Whittlesey: 'No more housing without better roads'

Cllr Chris Boden put forward a motion at the recent full Fenland council meeting, called "Breaking the Bottlenecks: A Plan to Unlock Growth in Whittlesey and Chatteris", which sets out steps to gather evidence needed to fix local transport issues and help growth.

The motion, backed by fellow councillors, seeks to gather independent data that is needed to address these issues as part of Fenland's new Local Plan, Fenland 50.

Without better roads, Cllr Boden said there should be no more housing development in and around Whittlesey.

Cllr Boden told members the council needs up-to-date transport data to plan for the district’s future and secure investment in the roads infrastructure for both towns.

He explained that while March and Wisbech already have strong transport plans based on detailed studies, Whittlesey and Chatteris are being held back by a lack of similar data.

"This disparity risks placing a 'ceiling' on Fenland's overall economic potential," he warned. "

“We cannot deliver a true Fens Growth Triangle if one of its primary corridors is constrained by an outdated evidence base.

Cllr Chris Boden has said the roads around Whittlesey need upgrading before there is any more housing development in the town, and hopes his motion will back up his view. (Image: Cambridgeshire County Council)

"The infrastructure challenges on the A605 at Whittlesey are already acting as a brake on prosperity and quality of life. Without action, that deficit will only deepen as approved housing and commercial developments are built out.”

The motion said the infrastructure deficit on the A605 at Whittlesey is a significant and unacceptable barrier, and pressures in the town often become even worse when the B1040 closes due to flooding.

It also recognises the urgent need to take an “active and independent lead in protecting Chatteris”.

With proposals such as the Fens Reservoir and other growth pressures emerging, the council cannot remain passive or rely solely on developer-led modelling.

Instead, it will develop its own robust analysis to ensure infrastructure in the Fens is designed primarily for the benefit of residents, not just external projects.

The motion mandates that the council will:

• Commission a Strategic Transport Evidence Update to support the emerging Local Plan (Fenland 50), providing independent data to address both existing and future pressures.
• Prioritise the development of a technical evidence base for Whittlesey and Chatteris, bringing the A605, A141 and A142 – including Slade End Roundabout – into alignment with the technical standards already established for March and Wisbech.
• Formalise this work within the Fens Growth Triangle framework, creating “shelf-ready” evidence capable of securing national infrastructure investment.
• Feed the Strategic Transport Evidence Update directly into the work of the Fenland Transport Economic Assessment Project Board.

Speaking in support of the motion, Cllr Gary Christy said: “As portfolio holder for transport, I cannot ignore the fact that we are trying to plan for the next 25 years with evidence that simply isn’t fit for purpose.

"If we want to deliver the Fens Growth Triangle, then all three corners must have the same level of technical rigour, and right now they do not, and this motion corrects that.”

Cllr Chris Boden continued: "I believe that we've reached a legal and practical tipping point, where further economic and housing development in and around Whittlesey just cannot be supported with our current inadequate roads infrastructure. 

"I hope that this Strategic Transport Evidence Update (if its results match what I expect) will be a key legal step towards stopping any further significant proposed development in and around Whittlesey from being granted planning permission for at least a decade, until a Whittlesey Southern Relief Road is built."

The Strategic Transport Evidence Update will form a core component of the evidence base for the Fenland 50 Local Plan, ensuring that future growth across the district is both sustainable and deliverable.

Have your say: Fenland 50 scoping survey visit: www.surveymonkey.com/r/fenland50

Anyone wishing to comment on the motion can do so as part of the current Local Plan scoping consultation, which is open until Monday, March 23.

Residents, businesses and organisations are being encouraged to help shape the future of the district by completing the simple survey, which will inform the early stages of the new Local Plan.