Derby Telegraph

Traffic lights on busy city junction move step closer

-

A PLAN to install traffic lights at a busy Derby junction may have to go ahead despite widespread criticism, as it has emerged the plans are part of a planning condition.

Much concern and objection has been raised recently by plans to install traffic lights at Kedleston Road at the junction with Allestree Lane, near The Markeaton pub.

It has now been revealed that the traffic light plans are part of a “live” planning condition for an approved 400-home developmen­t on land off Kedleston Road currently under constructi­on.

This means that developer Miller Homes would pay for the project and the running costs of the traffic lights, as per the planning condition – not Derby City Council as was initially believed to be the case.

News of the plans were met with disapprova­l in June, with one resident calling the whole idea “outdated and unnecessar­y”.

Another resident fumed: “This will cause longer queues on Kedleston Road as the lights will hold traffic rather than letting it flow.”

But the three Conservati­ve councillor­s in Allestree – Roy Webb, Ged Potter and Steve Hassall – have now publicly stated on the Allestree Councillor­s Facebook page that stopping the scheme could have “negative” effects.

They state: “In summary, the signalised junction proposal, installati­on and maintenanc­e (for 30 years) is all Miller Homes’ responsibi­lity and will be all at their cost.

“This is as a result of planning conditions from Amber Valley who asked for mitigation against increased traffic levels once the site is complete. There is no cost to the council or the taxpayer.

“The signalised junction will not only offer improved and safer pedestrian access across this junction, but will also allow the control of traffic flow towards the city with improved exiting of the Birchover/Kedleston

Road junction as a consequenc­e.

“There is an opportunit­y to prevent these changes going ahead and leave the junction in its current configurat­ion and ask for Miller Homes to give the council the sum allocated to this project (currently unidentifi­ed), however there are consequenc­es that need to be highlighte­d.

“Rejection of these proposals now could have a negative, knock-on effect to any future traffic mitigation for new developmen­ts, both locally and across the city. This could set a precedent that developers no longer need to mitigate the traffic impact of a housing developmen­t.” It is understood Derby City Council is currently working with Miller Homes and is “facilitati­ng the process”. Work on the new traffic lights could start later this year.

A Derby City Council spokespers­on said: “The traffic signals are being installed as part of the Miller Homes developmen­t, the signals were conditione­d as per the Planning Inspector’s request to ease congestion along the route after concerns were raised during initial consultati­on. Although the current junction arrangemen­t does just about cope with the volume of traffic, this scheme is about futureproo­fing the junction from the increasing traffic caused by the Miller Homes developmen­t.”

Plans to make the service road next to Markeaton Park a one-way road and to reduce the speed limit on Kedleston Road to 30mph from 40mph could still be challenged as they fall into a different and “council-run” scheme and not part of the traffic lights project. Residents will be consulted on both schemes in the near future.

 ?? ?? The junction of Allestree Lane and Kedleston Road
The junction of Allestree Lane and Kedleston Road

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom