Draft Bourn Airfield Supplementary Planning Document - June 2019

Comment

Representation ID: 168007

Received: 17/07/2019

Respondent: British Horse Society

1A A STREET NETWORK THAT INTEGRATES MOVEMENT AND PLACE

Horse riding should be included in the discussion surrounding the bridleway network, not just implying these are for pedestrians and cyclists.

1B AN ENVIRONMENT THAT PROMOTES WALKING AND CYCLING
These should be NMU routes.

Comment

Representation ID: 168223

Received: 29/07/2019

Respondent: British Horse Society

FIX G RECREATIONAL WALKING, CYCLING AND HORSE RIDING ROUTES

Reasons to include equestrians:
- 2017 equestrian industry contributed £4.3bn to economy. Second largest rural employer.
- Relies on network of safe, off road access to countryside.
- With good design, costs no more.
- Safely and happily share paths less than 3m wide.
- No report of injury to third party by horse.
- Bridleway network is inadequate, fragmented and needs improvement. Shared pedestrian / cycle path fragments.
- Majority of cyclists are male / horse riders are female.
- Mental and physical health benefits. Older women participate.
- Vulnerable road user.

Equestrian accident statistics
UK November 2010 to March 2019 road incidents involving horses:
43 humans died. 315 horses died. 3,757 incidents reported - only 10% of the actual.
East of England one of highest accident rate.

Access provided in SPD helps link fragmented network and enables equestrian route from Cambourne to Coton. Support inclusion of equestrians in plans for any new/improved access. Request perimeter track be considered a Restricted Byway, suitable for carriage drivers.

Comment

Representation ID: 168224

Received: 29/07/2019

Respondent: British Horse Society

2.4 ACCESS, MOVEMENT & CONNECTIVITY

Active Travel (Cycling and Walking)

Active Travel includes horse riding therefore 'horse riding' should also be included in the heading. This will help to ensure that equestrianism is included throughout the section on Access. Equestrians should not be excluded from the long distance routes proposed by the GCP.

The bridleways noted on this diagram should be clearly marked as being for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders. This development provides the opportunity to create a Restricted Byway network rather than simply a bridleway network, creating access for carriage drivers. There is a lack of access for carriage drivers not only in Cambridgeshire but throughout the UK.

Comment

Representation ID: 168225

Received: 29/07/2019

Respondent: British Horse Society

Access to the countryside for all users should be included in this section. It is not included in any of the other Strategic Objectives.

Under the 'Well Connected Places' heading, horse riding should be included in the new networks.

Under the bullet point page 35 'Contributions to the enhancement of the surrounding cycle network, including potential new routes that link eastward to Cambridge along the A428 corridor' - these should be non motorised user routes.

Under the bullet point on page 39 'Connections to Highfields Caldecote, including footpaths through the woodland on this edge of the site, providing access to Furlong Way and Grafton Drive. Routes through woodland areas should be sensitively designed and lit.' - NMU routes should be considered for the woodland?

Under the bullet point on page 39: 'Connections to the existing bridleway running along the southern edge of the site, with enhancement to existing paths that link the site with Bourn and Highfields Caldecote' - Currently the wording with the title as is, only gives walking and pedestrian access to the existing bridleway network and the word 'path' in this context currently relates only to shared pedestrian and cycle access. Any links to the bridleway network need to be NMU. 'Enhancement' also needs to be defined - putting a tarmac surface on a bridleway is not an enhancement.

Comment

Representation ID: 168226

Received: 29/07/2019

Respondent: British Horse Society

4 Healthy, Active and Resilient

4B ACCESS TO NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS

We also support the references to bridleway creation in woodland settings set out in this section although it appears to conflict with comments referred to in other sections.

Comment

Representation ID: 168227

Received: 29/07/2019

Respondent: British Horse Society

FIX G RECREATIONAL WALKING, CYCLING AND HORSE RIDING ROUTES

We appreciate the creation and inclusion of equestrian routes in this section but do not understand the need for separate walking and cycling routes where there is a bridleway which is available to all users?

Figure 47| Recreational walking, cycling and horse riding
We support this proposed scheme although as previously stated, we would like to see the inclusion of a circular Restrict Byway open to carriage drivers. Whilst we appreciate that this might be of concern, it would be a bold and progressive step in much the same way that the hugely popular Cambourne peripheral bridleway was when it was first constructed.

Comment

Representation ID: 168228

Received: 29/07/2019

Respondent: British Horse Society

6.2 INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY PLAN - NON-MOTORISED USER INFRASTRUCTURE - FIGURE 55

1 Improved walking and cycling network
- Refers to riding in the text so horse riding should be included in the first column

2 Cycleway Improvement
- What provision is being made for equestrians on this route?

3 Rights of Way Network
- Does not include access for carriage drivers.