At the Highways and Transport Committee next week (Tuesday, 1 October), a total of 76 Local Highways Improvement schemes will be discussed.
The Local Highway Improvement programme covers all districts in Cambridgeshire, with applicants such as parish or town councils able to apply for funding of up to £25,000 per project. The schemes are community driven and give local people the opportunity to put forward proposals for highway improvements in their area.
The County Council contributes £820,000 towards each round of this initiative, with the rest of the funding being provided by the applicant on a scheme-by-scheme basis. This means more than a £1 million pounds is available per cycle.
Councillors will hear 167 applications were received for the 2024/25 funding round, of which 76 are being suggested to be approved. These are broken down:
- 16 in Cambridge City ranging from improving a crossing point at Barnwell Road, reducing speed on Granchester Road, introducing parking restrictions on Bene’t Street, Chedworth Street, Rutland Close, Lichfield Road and Meadowlands/The Homing and street lighting at Five Trees Park
- 22 in Huntingdonshire including installing a give-way on Sawtry Road/Infield Road and Glattons Way, multiple locations for a dropped kerb and footpath improvements in St Neots and a priority give-way when you enter the village on Ramsey Road
- Nine in East Cambridgeshire ranging from extending the footpath and the 30mph speed limit on the B1102 crossroads, tackling speeds on Mildenhall Road and extending the 30mph speed limit on Malting End Road/Wooditton Road
- Nine in Fenland including a dropped kerb at Leverington Village Hall, tackling speeds by installing speed cushions on Norwood Avenue and a priority chicane and mobile vehicle activated signs at Friday Bridge Road
- 20 in South Cambridgeshire ranging from improving the crossing point on Station Road/High Street in Histon and Impington, parking restrictions and priority give-way features on Church Street/High Street, a new footpath to link to Highgate Farm on Over Road and reducing the speed limit on the B1052/Willingham Green Road.
Cllr Alex Beckett, chair of the Highways and Transport Committee at Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “Local Highways Improvements are a tool for communities to invest in the issues that are often of great local concern.
“Unfortunately, every year we receive more applications than we have funding for, despite increasing the amount of budget available, so we rely on officers and a cross-party group of members to review and score the applications.
“I look forward to discussing these schemes at committee and if approved, delivering them for our communities across the county to make better, safer and more sustainable journeys.”
Members of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Highways and Transport Committee will decide whether to approve the proposed schemes at a meeting on 1 October. The papers for the meeting, including a full list of the proposed LHI schemes, can be found on the council’s website. The meeting will be live streamed on the council’s YouTube channel.
More information about the Local Highways Improvement funding can be found on our website .
