BBC Cambs: EWR Taking Local People for Granted

Despite repeated requests for the Minister Huw Merriman to come to South Cambs and talk through the deep concerns of villagers who will be impacted, the government has just gone ahead and announced its preference for the southern route into Cambridge for East West Rail. East West Rail have published maps showing updated proposals for the approach into Cambridge. 

I joined presenter Dave Webster on BBC Cambs to talk about the EWR announcement.

In principle, I support the need for connectivity and for the cleaner, greener travel that can be provided by a railway. However, Dave the presenter shared my disappointment at the government’s lack of transparency and willingness to come and talk issues through with local people: to him this was further demonstrated by East West Rail refusing to come on his programme if they were going to have to be on at same time as someone else (me). How can the Government expect to build public support for their plans if they won’t even come and listen to local people? Yet again, the Conservatives are simply not listening and they are taking our communities for granted.

Imagine what it must feel like to be living in Harlton village and hearing the government’s announcement of their preference for the southern route into Cambridge for East West Rail.

That’s what I wanted listeners to think about when I was invited to join Dave Webster’s programme on BBC Cambs.

Greener, cleaner connectivity is key and we all know how important the life sciences sector is to South Cambs, the UK economy and to life-saving innovations. However, there also have to be connections made between the biotech centres and the surrounding villages. Such huge infrastructure needs to take the human impacts into account as well as the environmental ones. The government needs to show how the railway will benefit local villages on the route. They have failed to do so.

I’ve been looking at the dense documents attached to the EWR announcement but I still can’t find a clear business case for this approach. What they do admit is that it is the more environmentally damaging and costlier route. It is also very difficult to find confirmation that the railway will be electrified and not diesel; given the climate emergency, this must be a net zero railway.

I will be writing to the Minister and EWR to urge them to come and talk through local concerns and make the necessary changes – not just have a series of public information meetings about decisions already made.