'Devastating' impact on orchard feared if Cambridgeshire busway passes
Anyone with objections have until today to submit them
There are fears a £160 million busway could spell the end for one of Cambridgeshire's oldest wildlife sites.
In November, the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) submitted a Transport and Works Act Order - needed before building can take place - to the Government.
Anyone wishing to object to the Cambourne to Cambridge busway - stretching 8.7 miles - has until today to do so.
Anna Gazeley's father bought Coton Orchard, which dates back to 1922, in the 1960s and is home to hundreds of trees, including apple trees and endangered birds.
Some of the 60-acre orchard lies directly in the path of the busway.
"It's devastating," she said.
"It's a bit like if I said 'I'll cut your home in half but I'm leaving your kitchen on one side and you've still got your bedroom on the other side, what's the problem?' But of course, you don't have a functional home.
"As I've made friends with ecologists and different wildlife experts who've come on the site, you realise it's horrific for the wildlife and what cascading knock-on effect that might have for the environment."
A spokesperson for the GCP - made up of the county council, South Cambs District Council, Cambridge City Council, the University of Cambridge and the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority - said the busway would "support both existing and growing communities - helping residents to get where they need to be."
However, the GCP said it understands “there are concerns regarding the proposals being developed, so we are committed to preserve views and limit the impact on the landscape.
"We are committing to deliver a minimum 10% biodiversity net gain for the scheme overall, with the ambition of achieving 20%."
The new busway, which would be a dedicated, congestion-free route for buses, would also link Cambridge with Bourn Airfield, as well as Hardwick and Coton.
Scheme has 'very damaging' impact
Cambridge Past, Present and Future (CPPF) - an environmental charity which owns some of the land affected - has put forward its own objection to the busway.
The charity - which estimates "one mile of wildlife habitat would be destroyed" by the GCP's plans - has also suggested its own alternative scheme, which would see buses use existing roads instead.
This includes providing a bus lane on Madingley Hill, one area that would be affected, which CPPF say "would achieve the project's objectives without causing environmental degradation or disrupting agricultural activities."
"If you say this scheme might not be as good but doesn't cause the environmental and landscape harm, it's a better scheme than a scheme that might deliver better transport benefits but is very damaging," James Littlewood, chief executive at CPPF, said.
"Cambridgeshire is one of the most nature depleted counties in the UK and because of that, every little bit of natural habitat that we have is much more important than what it might be in other parts of the country."
More than 23,000 people have signed a petition started by CPPF, which Mr Littlewood hopes will start a public inquiry.
"(The petition is) asking local politicians to build bus lanes, not bus roads, to avoid unnecessary environmental damage," Mr Littlewood added.
"We believe we've got a chance; it feels like a David and Goliath battle so we're definitely the minnow in this but we believe we can still win."
What else does the GCP say?
The GCP said its busway plans "would provide a reliable, frequent and easy 'turn up and go' service.
"We expect up to eight buses per hour in each direction, with direct services to key locations.
"There will also be a maintenance track to give people who want to walk or cycle different options about how they get into the city."
The GCP spokesperson said the scheme has been developed over several years and has "rigorously assessed" on and off-road options.
"We were conscious of the need to preserve the American Cemetery and important sites along the A1303 – including Madingley Woods, a Site of Special Scientific Interest – influenced the decision for the off-road route.”