Shared cycle path and pavement changes planned following death of cyclist

Changes are being planned for Huntingdon town centre following the death of a cyclist which led to a pedestrian being jailed for manslaughter.

Celia Ward, 77, was riding on the path by the ring road in the town when Auriol Grey gesticulated for her to move onto the road.

CCTV footage recorded Ms Grey shouting 'get off the f***ing pavement' just moments before Mrs Ward wobbled into the road and into the path of a VW Passat.

Mrs Ward was pronounced dead at the scene following the incident on October 20, 2020.

In March this year, Grey (49) of Bradbury Place, Huntingdon, was jailed for three years after being found guilty of manslaughter.

During the sentencing, Peterborough Crown Court heard there had been confusion as to whether the path had been a pavement, or a shared footpath and cycling route – although Judge Sean Enright said it was a shared path.

A new report from Cambridgeshire County Council said the path where the incident happened had never been shown as a cycle route, or a shared use path. The report said: “The footway on the north side of Nursery Road has never been signed as shared use and is not shown as a cycle route on the Cambridgeshire County Council cycle maps, printed or online."

Now Cambridgeshire County Council has said changes will be made on the path to ensure there is clarity.

In the report, the council said: “The cycle route is on the shared use footway on the inside of the ring road from The Walks North to Riverside Road. From Riverside Road back to The Walks North the cycle route is on the shared use footway on the outside of the ring road.”

The report adds that funding is now being sought to improve signage in the town. The report says: “An audit has been undertaken of the signage of the shared use path around the ring road and some gaps have been identified, on Walden Road, Castle Moat Road, Riverside and between Sainsburys & Hartford Road. Funding is being sought to provide the missing signage.

"Following the recent incident on Nursery Road the County has, and will continue to, reaffirm the importance of all users taking care and being considerate to each other.”

Along with improved signage, the council has pledged to put updated cycle maps on the County’s website and circulate printed maps to

libraries, community centres and bike shops by next month.

There are also longer term plans, including a review of the status of the whole ring road as an active travel route.

The report said: “The potential for further improvements to the ring road and to links to the surrounding cycle network in Huntingdon (including for example, the links to Godmanchester, Brampton, Houghton, and through the town centre) will be looked at. In some areas the width available is likely to make significant improvements difficult without changes to traffic management or reallocation of road space from motor vehicle traffic to active travel use.”