Improvements planned to Whittington Moor Roundabout

Derbyshire County Council have today invited local residents to have their say on plans to improve the A61 Whittington Moor roundabout, located at the end of the Dronfield-Unstone Bypass.

During August local people will be able to find out more at exhibitions which will show the proposals to improve journey times and reduce accidents on the A61 Whittington Moor roundabout.

The events are being held at Whittington Moor Methodist Church Hall, Scarsdale Road in Chesterfield on:

• Saturday 4 August - 10am to 2pm
• Monday 13 August – 4pm to 7pm
• Monday 20 August – 5pm to 8pm
• Thursday 23 August – 12pm to 3pm

The proposals are to install traffic lights on all six junctions of the roundabout and close off the entrance to the roundabout from Dunston Road to all traffic apart from buses. Traffic will still be able to leave the roundabout onto Dunston Road.

Traffic lights will also be put at both ends of Sheepbridge Lane.

Councillor Simon Spencer, Derbyshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure, said: "There are long delays at peak times at the Whittington Moor roundabout and with more developments planned for the local area journey times are only going to get longer.

"The roundabout also has a high rate of accidents and we need to do all we can to reduce this.

"Doing nothing is not an option so we've developed some proposals for significant work which will improve journey times along the A61 and cut the number of crashes."

Councillor Spencer added: "We do recognise that those who get onto the roundabout from Dunston Road will have slightly increased journey times but we feel there is really no other option to improve Whittington Moor roundabout. The scheme has been agreed in principle but we'd still like local people to let us have their views of our proposals."

The work is expected to cost around £5m and is being funded from the Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (D2N2 LEP). This is a partnership organisation of local councils, businesses and other organisations, which takes the lead on major infrastructure projects.

A feedback form for comments is available online at www.derbyshire.gov.uk/whitmoor