Work on a proposed relief road for Whittlesey has stalled as Fenland District Council tries to find ways to secure a further £220,000 on top of £277,000 spent already on development work.
“The additional development work will cost £220,000, which is unfunded,” Cabinet was told. “Fenland District Council cannot fund it due to budget constraints and projected deficits.”
Funding options include seeking Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority support or third-party contributions.
Cabinet recommendations included instructing officers to explore funding options for the £220,000.
The project previously received £277,783 from the Market Towns Fund to develop the outline case and it is overseen by a member-led project board and delivered by consultants Mott MacDonald.
Cabinet was told early assessments show a strong case for a Whittlesey Relief Road to manage traffic and support sustainable growth. However, more detailed technical work is needed to enhance the value-for-money case and secure further government funding.
And immediate action is required to secure £220,000 for this next phase
The campaign for a Whittlesey relief road aims to address chronic traffic congestion, particularly from heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). The initiative seeks to improve journey reliability, reduce travel times, enhance air quality, and support economic and housing growth by diverting traffic, especially HGVs, away from the town centre along the A605.
Key Points of the Campaign:
- Origins and Need: The campaign stems from long-standing traffic issues, with residents reporting journeys that should take 15 minutes extending to 45 minutes due to congestion. The Fenland Local Plan, which proposed 11,000 new homes by 2031, underscored the need for infrastructure to support growth. Whittlesey is the only Fenland market town without a bypass, exacerbating issues with HGVs on residential routes like Inhams Road and Station Road.
- Initial Steps: In 2020, Whittlesey Town Council commissioned an inception study that found a “sound strategic case” for a relief road, citing benefits like reduced congestion, improved air quality, and economic growth. The study justified proceeding to a Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC).
- Project Development: In 2023, Fenland District Council appointed Mott MacDonald to develop the SOBC, funded with £260,000 from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) through its Market Towns Programme. The SOBC, completed in 2025, recommended a southern relief road (Option 3) to reroute HGVs and include active travel improvements for walking and cycling.
Public Consultation: A consultation ran from October 23 to November 22, 2024, inviting residents, businesses, and stakeholders to review four proposed routes. Events were held at Whittlesey Town Council offices (October 25), Aldi in Eastrea (November 9), and online via Microsoft Teams (November 12). Feedback shaped the final design for the SOBC with 310 responses received. 72% of respondents supported the scheme objectives. Most support was for Option 3: relief road + HGV rerouting + active travel.
Current Status: In May 2025, Fenland District Council approved the next phase, requiring £220,000 to refine the SOBC, improve the benefit-cost ratio, and explore cost reductions. The project currently shows poor value for money due to high costs, prompting efforts to secure additional funding from sources like the CPCA or the new Mayor, Paul Bristow.
- Challenges: The project faces hurdles like high costs, flood risks, and railway crossings. Traffic growth projections suggest severe congestion by the decade’s end, with roundabouts in Whittlesey adding 6.5 minutes to journeys.
- Community and council support: Local councillors, including Chris Boden and Dee Laws, emphasize the road’s necessity for economic growth and resident quality of life.
Critical Perspective:
While the campaign has strong local support, the high cost and “poor value for money” raise questions about feasibility without significant government funding. The focus on a southern route and HGV rerouting may not fully address all traffic issues, as a relief road differs from a bypass, potentially still allowing some traffic through the town. Additionally, environmental concerns like flood risks and the impact of new infrastructure on the Fens’ landscape warrant scrutiny.
Picture by Terry Harris.
Purpose: Divert heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) from Whittlesey’s town centre, particularly along the A605, Inhams Road, and Station Road, to reduce congestion and improve air quality.
Details: The proposed southern relief road aims to reroute traffic, cutting journey times (e.g., addressing delays where 15-minute trips take 45 minutes). The Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC) completed in 2025 highlights this as the preferred option, incorporating active travel infrastructure for walking and cycling.
Impact: Expected to alleviate pressure on residential routes, support housing growth (11,000 homes planned by 2031 per Fenland Local Plan), and reduce HGV-related noise and pollution.
Details: The outline business case by Mott MacDonald (2023-2025) identifies roundabouts as congestion points. Strategies may include signalization, lane adjustments, or bypass routes to improve flow.
This option – Option 3 in the document appraisal – was found to deliver the greatest overall benefits for the community, addressing congestion and reducing the dominance of traffic through the town centre while enhancing public spaces.
Cllr Chris Seaton, who was Fenland District Council’s portfolio holder for transport and Chair of the Whittlesey Relief Road project board overseeing the SOC, said: “The Strategic Outline Business Case confirms what residents and businesses in Whittlesey have known for years: that the town is under increasing pressure from traffic, particularly HGVs, and the situation will only worsen as more housing is created.
“A relief road would be transformational for the town – helping to protect Whittlesey’s unique character while unlocking new opportunities for growth, connectivity, and quality of life.”
He said that public support for a relief road is overwhelming, with 91 per cent of respondents to Fenland District Council’s public consultation in late 2024 backing the concept.
“The Strategic Outline Business Case makes a clear case for traffic intervention in Whittlesey but, as it stands, the benefit-cost ratio is too low for the project to progress to Outline Business Case,” added Cllr Seaton.
“The recommended assessment work would help us address the gap between the benefits costed so far and the scale and cost of the proposed scheme, with the aim of demonstrating better value for money
FOOTNOTE
A Whittlesey Relief Road project board oversees the project. This multi-agency group, established in 2023, includes elected representatives and officers from Fenland District Council, Whittlesey Town Council, Cambridgeshire County Council, and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA). Cllr Chris Seaton, Fenland District Council’s portfolio holder for transport, chairs the board, with Cllr Chris Boden, council leader, also a member. The board collaborates with consultants Mott MacDonald, appointed in October 2023, to develop the Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC), guiding the project’s direction, stakeholder engagement, and funding efforts.
