Some Years before Cardea [South Stanground] link is open

Cardea [South Stanground] residents, children and

toddlers face years of dangerously walking along a

sloping storm drain next to the by-pass link says PCC.

 The sloping  storm drain is the light coloured strip

in our picture to the right of the bypass it is not a safe walkway 

In an astonishing admission, in response to our enquiries, PCC has finally admitted  in a letter from a senior planning officer that it will be many years before a safe link or pathway is open from Park Farm to Cardea [now to be known as South Stanground] and as a result we can expect for the next few years to see Mums with pushchairs and children negotiating the sloping bypass storm drain as the only viable footway for this side of town.   The letter from Senior Planning Officer  Louise Lewis states:

"I am writing regarding your recent emails about South Stanground . I am dealing with the Planning aspects of the South Stanground development."

 "You raised the issue of there not being a footway or footpath along the Bypass. This road was never intended to be a pedestrian route, as there are pedestrian routes planned to go into the new development. As yet only the first of these is open, at the Oakdale School end of the development. 

"The permanent route through the new estate [South Stanground] is not yet in place. Eventually, as the eastern end of the estate is developed, there will be another pedestrian link through to Whittlesey Road. It will probably be some years before that link is open...."

 "When we [PCC Planning] were dealing with the planning application for the new Morrisons we considered pedestrian access from outside South Stanground. However as there are pedestrian routes planned for the future, as well as a bus service and other food shops in the Stanground area, we had to conclude that we could not insist on a temporary pedestrian route.

 "The Bypass is not owned or managed by the City Council. It is still technically a private road, although open to the public, and in due course it will be made over to the City Council. The Bypass, as well as the undeveloped parts of the South Stanground site to the east of Morrisons, are owned by Persimmon Homes. If they and/or Morrisons came to us with a proposal to improve pedestrian access we would be happy to discuss it with them, but we cannot insist that they provide a public path across their land.

" I hope that this explains some of the background to the current situation". 

Yours sincerely

Louise Lewis

Senior Planning Officer

Peterborough City Council

Ms Lewis fails to point out that the land owned by Persimmon Homes will not now be used for housing but will be offered at some time in the future as a commercial development site. What is not understood is why a safe footpath at the 'Park Farm' end of South Stanground has to wait many years for a development to be completed first? On Health & Safety grounds alone, a level footpath needs to be installed now. PCC are clearly aware of the peril and still approved planning applications for Morrisons Supermarket and a Marstons Pub, both substantial crowd magnets and it only needs one fatality to see why. Ideally drinkers should be encouraged to walk rather than use their cars but not if they face danger from the lack of proper footway!  

 

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