Green Party slam “woefully inadequate” plans to tackle A61 Derby Road congestion – as MP Lee Rowley and council stress their commitment to improving busy route between Chesterfield and Derbyshire

Plans to improve traffic flow on the A61 Derby Road were announced back in 2021, with Derbyshire County Council (DCC), North East Derbyshire District Council (NEDDC) and Lee Rowley (MP for North East Derbyshire) collaborating on the proposals.

A number of potential short, medium and long term schemes were discussed, with the aim of cutting traffic around Wingerworth, Tupton, Ashover, Old Tupton, Clay Cross and Danesmoor.

These included a new traffic management control centre, changes to the Storforth Lane junction and major projects - such as a new bypass around Clay Cross or a new railway station in the town.

At the time, Green Party campaigners Darren Yates and Councillor Frank Adlington-Stringer described the plans as “woefully inadequate” - and they have now reiterated their calls for DCC, Lee Rowley MP and NEDDC to tackle congestion along the route.

A Green Party spokesperson said: “When the plan was announced in 2021, the Green Party predicted only more frustration as further consultation was set out. The residents of North East Derbyshire and Chesterfield continue to suffer the problems of congestion on the A61, while politicians scratch their heads and still don’t know what to do.”

Cllr Adlington-Stringer has since been elected in the Wingerworth ward last May, becoming the Green Party’s first ever representative in the area. He said: “For most of us it is clear what needs to happen. The unchecked levels of housing development need to be provided with decent public services, particularly bus stops.

“Better bus services, new cycle lanes and improved walkways would help improve the situation, but the biggest impact would come from reinstating the old train stations along the line which runs parallel to the A61.”

Darren Yates, a Green Party representative who lives on Storforth Lane, added: “We cannot keep endlessly building roads, instead we need to be bold and implement creative solutions. Public transport will not only lessen congestion but will also improve air quality and reduce our emissions locally.”

The Green Party have claimed that the A61 is still heavily congested. They added that they believed the scheme was never going to work, and that the money and time spent on further consultations could have been put to better use.

Back in 2021, the Derbyshire Green Party told the Derbyshire Times: “They cannot keep kicking the can down the road – it’s traffic jammed!” Now, Cllr Adlington Stringer added: “They have picked the can up and thrown it towards the exhaust fumes”.

Lee Rowley MP said that he is aware of the need for enhanced infrastructure across North East Derbyshire - including work along the A61.

“Ever since I became the MP for North East Derbyshire in 2017, my mission has been to improve North East Derbyshire’s infrastructure – we need better roads, rail, public services and town centres.

“The work is unflashy, detailed and involved but, over time, it gets things done. The new banking hub in Clay Cross, commitments to open two new rail stations in Killamarsh and Eckington, massive town centre regeneration in Clay Cross and Staveley, and a promised new school in Wingerworth are all examples of what it has achieved. Since 2017, we've won over £100 million - and that has only happened because of all this work. I’m committed to much more as your MP.”

Lee added that significant changes to the A61 would not materialise overnight, but said that a bid for Government funding to help improve the route would soon be submitted.

“The A61 has been one of the major focuses since I’ve been elected but I’ve always been open and transparent with residents that fixing it would take time not least because, back when I first became an MP, it was clear that none of the Labour Councils at the time had done any of the detailed work to be able to start bidding for money. Over the last six years we’ve filled that in with surveys, traffic modelling, consultations and getting the public’s view – all necessary things in order to ensure we can make a convincing case to Government to fund the proposal.

“Big scale road improvement proposals like this often take decades to work up and we are trying to do it in the fastest time possible. A big milestone is due shortly when, with the community, we make our final decision on what we should bid for from Government. The timing of that decision is specifically calibrated to be taken in advance of when the next round of funding should be open for bidding.

“I’m committed to ensuring that we actually make progress on the A61 – and that requires detail, work and making sure we have all of our ducks in a row. If Frank had bothered to turn up to the A61 summit that we held before Christmas (including a meeting held in his own ward) like more than 100 other residents did, he would have been able to hear the detailed update – but I guess that’s politics.

“I’ll keep working to ensure we have a meaningful scheme to reduce congestion for the long-term – and it won’t be reliant on pipedreams, as the Greens apparently want, on simply building cycle lanes and hoping for the best. The Greens are again showing themselves as not serious about getting things done in North East Derbyshire.”

Charlotte Cupit, DCC’s cabinet member for highways assets and transport, said that herself and Lee Rowley MP were invested in delivering a new rail station at Clay Cross.

“They (The Derbyshire Green Party) mentioned reopening the stations - that’s something that myself and Lee Rowley MP have been leading quite heavily on.

“I’m really happy for other people to support the reopening of the station in Clay Cross, but it’s myself and Lee who pushed for it to be added to the town deal, got the feasibility study through, and invited the Minister for Rail up last year.

“We’re pushing to make the business case for Clay Cross. It will take time, but we’re completely committed to that. We do recognise that as one of the ways to combat congestion on the A61 - it’s by far, on the doorsteps, the thing that residents get most excited about and interested in.”

Cllr Cupit also addressed the issue of housing schemes along the A61. She said the local plan introduced by NEDDC Conservative group, who formerly held control of the council, had helped to reduce speculative development in the area.

“In terms of the unchecked nature (of housing development), myself, Lee and Conservative councillors have been quite clear in not supporting a speculative development along the A61 - be that at Wingerworth or Clay Cross.

“We were the administration at NEDDC who got the local plan in place, after a decade without one - it’s frustrating to hear that comment, because it was us who took action on these things.

“We can’t go back in terms of what was approved over the last decade, but myself, Lee and the other Conservative councillors have been working really hard to get that infrastructure in place. We’ve got the new school on The Avenue as well.

“We’re also working to stop the speculative development. Obviously we need new homes, but they should be planned. I think it’s fair to say that our part of the world, in the south of North East Derbyshire, has seen too many speculative developments that weren’t planned - but it’s good now we’ve got the local plan in place.”

Cllr Cupit added that short and medium term solutions to issues with congestion along the A61 were under consideration, after a summit attended by politicians, business representatives, regional transport bodies, Councils and residents last November.

“Lee and I had promised a summit, which we did in November 2023. In terms of longer term aspects, be it a bypass or something like that for the A61, that will take time.

“We’re progressing that via the money we got from the county and Midlands Connect - we’ve got that outline business case now so we can go to the Government. Even in the shorter and medium term, we’re taking steps to try and make incremental improvements to journey times, but primarily traffic flow improvements.

“The key ways of doing that are urban traffic control, with cameras managing traffic lights and traffic flow. We’re encouraging public transport with the bus service improvement plan programme, but I’m aware that will only go so far. I appreciate it is taking a little bit of time, but there are quite clear things coming.”

A NEDDC spokesperson said: “As a key consultee (rather than the lead and decision-making body for transport), NEDDC is committed to working with the local highways authority, Derbyshire County Council, to discuss any plans and proposed solutions that it puts forward to address road congestion issues on the A61 or anywhere else within our district boundaries.

“We remain keen to add value to the discussions for sustainable and positive traffic movement across our district, and are a regular consultee of DCC’s A61 Growth Corridor studies, Bus Service Improvement Plan and considerations for opening links between the A61 through to A6175.

“Through the Clay Cross Town Deal we also play a more central role regarding the positive changes to traffic flows on Bridge Street and the pedestrianisation of Market Street that form a key part of the regeneration of the town, as well as the development of a Strategic Outline Business Case to pursue a Railway Station for Clay Cross.”