Years of campaigning and planning came to fruition for villages in Houghton and Wyton as a set of new guided bus stops were officially opened.

Councillors, members of the community, and bus users came together on February 22 to cut the ribbon and declare the stops open for use, some four years after the idea was first mooted.

The stops, located on the A1123 Houghton Hill Road, will connect the villages with Huntingdon, St Ives, and Cambridge via the guided busway.

Councillor Ian Bates, from Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “This is good news for the community and the result of good partnership working. The new service on this road means people will be able to get to work, to school, and to the shops more easily.”

Funding for the project came from the county council, the A14 community fund, and from fundraising in the parish. The project cost about £70,000, with further work to do to install real time information boards in both the stops.

A crossing has also been installed to ensure safe passage for villagers returning from Cambridge.

Councillor Ray Baxendale, chairman of Houghton and Wyton Parish Council, said: “It’s been a long time coming and now the village is serviced by the guided bus. This is a cause for celebration as it will provide a valued benefit in particular in our community.

“It has taken a considerable effort over many years to achieve this event but at last – the wheels on the bus go round and round. All aboard!”

The decision to include the villages on the route, which first opened in 2011, was confirmed in 2017, with contractors commissioned to design and build the stops, crossing point, and connectivity to existing footpaths.