A landslip-hit Derbyshire road will have been closed for four years by the time it reopens, council officials have revealed as it launches £7 million in repairs funding.
Derbyshire County Council’s Reform UK administration have announced £48 million highways capital improvements for the next year, which includes £7 million for landslip repairs on five landslip-hit routes in Bakewell, Barlow, Beeley, Edale and Holloway.
A further £22 million is available but yet to be allocated to projects because the council has not received confirmation of receipt of that figure, claiming it may have to until April for that.
There are a total of 221 landslips across Derbyshire, the county council details, some of which, on Snake Pass, will require much more substantial funding bids into the “hundreds of millions” which the authority cannot cover itself and has been persistently lobbying the Government and East Midlands Mayor for.
The Holloway slip relates to a 40-metre stretch of damage on Leashaw caused by heavy rainfall which has led to the closure of the road since November 2022.
Council officials update that work is due to start next spring and “likely” be complete by the autumn, but with a contingency backstop of December 2026.
This confirms that the route will have been closed for four years by the time the £1.1 million repairs are carried out.
Initially repairs had been due to be completed by this summer – a deadline which has since passed – before it was then pushed back to “probably” start in summer 2026.
Repairs to Leashaw will involve a new retaining wall and “mini” steel piles deep into the rockface below the road which would aim to hold the route in place.
Its closure has left Holloway residents with a detour for typical journeys, more pressure on other routes and significant issues with maintaining custom for their businesses.
A county council spokesperson said: “As part of our works to finalise the repairs needed at the landslip site, we have extended the closure of Leashaw until December 2026.
“The extension is needed as we appoint a contractor to enable work to start on site next Spring, and as a contingency measure in case of any unforeseen complications during construction.
“We expect the works to take around six months, with likely completion in the Autumn next year.
“Following detailed surveys and assessments by engineers, we intend to install micro concrete piles at the foot of the landslip collapse.
“Once the piling work has been done, we’ll recreate the shape of the slope using soil and then finish with grass seed.
“The finished works will restore the site to how it looked before the landslip occurred.
“The road surface will also be repaired prior to reopening.
“We’d like to thank local people and businesses for their patience during the road closure and our detailed site investigations.”
The landslip in Station Road, Bakewell, is to receive the most new funding at £2.4 million, followed by Chesterfield Road in Beeley and Commonside in Barlow with £1.5 million each, £1.1 million for Leashaw and £500,000 for Mam Nick in Edale.
A total £9.3 million will be spent on road maintenance, £7.4 million on road resurfacing, £4.7 million on roads surface dressing, £3.3 million on micro-asphalt for roads and £324,000 for roads asphalt rejuvenation.
Councillor Charlotte Hill, the council’s cabinet member for potholes, highways and transport, said: “The changes to the way highways work, by introducing fence to fence working and more permanent repairs, will mean that we can reduce potholes and improve the quality and safety of our roads.
“Although we don’t know the exact sum of money we will be awarded, we believe that it will be similar to what we have been awarded this year.
“The lack of communication on funding is frustrating as it does not allow for long term forward planning to take place, if uncertainties of funding remain.
“However, we are getting ourselves organised so that we can deliver a programme of work that will truly make a difference.
“Almost 80 per cent of the roads that we will improve next year are residential roads. This is a change from previous programmes, and I am sure this will be welcomed by our residents.”
