Nottinghamshire County Council agrees extra £10.8m for road project

The county council is hoping to start work on the scheme in spring next year

Nottinghamshire County Council is set to spend an extra £10.8m on the A614/A6097 road improvement scheme.

Roundabouts at Lowdham, Ollerton and White Post will be upgraded as part of the scheme, with Kirk Hill and Warren Hill junctions also set to be altered.

But the previous plans have now been changed to include new drainage work in Lowdham, a bridleway and "additional measures to protect" houses.

A revised road improvement plan is due to go out to consultation this year.

The government agreed in 2021 to provide funding for the plan, which was due to begin this year.

But the Local Democracy Reporting Service said the overall estimated costs have now risen by £16.7m to £45.3m and the government said it will not increase the £24.3m it had agreed to provide in funding.

Planned improvements to Mickledale Lane have now been removed from the plans as a result.

However, Nottinghamshire County Council has said Mickledale Lane is still 'in need of improvement' and the authority is now looking to install a set of traffic lights rather than the previously-planned roundabout and link road.

The council has said the prospect of new signals in Mickledale Lane was an idea which was "strongly supported by local road users during the original consultation".

A full business case for the scheme is due to be submitted to the Department for Transport this year, with work planned to start in spring if it does need to go to a public inquiry.

Keith Girling, cabinet member for economic development and asset management, said: "Inflationary pressures are currently being experienced across the construction and civil engineering sector and economy in general, so the fact that costs have increased over the last three years doesn't come as a surprise."