Ten years ago this month, the review that planned this network was published. In the time it then took Greater Cambridge to appoint the consultants who would design its routes, Copenhagen's equivalent partnership of councils built a finished cycle route connecting one of its towns to the capital. A decade on, Greater Cambridge has finished one route of twelve.

Finish the Greenways

Corridor 7 of 12

Sawston Greenway

Approved in July 2026 — with the disused railway corridor, the whole reason for re-aligning it, paused on cost.

Approved, construction due

Map from the 2016 review showing the proposed Sawston Greenway and its links
The corridor as drawn in 2016. Reproduced from the review commissioned by Cambridgeshire County Council; base mapping © OpenStreetMap contributors. See the full document →

What became of the 7 proposals for this corridor

Approved, construction due · 2 Paused on cost · 2 Not in current programme · 3

What the 2016 review asked for

  • Widen the 'Genome' / DNA path from the Biomedical Campus to Great Shelford
  • Quick win: revised alignment and crossing in Stapleford, plus 400 m of widening and bridge works
  • New link Shelford Station to the A1301 along the disused railway, 1.3 km
  • New path along the disused railway and Granta corridor, A1301 to Sawston, 3 km
  • New path to Spicers level crossing, 1.2 km
  • Links across the A505 to Duxford, Hinxton and the Sanger Institute

What happened

  • Winter 2017/18Community engagement.
  • Summer 2020Public consultation.
  • 1 October 2020Executive Board approves the scheme.
  • February 2023Outline business case issued.
  • Autumn 2022Four-week consultation reaching 6,000 households and businesses.
  • 2025The proposed off-road railway link is paused because of rising construction costs.
  • 30 July 2026Traffic Regulation Orders discussed for the Stapleford and Great Shelford sections.
  • 9 July 2026Full business case approved by the Executive Board.
  • Late 2026 / early 2027Construction anticipated.

Where it stands, September 2026

Approved and heading for construction, but as the on-road route through Stapleford and Great Shelford that the 2016 review described as a 'quick win' — not the re-aligned railway route it recommended. The review was blunt that the existing route 'has some difficult stretches in Stapleford' and that a new alignment was the prize. That prize is paused.

2026/27 budget £2,878kFBC approved 9 July 2026Construction Late 2026 / early 2027
Audit

Every proposal on this route

Proposed intervention (2016)Type ScaleStatus 2026What happened
Widen the 'Genome' / DNA path between the Biomedical Campus and Great Shelford Upgrade ~3 km Approved, construction due Full business case approved 9 July 2026; a wider, better-lit DNA path is in the scheme.
Revised alignment and road crossing in Stapleford, plus path widening and bridge works Upgrade 150 m + 400 m Approved, construction due The 2016 'quick win' is now the leading section: buildability and safety checks complete, construction expected late 2026 / early 2027.
New link from Shelford Station to the A1301 along the disused railway corridor New route 1.3 km Paused on cost The off-road railway link is paused because of rising construction costs.
New path following the disused railway and River Granta between the A1301 and Sawston New route 3 km Paused on cost Paused with the rest of the railway-corridor proposal.
New path from the disused railway corridor to Spicers level crossing New route 1.2 km Not in current programme Not in the current scheme.
Links across the A505 to Duxford, Hinxton and the Wellcome Sanger Institute, including a possible A505 bridge or underpass at Whittlesford Parkway New structure bridge/underpass Not in current programme Never progressed beyond the review's 'look further at opportunities'.
A more direct route through Great Shelford via Mill Court Upgrade — Not in current programme The scheme follows Church Street and Mingle Lane instead.
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