Milton, Cambridgeshire

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Milton is a village just north of Cambridge separated from the city by the A14. It has a population of approximately 4,300 with 3,200 being on the electoral register. It expanded considerably in the late 1980s when two large housing estates were built between the bypass and the village resulting in a doubling of the population between the 1981 and 1991 censuses. In the next decade its population remained static and according to the 2001 census it was still around 4,300.

In Cambridge, Milton is perhaps best known for its Tesco supermarket; however Milton is more than just a series of housing estates with a supermarket tacked on: the old parts of the village have a great deal of charm and it retains its village character despite being so close to Cambridge.

The village possesses four pubs and a brewery, Milton Brewery. There are two churches: All Saints Church, which serves the Church of England parish of Milton, and a New Apostolic Church. Sue Nunn and John Uttin are Lay Pastors at All Saints.

The village has a primary school but no secondary school. Most pupils continue their education in Impington or Cottenham. There is also an Agricultural College, part of the College of West Anglia.

The Cambridge Science Park technically lies within the village although it is on the Cambridge side of the A14^[1]. Milton is also the home of the Pi Group and Symbian's Cambridge offices.

In the early 2000s, Milton acquired a reputation for having an unpleasant smell - the "Milton Pong" - caused by its proximity to the Cambridge Sewage Works. In 2003 the South Cambridgeshire District Council took legal action against Anglian Water and as a result improvements have been made which considerably improved the situation; however on some nights when there is a southerly wind some smell is still noticeable.

Milton Country Park is located at the southern edge of the village and can be accessed very easily by car or bus. Built on the site of a former gravel quarry, it offers sanctuary for wildlife and plants. Two flooded pits now form freshwater lakes, one of which is available for fishing. A network of over two miles of paths leads around the park; many of these paths are suitable for bicycles and wheelchairs as well as those on foot. A sensory garden next to the visitors' centre gives has plants selected for aroma and texture, and opposite it a sustainable garden is being built. A wheelchair loan scheme is in operation. However, the park's financial future became unsure due to the 2005 Council Tax capping,^[2] making it likely that some substantial changes, including car park charging, would be made.^[3] The council have agreed in principle to hand the management and possibly ownership of the park to another agency, or to close the park if they cannot find such an agency by August 2007.^[4] In any case, management of the park's café, Swallows, which currently provides employment for the mentally handicapped, is to be re-tendered.^[5] The park does not have Local Nature Reserve status, and the District Council have chosen not to apply, so if the park closes the land may be developed; and a substantial part of the park is leased to the council and will revert to the landowner if the park closes, so if it does close it cannot be reopened. A group of park users have formed a campaign, Save Milton Country Park, to save the park from closure. The campaign has received over 8,000 signups^[6] and is accepting pledges.

The land between Milton and Waterbeach has been purchased for building a rowing lake by Cambridge Rowing Lake. Plans for an international-standard 8-lane rowing lake have been on the cards in Cambridge for many years. The original planning permission for the rowing lake was granted in 1995, but lapsed in 2005. In 2003 a resurgence of interest in the lake was generated by London's bid for the 2012 Olympic Games. Many thought that Cambridge could be the rowing centre for the games, although it was deemed too far from London for that purpose. Plans in 2004 were for the first portion of the rowing lake to be open by early 2007, although that aim now seems out of reach.

Location: 52°14′39″N, 0°9′49″E