Derby's Kingsway Retail Park: Owner apologises for delays

Some drivers said they had left their cars and walked home instead

One of the owners of a retail park plagued by long delays has apologised but blamed the problems on the wider road network.

Motorists faced waits of several hours trying to leave the Kingsway Retail Park in Derby on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The cause is unclear but much attention has focused on the single exit and entrance to the area.

Orchard Street Investment Management (OSIM) said the "wider road network was not working as it should be".

Dozens of drivers reported problems, with some saying they struggled to leave parking spaces and others reporting they had only moved a few metres in hours.

Suggestions for the root of the issue included roads being flooded, traffic lights being switched off and a half-term rush of shoppers, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

In a statement OSIM apologised for the inconvenience and assured motorists the parking enforcement system, which can fine those overstaying, had been switched off.

"We have been conducting a review of our car park and its contribution to traffic flows and, while our retail park is laid out efficiently, we recognise that the root of the problem is that the wider road network system is not working as it should and this is impacting all of the retail parks and supermarkets in this area," it added.

It also pointed to proposed upgrades to the A38 as a possible solution but the £250m project - led by National Highways - is under consideration after a consent order was quashed by the High Court over environmental concerns.

Derby City Council said it was "monitoring the situation" and advised drivers to check traffic conditions before visiting.