Funding secured for proposed new A50 junction

Derbyshire County Council says it has secured almost £50m from the government for the transport scheme

Almost £50m of government funding has been secured to allow a new A50 junction south of Derby to be built.

The proposed junction between Sinfin and Chellaston would connect a new link road to a planned 4,500 home development, known as Infinity Garden Village.

Derbyshire County Council - which is leading the project - said it had gained the funding to begin the £70m transport scheme, which was granted planning permission in 2021.

The council had until March 2026 to secure the £49,597,972, and without it the authority faced the possibility of scrapping the entire project.

Council leader Alan Graves said the project "is an important part of supporting sustainable growth in the south of the county".

He said alongside housing the development, when finished, will include around 3.5m sq ft of businesses to create "much-needed, good quality jobs".

He said: "There is still much to do before actual construction begins on the road but this funding announcement is very much welcomed and is a huge step forward to making things happen."

The new link road would cross a number of open fields and aims to accommodate extra traffic created by 4,500 planned new homes and an expansion of Infinity Park

The transport scheme is estimated to be completed by March 2029.

But the cost of the scheme has almost doubled from £37.5m when the link road project was granted planning permission in 2021

In March, the East Midlands Combined County Authority was told that negotiations with landowners over the compulsory purchase of the land needed for the junction and road were "ongoing".

The £150m expansion of Infinity Park was granted planning permission in 2023 with a new hotel, pub, drive-through cafe and office buildings, which aim to create 3,000 jobs.