Derbyshire Green Party describes plans to tackle congestion on A61 Derby Road as ‘woefully inadequate’

Derbyshire County Council, North East Derbyshire District Council and Lee Rowley, North East Derbyshire’s Conservative MP, recently launched plans to improve traffic flow on the A61 Derby Road to cut traffic and journey times in and around Wingerworth, Tupton, Ashover, Old Tupton, Clay Cross, Danesmoor.

While many years in production, Derbyshire Green Party has labelled the plan as ‘woefully inadequate’ to tackle the issues faced and does not set out any significant new initiatives.

They say the plan – which is split into short-term, medium-term, and long-term measures – only brings yet more frustration as it sets out further consultation, whilst leaving the residents of North East Derbyshire and Chesterfield to continue to face the problems of the A61.

Derbyshire Green Party Co-ordinator Darren Yates said: “Despite many months and years of promising action on the A61, the Conservative Councils and MP have once

again come up short and demonstrated that, just like a lot of their promises for ‘levelling up’, their actions rarely live up to the rhetoric.”

The plan includes measures to keep the road moving in the short-term such as the new traffic management control centre, which will go live next year.

A community conversation will also take place to identify preferred solutions to tackle some of the pinch points or challenges on or near the A61 such as electronic variable messaging signs while investigations will be carried out into what major engineering projects could potentially be needed and might be feasible, subject to funding from Government, to reduce the congestion problem long-term.

Green Party campaigner and Wingerworth Parish Councillor, Frank Adlington-Stringer added: “Urgent action on the A61 is so desperately needed. That must start with serious investment in both public and active transport, something which Derbyshire Conservatives have continually starved of funding.

"Derbyshire Green Party are committed to improving our bus and rail networks and making our roads safe for cyclists.”

Derbyshire Green Party are now calling on Derbyshire County Council, North East Derbyshire District Council and Lee Rowley MP, to seriously rethink their proposals.

"They cannot keep kicking the can down the road – it’s traffic jammed!” the party said.

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