Residents are being asked to help co-design their future Mill Road, as a long-term project to consider streetscape changes begins this summer.
5th Studio, architects and urban designers based in the Mill Road area, have been asked by an alliance led by Cambridgeshire County Council to run engagement events and feedback on whether there is community interest in future enhancements along this well-loved Cambridge street.
Improvements could include more places to sit, planters, crossings, parking, new trees and greenery, changes to lighting, additional art and more provision for shop deliveries and active travel.
A range of public drop-in sessions will be held at local venues and on the street in late June and July.
Co-design prioritises the input of local people at the earliest stage of engagement and asks communities what they want in their area before any plans and proposals are created.
Cambridgeshire County Council has funding available for some early works on Mill Road, including £11,000 for new planters and funding for partial road resurfacing of the street. There are also funds available to support any quick win projects resulting from this exercise. Any future wider or larger-scale works would be subject to local authorities securing further funding.
Should the Summer 2026 co-design work establish that there is interest from across the community in bigger changes along Mill Road, there would be further engagement and consultation on ideas and proposals before any decisions are made and funding sought.
Cllr Alex Beckett, chair of the Highways and Transport Committee at Cambridgeshire County Council, said: "Mill Road is one of the most special streets in Cambridge. It is a real hub of our community, full of brilliant independent businesses, and a place that people who live, work, study and shop here feel genuinely proud of. It belongs to all of us, and that is exactly why I want us to shape its future together.
"Co-design is about putting that future in the community's hands right from the start. We have asked local experts 5th Studio to lead this engagement and to feed back to us on what they hear. There are no proposals on the table and no survey to fill in. We simply want to hear from local people at the very beginning, before any ideas are drawn up.
"So please come along and tell us what you value, what already works, and what could work better for everyone. If there is an appetite for change, we want to know how much and what kind. Mill Road is loved by all of us, and if we come together now we have a real chance to create something amazing for the whole community."
Informal community drop-in events will be held on:
- Tuesday 30 June, 12pm - 3pm at St Philip’s Church, 185 Mill Rd, Cambridge, CB1 3AN.
- Saturday 4 July, 10:30am – 5pm at The Old School Hall (St Barnabas Centre), St Barnabas Church, Mill Road, Cambridge, CB1 2BD. Entrance separate from the Church.
- Thursday 16 July, 4:30pm - 7:30pm at St Philip’s Church, 185 Mill Rd, Cambridge, CB1 3AN.
- Wednesday 22 July, 4:30pm - 7:30pm at Mill Road Community Centre, 6 Hazell Street, Cambridge, CB1 2GN.
Events are open to all and designed to be family-friendly and inclusive.
As well as the public drop-in sessions, 5th Studio will be running several stakeholder workshops and ‘walking workshops’ to consider different parts of the road with local business and community groups.
Further information about the project can be found at: https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/millroadcodesign
