Possible bypass routes revealed
POTENTIAL paths that could soon be carved out by a long-awaited A515 bypass for Ashbourne have been made public ahead of an official consultation into the multi-million pound scheme.
The drawings, which have been released by Derbyshire County Council, give the town its clearest look yet at how its new relief road could look as it reaches its final stages of development.
The new plans focus on three routes and, for the first time, offer a look at what could even be a longer route running eastwards, from the Airfield Industrial Estate – rather than previously mooted routes which start in Mayfield Road.
Earlier on in the process to develop plans for a bypass for Ashbourne, the county council released early drawings of five potential route maps, all of which started in Mayfield Road, but these new proposals are those that would be taken forward following the consultation phase.
Residents and road users in Ashbourne will be given a chance to
comment on the routes as part of this consultation, which is due to start on Monday, and will run until just before Christmas.
Councillor Barry Lewis, leader of Derbyshire County Council, said: “I hope that everyone who lives or travels through Ashbourne will take the time to take part in our consultation.
“There will be a huge wealth of information online, with detail about all three potential routes and questions about other transport related issues in the town.
“Look out for the letter that will be delivered shortly and then let us have your views.” Now that the scheme has been broken down into three distinct possible routes, there are two western bypass options to consider, and one eastern bypass route.
The first western route to consider is Westbound Option A, which, as with Route B, leaves Mayfield Road and navigates around the sewage works, waste and recycling centre, allotments and cemetery and plots a course through fields close to the Bentley Brook, crossing Mappleton Lane and then the Tissington Trail, meeting the A515 near to the junctions with Spend Lane and Sandybrook Lodges Holiday Park.
Westbound Option B is a shorter route that also navigates around the sewage works and neighbouring sites, and splits off from route B to plot a slightly more southerly course, running through fields behind Spire Close, Belle Vue Road and then Northcliffe, before crossing Mappleton Lane close to the Tissington Trail car park. From here it runs through a further strip of fields behind North Avenue and joins the A515 just after the crest of Buxton Hill.
The Eastern option is a much longer and more expensive route, but it begins in the Airfield, which is currently in the early phases of redevelopment, and this would pass through JCB’S testing site before crossing Bradley Moor and then the A517.
After cutting through a further swathe of fields it would cross the River Henmore just east of the Shrovetide goal at the former Sturston Mill, before traversing another series of fields, eventually crossing Offcote Lane and the B5035 at The Punch, then over the Eastern End of Windmill Lane to eventually link up with the A515 just south of the Spend Lane junction.
Derbyshire County Council points out that detailed design work has not been done on this route, which would be longer and more expensive to build that either of the western options. It has been tested, though, to see how much traffic it would carry. Derbyshire County Council says it made easing traffic congestion in the town a priority after a study by independent consultants in 2017 found that up to 12,000 vehicles using main routes through the town each day.
Almost half of those using the A515, 46%, were classed as through traffic – with somewhere other than Ashbourne as its end destination.
The consultants estimated the cost of traffic delays to the town is around £1.5 million per year.
The online consultation will end on December 18. It is understood properties that could be directly affected by each route will be contacted individually.
I hope that everyone who lives or travels through Ashbourne will take part in our consultation. Barry Lewis