Council chiefs thank residents for their 'patience' amid Chesterfield road closures

Council chiefs have thanked residents for their 'patience and understanding' while a number of Chesterfield roads were closed for a major cycling race.
The Ovo Energy Women's Tour.The Ovo Energy Women's Tour.
The Ovo Energy Women's Tour.

Derbyshire County Council shut several town centre routes on Saturday during stage four of the Ovo Energy Women’s Tour - sparking complaints from some residents and business bosses.

A council spokesman said: "Thousands of people turned out to enjoy the event which was a great success.

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"Road closures were kept to a minimum and access was open to all but one of the main car parks.

"West Bars roundabout had to be closed by the race escort for around half an hour at the start and finish of the race which did cause some build-up.

"That's why we had three officers manually controlling the traffic lights here and along the A619 at the busiest times to ensure any delays were kept to a minimum.

"With an event of this size there’s bound to be some disruption and we'd like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding. Quite a few people commented on how well it had gone and how much they'd enjoyed themselves. But we're happy to listen to any feedback about the event, good or bad."

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Kate Spencer-Payne, owner of Care 100 on Chatsworth Road, said: "The road closures caused big problems throughout Chesterfield.

"We had customers who were stuck in traffic and took nearly two hours to get to us.

"My company's takings were down until the middle of the afternoon.

"I know a number of of other Chesterfield business were affected as well.

"Does the council not care about people's livelihoods?"

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Commenting on the Derbyshire Times' Facebook page, Richard Smith said: "It may be the weekend but people have to have free movement to get to work on time and get home on time."

Dave Longden described the situation as 'chaos'.

However, David Dudley said: "Moan, moan, moan, moan, moan. Why are folk in Chesterfield so miserable?"