Campus foot and cycleway opens

A brand new multi-user path through the Babraham Research Campus opened today. The new foot and cycleway was opened by County Council Chairman Sebastian Kindersley (shown above right) and Babraham Institute Director Professor Michael Wakelam (above left) after an inaugural cycle ride from nearby Whittlesford.
 
This new path will give public access through the Campus, and will link Babraham village and recently built routes to Sawston and Abington with routes alongside the A1307, to give a very good network in this part of South Cambridgeshire. This will encourage cycle commuting to Granta Park and other employment hubs in this area, as well as providing a great local facility for runners, leisure cyclists, equestrians, walkers and wheelchair users.
 
County Council Chairman Sebastian Kindersley said “I am delighted that this work has been completed. This new route will complete a vital piece in the cycling and walking network in this part of South Cambridgeshire and allow more people to commute by bike to the large employment hubs in the area such as Granta Park. We are very grateful to the Babraham Research Campus for their role in allowing the path to be built, and public access to be given through the site.”
 
Works to create the 1.1km long 2.5m wide multiuser route were completed by the County Council contractors two weeks ahead of schedule, prior to Christmas. Associated works by the campus to install a fence along its length were completed in early January in preparation for the path being opened for access.
 
The £250k project is funded by developer contributions, and has only been made possible by a permissive path agreement between Cambridgeshire County Council and the landowners, the Babraham Institute and BBSRC.
 
Institute Director Professor Michael Wakelam said “I’m very glad that we were able to work with the County Council and the UK’s bioscience funding agency, the BBSRC, to agree a route through campus. Everyone on campus appreciates the beautiful setting in which they work and in addition to opening this up to users of the path, it provides a much needed safer alternative to the hazardous A1307.”
 
Local District Councillor Tony Orgee said: “The new route will improve connectivity and provide some new transport and leisure options for residents of Babraham, the Abingtons and other villages in this area.”

An updated electronic version of the Saffron Walden Map including the Babraham Research Campus path is available online.