A petition has been launched to ask Cambridgeshire County Council to downgrade the A1123 and A1421 to a B road after the new administration reversed its original declassification decision.

Following the opening of the new A14, Cambridgeshire County Council passed a motion in December 2020 to pursue the declassification of the A1123 and the A1421 from an A road to a B road.

The new administration at the county council has, however, reversed this decision and decided the road will not now be declassified.

In July, at a meeting of Cambridgeshire County Council's highways and transport committee, it was decided not to progress the proposal to declassify the road status at this time.

It was however decided to carry out further consultation, analysis and discussion with communities.

It was also decided that officers would be requested to investigate potential options for traffic calming and speed reduction measures on these roads and possible sources of funding.

A petition has since been set up, which states 'the A1123 in Cambridgeshire runs from Soham to St Ives and onward to Huntingdon.

'It seriously blights village life for communities along its route with the sheer volume of traffic, the number of LCVs and HGVs and the consequent pollution.

'Soham, Wicken, Stretham, Wilburton, Haddenham, Earith and Bluntisham are all particularly badly affected on a daily basis'.

East Cambs District Council Leader Cllr Anna Bailey, who set up the petition, said: "This is not representative of the will of the people or parish councils along the route.

"And we, the undersigned, demand that Cambridgeshire County Council implements the downgrading of the A1123 and the A1421 to a B road.
Councillor Bill Hunt added: "The CCC highways meeting is being pushed towards a good 'kick down the road'.

"It ignores the massive majority at full council on December 15, the full council at ECDC (Feb 2021), the views of parish councils along the A1123 and most importantly the residents.

"At the CCC full council in December 2020, the Labour Party voted with Conservatives and Lib Dems together with Indies abstained. Nobody voted against."

Sign the petition online.