£79 million requested from government to deliver Chesterfield-Staveley Regeneration Route
Derbyshire County Council’s Chesterfield-Staveley Regeneration Route plans have been included in a priority list of road schemes for government funding by Sub-national Transport Body Midlands Connect, with a request for £79 million to deliver it.
The scheme is amongst 11 in the Midlands submitted to the Department for Transport, as part of a £3.5 billion fund available for local road improvements from 2020-2025.
The Chesterfield-Staveley Regeneration Route will create a new 5.7km single carriageway connecting the A619 north of Chesterfield town centre to the A6192 and A619 at Staveley. It offers an alternative to the often congested A619, supporting new jobs and homes, providing new crossings for pedestrians and cyclists, and making five regular bus services that use the existing A619 more reliable.
Midlands Connect was empowered by the Department for Transport (DfT) to work with the 22 councils in its partnership to identify priority schemes to improve local roads in the region. The fund covers upgrades to the Major Road Network (MRN), a new category of the busiest and most economically important local authority ‘A’ roads, and Large Local Majors (LLM) schemes, which focus on bigger upgrades to local roads and includes the Chesterfield-Staveley Regeneration Route.
Following detailed consultation and a rigorous assessment, Midlands Connect has submitted 11 schemes to the DfT for consideration, in the East Midlands and West Midlands.
The total cost of the Chesterfield-Staveley Regeneration Route is estimated at £93 million, including local contributions of £14 million. If successful, Derbyshire County Council would deliver the physical infrastructure required.
The total Midlands-wide funding request to the government is £596 million, with an additional £143 million to be funded locally.
Simon Statham, Midlands Connect’s head of technical programmes, said: “North Derbyshire has huge regeneration plans, including 5,700 jobs alone in the Staveley and Rother Valley Corridor Area Action Plan. This new route is critical to these developments, not to mention the proposed HS2 Infrastructure and Maintenance Depot at Staveley, another huge opportunity to create jobs.
“We are confident that we have provided all of the evidence the government needs to fund all 11 of our priority schemes in full, and we expect to be celebrating a £600 million investment in to the region to help our local authority partners get on and deliver this transformational programme of upgrades.”
Councillor Simon Spencer, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways said: “Unlocking economic growth and access to economic opportunities is a key priority for us and getting the right infrastructure in place is key to its delivery.
“This scheme would be a huge step towards major regeneration in the area, helping to bring much-needed jobs and reduce congestion on the existing road network which would further support local businesses to thrive in Derbyshire.”
Toby Perkins, MP for Chesterfield, said: “I am urging the government to back this investment, which will support new homes and jobs at major development sites, including the HS2 Infrastructure and Maintenance Depot at Staveley. It will make a huge difference to the quality of life and economic prospects of the local community.
“This much-needed investment will reduce congestion on the A619 and make sure we have a resilient alternative to the M1 during incidents and events. I will continue to work with Midlands Connect to support the scheme’s delivery.”
Midlands Connect is encouraging the government to allocate funding for shortlisted schemes as soon as possible to ensure their smooth delivery.
Read the Major Road Network priority scheme submission to the Department for Transport summary report here.
