University of Cambridge staff would no longer get free parking under a proposal being considered by a university ‘Car Parking Working Group’ tasked with tackling congestion in the city.

The working group, chaired by Professor Eilis Ferran, pro-Vice- Chancellor for Institutional and International Relations, is undertaking early consultation with staff members regarding whether the proposals should be taken forward.

It is hoped that the measure, in addition to alleviating the severe congestion problems that the city face, would help Cambridge “become a world-leading university for sustainable travel”.

The parking spaces are currently free to use for staff members who have obtained a permit, which are currently awarded according to a strict list of eight priorities.

Currently, research staff and other students are not granted parking rights, with undergraduates not allowed to keep cars while studying at Cambridge.

Other proposals being considered to encourage sustainable travel include extending cycleways, expanding the guided bus network, constructing a new highway, and introducing a congestion charge zone modelled on that of London.

Congestion is considered a serious problem in Cambridge, with various incidents in recent years resulting from a lack of proper traffic infrastructure.

According to a report by Cambridge Futures, an independent not-for-profit group that studies alternative methods of development in the Cambridge Sub-Region, the city’s rapid economic growth has far outpaced the development and renewal of its transport infrastructure.

Even though the population of the city has been maintained at just over 100,000 since the start of the millennium, the city’s surrounding towns and villages have also experienced rapid growth, leading to an ever-increasing number of commuters, including staff members of the university that reside outside of Cambridge.

It is further anticipated that the proposed building of 42,000 homes and the creation of 50,000 new jobs in the region will further burden the transport system, the repercussions of which could reduce the quality of life for residents and even cast its shadow over the local economy.

“The population growth in surrounding villages and market towns has been amongst the highest in the country,” notes the Cambridge Futures report. “As a result there is a daily influx of workers from outside the city: this outnumbers the resident workers. Traffic congestion has grown as a result of more people commuting by car, causing delays, accidents and pollution: their dispersed origins mean that public transport is unviable for many of these journeys.”

The report also warned: “There is a danger that an increasing number of major companies will leave Cambridge unless something is done about transport.”

A university spokesman said: “These proposals will consider the relative merits of charging for car-parking on university sites, with the aim of ensuring that any new policy adheres to the principles of equality, flexibility, accessibility, and considers how the university can contribute to reducing congestion and carbon emissions generated from commuting and business travel.

“Any proposed policy changes would be subject to a thorough staff consultation process as well as scrutiny by the relevant university committees.”