Cycle-friendly cattle grid lets Cambridge city cows escape

New–style flat cattle grids installed to help cyclists exit Cambridge green space without having to get off their bikes have hit a major snag – they don’t prevent the cows from escaping.

Today (Wednesday, June 14) cows strolled onto the Chisholm Trail bike path over a gateway with a new low-profile cattle grid that was installed thanks to an active travel scheme from Cambridgeshire County Council. A similar cattle grid has also been placed at the exit from Laundress Green onto Mill Lane in Cambridge – but the authority has received complaints that cows can step around the narrow grids.

And a pedestrian underpass that runs beneath the Fen Causeway has now been blocked off to prevent the herd from travelling from Sheep’s Green to the gate-free pasture.

Cambridge artist Hilary Cox Condron tweeted today about the cows overrunning the Chisholm Trail, and said a passerby joked “We’ll see ‘em in Aldi with shopping trolleys next”

But Cambridge City councillor Jean Glasburg (Green, Newnaham) had already raised the alarm with the county council last week about the new-stye cattle grids. She investigated after discovering the blocked pedestrian access. She said: “Residents alerted me to the fact that the Fen Causeway underpass was blocked and that there was a sign up saying it was temporarily closed, awaiting repairs on Mill Lane cattle grid.

“When I contacted Cambridge City Council to find out what was going on officers told me that Cambridgeshire County Council had installed a new cattle grid on Laundress Green, but unfortunately, it was found that this grid was not suitable for use, as the cattle could still walk over it. As a result, a decision was made to close the underpass until an alternative cattle grid had been installed or adaptations made.

“The underpass has now been closed for weeks – I want to know why the barrier can’t be installed across the Mill Lane entrance to Laundress Green until the cattle grid is fixed rather than inconvenience people wanting to use the Fen Causeway underpass to avoid the busy Fen Causeway?”

The same problem also occurred last summer when a similar style of cattle grid was installed at Ditton Meadows and cows escaped their pasture onto the Chisholm Trail cycle path.

Cllr Naomi Bennett (Green, Abbey) said: “It was a very well-meaning scheme. The adapted cattle grid was installed so that cyclists and people in wheelchairs and mobility scooters could cross it without being too shaken up. Unfortunately the cows could easily walk across and escaped onto the Chisholm Trail where they ate all the new trees that had been planted there. Luckily that situation was remedied quite quickly.”

A Cambridge City Council spokesperson said: “We have found previously that cows can straddle narrow cattle grids and squeeze between bollards, and shared our concerns with County Council colleagues. We understand measures are to be put in place that will reduce the risk of cows escaping, whilst retaining the desired open cycle and footpath routes.”

Cambridgeshire County Council is responsible for fixing the cattle grid as it is the authority in charge of highways. A spokesperson for the council said: “We put in the new cattle grids as part of our Active Travel programme which replaced the vehicle and pedestrian gates.

“We’re aware of the concerns from the City Council about the cows and we’re looking to put in some additional railings as soon as possible.

“We’re working with the City Council about necessary changes to the cattle grids.

“The road is not a through route and the corner means traffic accessing the centre, hotel etc has to slow down to turn.

“Our independent road safety audit hasn’t raised any issues, and a further safety audit will be undertaken once the works are completed’.