Council confirms controversial plans to permanently close Chesterfield’s Crow Lane and create cycle lane on Chatsworth Road

Derbyshire County Council confirmed that Crow Lane will close permanently to vehicles to create a dedicated cycle and walking route from the east side of the town to the Royal Hospital. A cycle lane on Chatsworth Road will also be built and the current 30mph speed limit will be extended.

These decisions were taken by cabinet member for highways assets and transport, Councillor Kewal Singh Athwal, on Wednesday, November 9 following a public consultation.

Coun Kewal Singh Athwal said: “We have listened carefully to what people told us in the consultation and looked at all the alternatives given.

“Creating this route across Chesterfield will give many more people the opportunity to get out of their cars, and either walk or cycle to get into town, or up to the hospital.

“We know that many hospital staff walked or cycled on Crow Lane at the height of the pandemic, and we would expect numbers to increase when the lane closes to vehicles again for good.”

Crow Lane was first closed in June 2020 during the pandemic, to create a walking and cycling route between Chesterfield Station and the Royal Hospital.

The move sparked uproar from residents and the Chesterfield and District Civic Society – with a group opposed to the closure highlighting Crow Lane as a ‘vitally important route for local people’.

In December 2021, DCC were reported to the Local Government Ombudsman over their handling of the closure. Crow Lane was expected to reopen on December 1, when temporary permission to shut the route under emergency Covid-19 legislation ran out. The road remained closed until December 17, however - which campaigners said was ‘unlawful’. In February 2022, the Ombudsman confirmed their investigation was underway.

Controversy has also surrounded the plans for a cycle lane on Chatsworth Road. Members of the Derbyshire Green Party supported the proposals – describing them as a step towards a ‘more sustainable and healthier future’ for the town.

Chesterfield Civic Society did not take issue with the 30mph speed limit extension, but expressed their ‘absolute and unqualified opposition’ to the dedicated cycle lane – stating it would make Chatsworth Road ‘dangerously narrow for the volume of traffic which it currently carries.’

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Derbyshire County Council revealed that, in total, 1,240 people responded to the widely publicised consultation concerning the proposals.

For the Crow Lane closure, 752 people supported this with 416 people objecting. 980 people supported the 30mph extension on Chatsworth Road, with 178 objections. For the cycle lane on Chatsworth Road 741 people supported this, with 430 objecting.

The council also received two petitions, one supporting the closure of Crow Lane, with 522 signatures, and one against the closure with 744 signatures.

In total, adding together the results of the consultation and the results of the petition, more people wanted Crow Lane to close permanently than not (738 or 51% of people were for, 638 or 44% were against, and 72 or 5% abstained.)

Work starts on some sections of the route this autumn. Crow Lane will close permanently at some point in the new year, once work to create a cycle and walking route from the station to the start of the closed Crow Lane section has taken place.

The Government has awarded the county council £1.68m to create the new route. It will go from the A619 junction with Holymoor Road, along Chatsworth Road and the existing Hipper Valley Trail, through Queen’s Park, past the train station and to the hospital and beyond by using Crow Lane and Wetlands Lane.

More information on the decisions can be found at democracy.derbyshire.gov.uk