Derbyshire County Council opens consultation on safety changes to dangerous Peak District road

The Department for Transport’s Safer Roads Fund has allocated £2.2million to improve the A5012 Via Gellia between Cromford and Newhaven, with work expected to start this summer and take up to 12 months to complete.

Before that, the council has opened a public consultation on the plans and is inviting people to submit feedback online or in person at two public events in Cromford over the coming weeks.

Councillor Kewal Singh Athwal, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “Improving road safety is a priority for the county council and we welcome the government funding to deliver these ambitious proposals along the A5012 between Cromford and Newhaven.

“Our proposals include a mixture of techniques and engineering solutions to encourage people to slow down and drive at a more appropriate speed for the road conditions.”

He added: “We want to hear from people who live and work in the area and use the route in their car, bike, motorcycle or on foot to help us refine our proposals.

“By working together with the local community, we will be able to deliver the very best safety solutions for this route.”

Subject to the outcome of the consultation, the proposals under consideration include installing new traffic signals at the Grangemill crossroads, and lowering the national speed limit section west of the village to 50 miles per hour and installing average speed cameras throughout the 50mph section to tackle excessive speeding.

There are also plans to improve the A5012 junction with Clatterway, leading off into Bonsall, to reduce vehicle speeds by narrowing the road and extending the pavement.

At the Newhaven end of the route, a new right-turn lane would be created and the curb moved to improve the Friden junction.

All along the road, road markings would be improved to alert drivers to keep in the right lane and to stay on the road surface, while drainage works would reduce standing surface water during heavy rainfall.

There would also be improvements to visibility around bends and at junctions by removing bushes and trees, new crash barriers would be installed at major bends, and grass verges would be given a firmer surface where public rights of way meet the road to make it safer for walkers waiting to cross.

Anyone wanting ask questions or contribute to the consultation can drop into Cromford Community Centre, on Market Place, on Thursday, March 2, and Tuesday, March 14, any time 2-8pm.

Alternatively, go to www.derbyshire.gov.uk/A5012consultation. The consultation will close on Sunday, March 26.

The safety proposals along the A5012 are just one part of the county council’s £6.8million award from the Government’s Safer Roads Fund.

Work on the A619 Baslow to Bakewell ‘Thirteen Bends’ has been completed and another public consultation about proposals for the A5004 between Buxton and Whaley Bridge ‘Long Hill’ has recently closed.

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