Fears over A38 works despite housing growth

The planned upgrade of the A38 has been discussed for decades, with various plans put forward

Plans for more than 1,000 new homes in South Derbyshire have exacerbated fears that a long-promised scheme to increase the capacity of the A38 could be scrapped by the government.

The New House Farm development would add 1,100 homes to Mickleover and was approved in 2018 on condition that only a small portion of the homes would be occupied before the roadworks began.

National Highways have now changed their stance, meaning all 1,100 homes can be built, even without the roadworks having been completed.

There are fears the promised works will not come to fruition, as it is one of the transport projects the Labour government is reviewing ahead of the budget on 30 October.

The transport secretary Louise Haigh said in July: “In recent weeks, the gap between promised schemes and the money available to deliver them has been made clear to me.”

Haigh said the government would "move quickly" to decide the fate of "current and future schemes".

The multi-million pound A38 scheme would create flyovers and underpasses at the current Little Eaton, Markeaton and Kingsway Islands.

A spokesperson for National Highways said: “Having received updated and current traffic modelling data, we have reviewed our position and are satisfied that the proposals will not place a strain on our network or pose a threat to safety.

"We have therefore agreed to remove the planning condition relating to number of occupancies.”

'Huge betrayal'

The housing is on the edge of Mickleover in Derby, but falls within South Derbyshire.

Many councillors voiced concern that the condition was to be scrapped at a district council meeting on Monday, although the plans were still approved.

Matthew Holmes, a Conservative councillor for the Mickleover ward of Derby City Council, was among those at the meeting.

He said there were concerns about existing traffic and overcrowding issues on the A38, because of recent housing developments in South Derbyshire.

“[The New House Farm development] was agreed around six years ago with the condition that only so many dwellings could be built prior to the delivery of the Derby A38 junction improvement scheme.

“We were promised facilities, doctors' surgeries, road improvements, and very little has been delivered.

“There is a real growing feeling here the A38 scheme could be axed entirely. That would be a huge betrayal to our local community, that has had to accept more, far more than its fair share of housing growth."

The Labour MP for South Derbyshire Samantha Niblett said traffic was set to be lower

The Labour MP for South Derbyshire, Samantha Niblett, told the BBC she agreed the area had had lots of new housing and did need the infrastructure to support it, but that traffic assessments had changed.

“My understanding is that the original condition made was based on expected traffic numbers generated by the site and they are now significantly lower than originally anticipated," she said.

“The resultant position is that National Highways, who originally required the condition, no longer object to the condition being removed.”

But Conservative district councillor for Etwall, Andrew Kirke, said regular users of the road network “can see for ourselves the trouble that’s in store”.

He said he was pushing the council leadership to request urgent clarity from the government on the future of the A38 scheme.

“We really need to know what’s happening with this project to help us make sure the infrastructure is adequate.

"I do worry they’ll look at this project and seriously consider whether it's financially viable," he said.

South Derbyshire District Council was contacted for comment.