Thank you for taking the time to submit this petition and for sharing your concerns about traffic conditions in the area between Histon Road and Huntingdon Road. We fully recognise the issues you have raised, particularly around road safety, air quality, and the impact of increasing through-traffic on residential streets. We also appreciate the strength of feeling in relation to the safety of children travelling to Mayfield Primary School and the wider effects on community life.

We have carefully considered the proposal to introduce automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) camera enforcement at Windsor Road, allowing access for residents and their visitors via a permit system. While we understand the intention behind this suggestion, there are some significant practical and operational challenges that make this approach difficult for the Council to deliver at present.

To operate a system like this, we would need to create and maintain a list of all authorised vehicles. This would involve contacting every household in advance to collect vehicle details, similar to introducing a new residents’ parking scheme but on a larger and more complex scale. Unlike parking permits, we would need details for all vehicles passing through the restriction, not just those choosing to park.

Maintaining this list would also require ongoing work, as residents move home, change vehicles, or have visitors. Experience elsewhere suggests that keeping such lists fully up to date is very challenging, and inaccuracies can lead to penalty notices being issued incorrectly, which then need to be appealed, adding further delays and administrative burden.

There are also practical questions around how exemptions would work. For example, accommodating visitors, deliveries, or taxi journeys at short notice is difficult within current systems, which typically require advance notice. Providing broader exemptions could also reduce the effectiveness of the restriction by allowing more vehicles through than intended.

It is also important to note that the Mill Road bus gate, which has been referenced as a comparison, does not operate with general exemptions for residents or visitors. Its exemptions are limited to specific categories, and a more flexible arrangement would be much more complex to manage.

In addition, there are infrastructure and cost considerations. A suitable camera location would likely require new equipment, power supply, and highway works. Installation costs alone are estimated at around £35,000, not including ongoing maintenance and operation. At present we are looking at a new contractual arrangement for procurement and maintenance of cameras and any such scheme would need to be considered alongside wider Council priorities and available funding.

Taking all these factors together, a resident-only ANPR system would be difficult to implement and sustain effectively.

We recognise the importance of looking at the area as a whole and avoiding any measures that simply shift traffic from one street to another.

In Benson Street and Canterbury Street, measures have already been introduced through the Local Highways Improvement (LHI) process, including road narrowing and priority give-way features to discourage larger vehicles and reduce through-traffic. At the time, other options such as one-way systems or modal filters were explored but were not supported by residents.

If views in the area have changed, we would very much welcome further engagement. The LHI process remains open for new applications, and officers are available to support residents in developing proposals.

We understand that residents are keen to see meaningful action. In some cases, taking smaller, step-by-step measures can be a helpful way forward. For example, a camera-enforced School Street at Mayfield Primary School could help reduce traffic at the busiest and most sensitive times of day, improving safety for children and families. This type of scheme could be explored with the school and local community. Before any further measures are introduced, we would also need to carry out traffic surveys and site assessments to better understand current patterns and ensure that any intervention is effective and appropriate.

We are grateful to everyone who contributed to this petition. Your feedback is essential in helping us understand local concerns and priorities. While the specific proposal for an ANPR system is not currently considered a practical option, we remain committed to working with residents to explore solutions that improve safety and reduce the impact of traffic on your neighbourhood.

Please do continue to engage with us, and we would be happy to discuss potential next steps, including future LHI applications or other initiatives.