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COTON BUSWAY ACTION GROUP
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Latest News

THE FIGHT CONTINUES

3/23/2023

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On 21st March, County Councillors voted to approve the submission of the GCP's C2C Busway scheme to the Department of Work and Transport. This wa not unexpected, though still hugely disappointing. It was particularly frustrating that, in the meeting, the GCP completely failed to engage with any of our arguments, resorting to emotive and completely unsubtantiated  pronouncements such as 'children won't able get to school without the busway'.

But alongide the disappointment and frustration, we are enormously encouraged by the outpouring of public support in the run-up to the vote. Our petition numbers have surged by over a thousand a day, and our fighting fund is off to a flying start.

To repeat, and for the avoidance of any doubt, we wholly support the provision of good bus services and are keen to see fit-for-purpose transport solutions for Cambridge and the county. But it is absolutely clear that this scheme not only fails in both of these respects, but will also divert enormous amounts of funding that could be used for more effective projects.


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THANK YOU, CAMBRIDGE INDY!

3/15/2023

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We're absolutely delighted that C2C gets a front page, a double-page spread, and three entries on the letters pages in today's Cambridge Independent, ahead of next week's County Council vote. We hope that all their readers will see that this affects us  all.
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Coton Orchard Wassail

1/21/2023

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A dramatic Wassail King presided over the first Wassail at Coton Orchard while his Queen and local revellers performed a rousing Wassail poem, specially written for the occasion. With music, dancing and mulled cider, the apple trees were given the traditional toast and blessing before pots and pans were banged to scare away the forces of darkness.

Wassailing is an Anglo-Saxon tradition that used to take place on Twelfth Night, now celebrated on 5th January. But before the Gregorian Calendar threw everything into disarray, ‘Old Twelvey’ fell on the 17th.

Wassail comes from the Anglo Saxon waes hael – ‘be well’ or ‘be in good health’. And so it was that people gathered in orchards to bless the fruit trees and drink a toast to ensure a good harvest. The celebrations took various forms, but most included a wassail king and queen, much singing and revelry, and making a loud noise to waken the trees and ward off evil spirits. As revellers sang, a piece of cider-soaked toast would be placed into the branches of the oldest or largest tree as an offering.

The wassail has seen an extraordinary revival in recent years.  It comes at a time when both the rich heritage and the extraordinary ecological value of traditional orchards are being recognised, and may also be something to do with a growing desire to reconnect with nature and with our agrarian roots.

With first Coton Orchard Wassail, a new village tradition has been established. And, like the 'Wassail words' of the penultimate verse, the poem has already been passed around and adopted by The Orchard Project wassail and others.
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Busway plans are to go to the Government - but the fight goes on

10/5/2022

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CLICK FOR FULL ARTICLE
On 28th September, the Greater Cambridge Partnership's executive board agreed to a formal request to Cambridgeshore County Council to submit their proposal to the Department of Transport for approval. It was good to see the Cambridge Independent giving full-page coverage to the story, and reporting on some of the searching questions put to the board.

It was just rather a shame that the accompanying photo was an old one showing a bleak and barren-looking field, rather than woods or flourishing hedgerows or the 100-year-old orchard.

The article ends with Elisa Meschini's justifications for the scheme:
  • "traffic levels are beginning to increase again"
  • "this is without the additional growth in Cambourne and Bourne airfield"
  • "that people in Cambourne have "abosolutely zero ways to sustainably commute into Cambridge"
However…
  • The first assertion is not supported by the evidence.
  • The second is not supported by the GCP's own reports.
  • The third is not true as there is already a bus service from Cambourne to Cambridge, which is reportedly under-used.

But most importantly, if a different/better/more frequent bus service into Cambridge is required, there is absolutely no need for it to veer away from the A428, cut across green belt and destroy a priority habitat. It can perfectly well follow existing transport networks. Yet the GCP have consistently refused to even consider this option, and have never properly explained why. Full facts and figures here.

The outcome of the vote was disappointing but fully expected. The next stage will be a public enquiry in which the application will be considered and objections can be presented. With CPPF, we are now raising funds for to ensure full professional representation at the enquiry.
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CBAG steps up

8/9/2022

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With the GCP preparing to submit its proposal for its C2C Busway Scheme to the Department of Transport,the Coton Busway Action Group is moving into a higher gear. Together with Cambridge Past, Present and Future and other groups, we are now stepping up our campaign to raise public awareness, keep up pressure on decision makers and raise the funds for independent experts and legal professionals to be able to present the case at the Public Inquiry in 2023.

With a new logo, a new website and Twitter account, we are relaunching our campaign to ensure Cambridge gets a better solution.  Our relaunch coincides with the launch of the CPPF petition – and we're asking all supporters to sign as soon as possible and help us get off to a flying start.

Check back for regular updates!
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