No date to reopen Peak District Hell Bank Road after new slips

The road suffered collapses in January and December 2021 and again last week

A Derbyshire road has been closed after new landslips left it unsafe to use.

The route from Beeley Village to Chesterfield, known as Hell Bank Road, originally suffered a slump in January 2021 following wet weather.

Two new slips on 20 December and 8 January mean it can no longer be used by anyone, including cyclists and pedestrians, the county council said.

There was no date for reopening as a full assessment would have to wait for a prolonged period of dry weather.

Lengthy closure

Officials said the decision to close the road to all traffic was taken after detailed consultation with geotechnical consultants who felt the risk of further collapse was high.

After the January 2021 collapse, a ground investigation in the Limetree Wood area was commissioned and carried out in October 2021.

The council said it was waiting for a report from a specialist consultant which will summarise the findings and suggest a list of engineering options.

This collapse is one of a number across Derbyshire, with Lees Road in Birchover and Lea Road in Cromford having been closed for two years.