Bypass key to reshaping town

THOSE responsible for plans to reshape the town centre are to be congratulated for putting forward ideas that could bring much-needed life back to Ashbourne.

However, any plans can only have a limited impact so long as the bypass issue remains unsolved. Despite warm words from our current and previous MPS, we are clearly nowhere near getting the modest amount of funding that is needed for the project.

Our by-pass is way down the priority list for the Government with its constrained budget, climate change priorities and their need to bribe voters in the so-called “red wall” seats to continue supporting them. With a rock-solid Tory majority, Ashbourne and its voters will continue to be taken for granted by the present ruling party and MP.

Over a year ago, you were good enough to publish a suggestion of mine that active consideration should be given to a Hgv-only toll road that would take heavy vehicles away from the town centre.

Since then, other suggestions for rerouting traffic around the town centre or banning HGVS from Ashbourne all together have been made.

Knowing the side roads in the town, the first is totally impracticable and the second will simply displace traffic to other communities such as the already congested Cromford, as well as increasing the mileage travelled by lorries, with the extra environmental costs.

Therefore, as we move into 2022, let’s look seriously at the HGV tollroad suggestion and compliment the excellent work done on re-modelling the town centre with a proposal that stands a good chance of solving Ashbourne’s traffic problem once and for all.

Gordon Stewart