Corridor 3 of 12
Swaffham Greenway
Renamed in the singular in February 2026 — because Swaffham Prior fell out of the scheme.
In design or planning
What became of the 6 proposals for this corridor
In design or planning · 5
Not in current programme · 1
What the 2016 review asked for
- New off-road route Stow-cum-Quy to Lode, 2.2 km
- New off-road route through Stow-cum-Quy, 1 km
- New off-road route through Swaffham Bulbeck, 500 m
- Upgrade 4 km of substandard path between Lode and Swaffham Prior
- Upgrade the Newmarket Road Park & Ride and Ditton Lane junction
- Investigate the Lode–Horningsea–Milton route
What happened
- 2019First consultation, run jointly with Bottisham and Horningsea.
- 27 Feb – 24 Mar 2023Public engagement on updated plans.
- June 2023Executive Board approves the updated plans.
- 6 November 2025Route alignment revised: the greenway now runs Swaffham Bulbeck – Anglesey Abbey – Lode – Stow-cum-Quy, joining the Bottisham Greenway.
- February 2026'The Swaffhams Greenway was descoped to become the Swaffham Greenway.'
- May 2026Planning launch.
- November 2026Full business case due at the Executive Board.
Where it stands, September 2026
In design, with land procurement and stakeholder meetings under way and a planning application pending. The descoping removed Swaffham Prior — the village the 2016 review used to make the case, at 13 km from central Cambridge but close to Marshalls. Swaffham Bulbeck Parish Council has publicly accused the GCP of ignoring its concerns.
2026/27 budget £2,079kConsulted 2019, 2023FBC due Nov 2026
Audit
Every proposal on this route
| Proposed intervention (2016) | Type | Scale | Status 2026 | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New off-road route between Stow-cum-Quy and Lode | New route | 2.2 km | In design or planning | The core of what is now the Swaffham Greenway; alignment revised 6 November 2025 to run via Anglesey Abbey. |
| New off-road route through Stow-cum-Quy | New route | 1 km | In design or planning | Described in 2016 as a challenging route needing landowner consent; still pre-planning. |
| New off-road route through Swaffham Bulbeck | New route | 500 m | In design or planning | Still in design; Swaffham Bulbeck Parish Council has publicly objected to GCP's handling. |
| Upgrade substandard sections between Lode and Swaffham Prior | Upgrade | 4 km | Not in current programme | Removed when the Swaffhams Greenway was descoped to the Swaffham Greenway in February 2026. |
| Upgrade the route through Newmarket Road Park & Ride and the Ditton Lane / Fison Road junction | Upgrade | — | In design or planning | Transferred to the Bottisham Greenway, which now carries the shared Cambridge-end section. |
| Re-align the approach to the A14 underpass | Upgrade | — | In design or planning | Absorbed into the Bottisham Greenway design. |