A concerned councillor has accused Derbyshire County Council’s highways team of failing to put residents first after he claims a village’s difficulties with a growing number of HGVs is getting worse.
Staveley Town Cllr Paul Mann has highlighted safety fears posed by what appear to be construction lorries travelling along Inkersall Green Road between Inkersall and Middlecroft, near Staveley, after Staveley Town Cllr Mick Bagshaw had originally raised similar concerns for nearby Duckmanton.
Cllr Mann claims the situation has deteriorated after he received pictures and videos including 118 videos from one resident of HGVs passing their home and he fears the area is being affected by three housing developments at Tom Lane, Duckmanton, Bevan Drive, Inkersall, and The Spires, near Inkersall Road.
Independent Cllr Paul Mann said: “Looking at all the videos and pictures I have been sent from residents it looks like Inkersall is now reaping the fruits of zero forward planning.
“Inkersall now has three active building sites with large wagons passing through the area and who have alternative routes.
“I have twice contacted Derbyshire County Council’s highways asking for weight restriction which would stop some and twice have been told ‘no’ and the current administration lead member for highways has backed her officer’s decision and in my mind is refusing to put Inkersall residents’ concerns first.”
Cllr Mann has raised concerns with the developers, Chesterfield Borough Council, whose planning committee approved the developments, and Derbyshire County Council’s highways team.
The housing schemes highlighted include developer Honey’s Pearl development on Tom Lane, Duckmanton, Barratt and David Wilson Homes’s The Spires development, near Inkersall Road, Staveley, and the development near Bevan Drive, at Inkersall, formerly overseen by Longrose Greentown Inkersall LLP.
Cllr Mann claims lorries have been coming from the construction site off Tom, Lane, Duckmanton, and he suggested to Derbyshire County Council’s Traffic Management Team the Inkersall Green Road route should be subject to a temporary weight restriction, apart from business deliveries, so construction site traffic trying to reach the A619 can be diverted onto a safer route.
He believes HGVs are coming off Tom Lane and turning right but instead of continuing into Staveley to join the A619 they turn into the junction with Inkersall Green Road going under a bridge, passing eight junctions, a park, Inkersall Primary School and parked cars and shops before reaching a staggered junction at Troughbrook Bottom.
Staveley Town Councillor Mick Bagshaw, who oversees the Duckmanton ward, previously raised concerns about potential road safety issues and disturbances from construction lorries around the Tom Lane housing development and the prospect of hundreds of extra, daily traffic movements once the development is completed.
But he believes Inkersall’s problems do not involve lorries from developer Honey’s Pearl development on Tom Lane after he took a sample of those travelling through claiming none were contracted to Honey who he says have now put signs up in the village and on site and have introduced a system where contractors will be fined if they do not use an alternative agreed route.
Staveley Matters’ Cllr Bagshaw said: “Inkersall may be affected by development HGVs on three possible sites, these being The Spires, the development on Bevan Drive and potentially the planning application for 350 dwellings on Bamford Rd.
“I strongly believe that Inkersall is not affected from Pearl Housing on Tom Lane, Duckmanton. In fact its the opposite way round – Duckmanton is the rat run for the development’s in Inkersall.”
He added: “Introducing weight restrictions to Inkersall won’t work – proof has been shown as they don’t adhere to the Duckmanton weight restriction.”
Cllr Mann maintains road safety issues with lorries are persisting in Inkersall and he wants to see a weight restriction imposed on this route to deter HGVs and for them to be redirected along an alternative route towards the A619.
The county council’s Traffic Management Team told Cllr Mann signs have been put up at Duckmanton because despite a weight restriction some HGVs were using this route as a shortcut for the M1 but developer Honey has been directing traffic away from Inkersall and speed ramps have been introduced, but Cllr Mann says nothing has changed for Inkersall Green Road.
The Traffic Management Team also stated any additional weight restrictions elsewhere are not suitable on Cllr Mann’s suggested alternative route and that Inkersall Green Road is considered to be a primary access route from the A619 and Inkersall Road.
It also argued that Inkersall Green Road has a low bridge which works as a natural deterrent for bigger lorries but the situation is being monitored and steps have been taken to reduce the impact of the development’s traffic.
A Honey spokesperson said: “We have worked closely with Derbyshire County Council to address local community concerns in Duckmanton village which is adjacent to our development.
“The measures taken ensure HGVs leaving our site turn left onto Tom Lane and then onto the wider road networks away from our development and Duckmanton village.
“Inkersall is some distance away from our development and we will continue to liaise with Derbyshire County Council over traffic management and adhere to any further guidance issued by the local authority’s highways team.”
A Barratt and David Wilson Homes North Midlands spokesperson said the safety of its residents, colleagues and contractors is a priority.
The spokesperson added: “Vehicles accessing our development in Inkersall operate in accordance with the approved traffic management arrangements and the site’s health and safety plan.
“We continue to work closely with Derbyshire County Council throughout the construction process and will comply with any additional measures or requirements introduced by the local authority.”
The county council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Cllr Charlotte Hill previously said the council has worked with Honey to introduce additional signage in Duckmanton Village.
Cllr Hill also said the developer has been actively directing all site traffic to avoid travelling through Inkersall.
The council has also reduced the speed limit through the junction of Inkersall Road and Inkersall Green Road from 60mph to 40mph as well as on other sections of the two roads, and a new set of traffic lights were also planned to be installed at the junction.
Cllr Hill stated that weight restrictions still allow access when making deliveries, and Inkersall Green Road is the main road into the village from both Inkersall Road and the A619 and as such all vehicles have to enter this way – although Inkersall Green Road does have a low bridge which prevents HGVs over a certain height passing.
She added that historically there has always been some level of HGV traffic passing through Inkersall, and traffic calming measures have already been installed near the school to help manage vehicle speeds but enforcing speed limits is a police responsibility.
A Derbyshire County Council spokesperson said: “We appreciate the significant impact HGV traffic can have on local communities, particularly in residential areas and understand Cllr Mann’s concerns.
“We always try to work with housing developers to find the most suitable routes for HGV traffic travelling to and from construction sites and we have spoken to all three housing developers in this area and advised them about routes for HGVs to take.”
Derbyshire County Council reiterated measures have been introduced including signs in Duckmanton because despite the presence of an enforceable weight restriction some HGV drivers were using the route as a shortcut to and from the M1.
The council added that it is keeping the situation under review.
