Derbyshire roadworks: Busy A-road set for closure to allow tree felling

The works at Via Gellia (A5012) in Derbyshire are set to start on Monday, January 27 and will see various sections of the road closed to traffic between Cromford and Newhaven.

Onsite signage will advertise the sections of closures and show access or diversions to local communities as the work progresses along the road.

While the works will take place between 8 am and 4 pm on weekdays, overnight one lane will remain open, with traffic lights in place.

This comes after a large proportion of ash trees along the Via Gellia have become infected by ash dieback, a disease which causes decay under the bark, making the trees brittle and more prone to falling over in high winds. As branches and stems die back there is a greater possibility of deadwood falling into the road and causing a safety risk. The tree felling will involve removing all ash trees within 20 metres of each side of the road as very few of them are unaffected.

Derbyshire County Council has explained that those few currently unaffected trees would be very likely to succumb in the future and would need to be revisited. The method to remove all the trees has been agreed with Natural England and the Forestry Commission.

Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Environment, Councillor Carolyn Renwick said: “Ash dieback is a blight across the whole country and Derbyshire is particularly hard hit due to our limestone environments which is favoured by ash trees.

"The steep valley sides of the Grange Valley have offered protection from wind and rain making the Via Gellia ideal conditions for the disease to grow. “The badly diseased trees are a threat to road users and we’re taking action jointly to remove that threat before the nesting season begins.

“Due to the vast area of trees affected, it means land along the route will look very different once the tree-felling has taken place. Replacement trees will be planted in winter 2025/26."

Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Assets and Transport, Councillor Charlotte Cupit said: “This is a substantial task which will involve felling diseased trees within 20 metres of each side of the road.

"We realise that the road closures will cause some temporary inconvenience for road users, but to try to reduce this disruption, we’ll be closing sections of the road in phases to minimise disruption as much as possible.

"We will advertise the rolling phased closures on site and on our website once confirmed with the Council’s contractor and we aim to have the work completed as quickly as possible.”

The works will see affected trees cleared on county council owned land as well as the council supporting landowners along the route who have a legal responsibility to remove diseased trees on their land.

Councillor Carolyn Renwick added: “We’re grateful that many landowners on the Via Gellia have chosen to work with us to help minimise disruption and costs for all involved.”