service.

The bus services would be overseen by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mayor Paul Bristow, who has objected to the plans.

The inquiry heard there were more than 300 objections and there were fears it could become "obsolete" when East West Rail is built as well as safety concerns.

The agreement between the college and the council emerged through a Freedom of Information request by Anna Gazeley, whose family own the century-old Coton Orchard, which the busway route would run through.

She said: "I have no criticism of Clare Hall for reaching an agreement it believed was in its own interests.

"Having read the agreement, though, I'm still none the wiser.

"The main concession appears to be restrictions on evening bus operations, yet decisions on bus services ultimately rest with the mayor and combined authority.

"Given the mayor has already said he can't guarantee a bus service on the proposed route, it's difficult to see how meaningful that concession really is."

She said "greater transparency" was needed around such agreements to help "maintain public confidence in the process".

The council said: "Throughout the Cambourne to Cambridge planning process, Cambridgeshire County Council continued to engage with all stakeholders.

"Following discussions between the council and Clare Hall, an agreement was reached with Clare Hall which addressed the matters they had raised regarding the proposed Cambourne to Cambridge scheme.

"As a result, Clare Hall withdrew their objection and did not give evidence at the public inquiry."

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