Safety plan worth £3m drawn up for 'high-risk' Derbyshire road

The county council said the majority of residents backed the speed-cutting plans

Measures to improve safety are being considered as part of a £3m plan for a busy road in the Peak District to try to cut the number of accidents.

Derbyshire County Council said the plan would improve safety along a nine-mile (14.4km) stretch of the A5012 Via Gellia between Cromford and Newhaven.

A government fund, aimed at making the 50 highest risk roads in England safer, will pay for the project.

The proposed works will be discussed by the council's cabinet on Thursday.

A council report said a public consultation, held earlier this year, showed residents felt motorists travelled at excessive speeds on the road and supported measures to slow traffic.

New traffic signals are planned at the Grange Mills crossroad

Nearly 250 people responded to the consultation with 70%, the council said, backing the installation of nine new average speed cameras.

Speed limits will be cut from 60mph to 50mph in places and from 50mph to 40mph along other parts of the A5012.

Other measures included road markings changes to alert drivers to keep in the correct lane and changing the A5012 junction with Clatterway to reduce vehicle speeds by installing a new traffic island with pedestrian crossings.

New traffic signals are also planned at the Grange Mill crossroads where a number of crashes have happened.

County council cabinet member for highways and transport Charlotte Cupit said: "Overall, the [consultation] feedback was very positive and underlines the importance of making local roads safer.

"We have carefully considered additional ideas and suggestions put forward during the consultation and, where we can, will do our best to take these on board, including ideas to improve the A515/A5012 Newhaven junction with a new, separate right turn only lane."

If the cabinet approves the scheme, work on the safety improvements is expected to start in 2024.

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