Long-awaited plans for the much-needed Chesterfield-to-Staveley Regeneration Route bypass scheme and its surrounding developments are still awaiting a Government decision on an estimated necessary £141m of funding for a final go-ahead which may depend on the outcome of a business case and a ground investigation.
The Labour Government recently announced a £2bn funding package for regional transport for the East Midlands Combined County Authority and that this investment would also help to partly support the Chesterfield-Staveley bypass scheme among many other projects although EMCCA has confirmed there are currently no specifications how this money will be divided.
An EMCCA spokesperson said: “Last week, the Government announced the total funding package for the East Midlands Combined County Authority under their Transport for City Regions programme.
“However, they didn’t specify how the money would be divided. Over the coming weeks we’ll be working closely with our partners and the Government to understand the priorities and figure out how to best use this funding to benefit people right across the region.”
EMCCA also confirmed that at this stage the Labour Government has not made any specific commitments to provide the overall estimated, necessary funding to complete and get the Chesterfield-Staveley bypass scheme up-and-running but the authority has stressed that it will keep engaging with Government and partners to make sure any future funding decisions reflect the needs of the area.
The overall scheme hopes to see a new single carriageway route of nearly four miles built between Chesterfield and Staveley relieving congestion on the existing network in the area and reducing traffic-related emissions and pollution associated with congestion and it is also hoped the scheme will provide economic growth, jobs and homes, and revive brownfield land.
Derbyshire County Council originally submitted an outline business case to the former Conservative Government after working closely with Chesterfield Borough Council seeking £141m to support delivery of the project alongside a necessary ‘local contribution’ of £25m to fund the overall scheme which would bring its grand total cost to £166m.
But EMCCA confirmed the Government has not made a commitment regarding the overall estimated funding for the Chesterfield-Staveley bypass scheme and there is currently no specific plan for how the latest investment money would be used.
However, EMCCA has stated it will lead the process with partners to develop a proposal once the Government shares more details that ensures the overall £2bn for East Midlands public transport is spent in ways that deliver real benefits for communities across the region.
EMCCA Mayor Claire Ward has previously confirmed that the authority has committed £2.5m from the 2025-26 City Regeneration Sustainable Transport Settlement to progress with the next stage of the scheme and she has recently said she is keen to invest money for a feasibility study while awaiting a Government decision on the scheme to formally give it the go-ahead.
But she has also conceded that this is pending a remaining business case and a ground investigation and EMCCA has confirmed Derbyshire County Council has already done some work exploring different options to improve transport and unlock development in the area and that is what the current business case is based on following Government guidelines for transport projects.
However, before the project can move forward ground investigations will be needed to check the condition and suitability of the land where the bypass might be sited to help understand any risks or responsibilities involved.
EMCCA stated that funding for this ground investigation is already planned for 2025-26 in its City Region Sustainable Transport budget separately from the latest Government funding announcement and the authority added that it will keep working closely with partners and the Government to make sure any plans fit with the wider goals for the region.
An EMCCA spokesperson added: “All projects within the £2bn programme have to go through an assurance process to make sure the money is being used properly.
“The results of the ground investigations and the business case are key parts of that process. We’ll continue working with our partners and the Government to explore the best options to deliver positive outcomes for the region, whatever the results.”
The spokesperson added: “We will keep engaging with Government and partners to make sure any future funding decisions reflect the needs of the area.
“Any timeline depends on how the investigations and assurance checks go. We’ll be working alongside partners and the Government throughout this process to help shape the best possible plan and delivery timescale for the region.”
Plans for the scheme going back to 2022 were ‘paused’ in 2023 by Derbyshire County Council as the county council addressed multi-million pound budget deficit problems while awaiting Government confirmation on funding for the £166m scheme to actually go-ahead.
Derbyshire County Council, which has also been overseeing the scheme, hopes the project will open up a growth corridor for businesses as part of a series of schemes for the region tied-up with a Staveley Vision Masterplan.
Chesterfield Borough Council Leader Tricia Gilby, Chesterfield Labour MP Toby Perkins and NE Derbyshire Labour MP Louise Jones have all been calling on the Government to secure funding for the scheme after a site visit last year with county council officers and landowners Harworth Group and The Devonshire Group to discuss the potential of the Staveley Growth Corridor.
Following the recent Government investment announcement which EMCCA Mayor Ms Ward described as effectively a ‘green light’ for the scheme pending remaining business case and ground investigation studies, Cllr Gilby said: “This is fantastic news for Chesterfield borough and the region. The Chesterfield Staveley Regeneration Route is a transformational opportunity which will also unlock new sites for development that will drive significant economic growth across the borough – supporting the creation of new homes and new jobs for local people.
“We have worked hard with public and private sector partners to secure this funding, and have fully supported Mayor Claire’s work to secure significant investment to support this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our borough, and the wider region.”
The project eventually hopes to open up disused former industrial land for housing including an estimated 1,800 new homes, create an estimated 3,400 jobs from new businesses, and reduce congestion and pollution for Brimington and Staveley with plans for a growth corridor with a 150 hectares of brownfield land developments.
It is hoped the Staveley Growth Corridor and the proposed bypass will help bring in new homes, jobs, a primary school and leisure opportunities centred on the Chesterfield Canal.
If the proposed 6km road goes ahead it is also hoped that it will unlock the development of the former Staveley Works site for new housing, commercial units and community spaces, and also the former Staveley Chemical Works site for employment uses.
Any investment in the new road is also expected to support the wider Staveley Vision Master Plan which features the Government-backed £25.2m Staveley Town Deal regeneration scheme.
The long-awaited 3.7mile Chesterfield-Staveley bypass scheme aims to run from the roundabout, at Sainsbury’s supermarket, on the A619, in Chesterfield, to the Heritage Green Estate before finishing at Hall Lane, in Staveley.
Harworth Group and The Devonshire Group have both submitted planning applications to Chesterfield Borough Council to develop their respective parts of the former Staveley Works site, which if fulfilled could generate an additional £205m of ‘spend’ per annum into the local economy, according to the borough council.
The Devonshire Group is also exploring how it can redevelop the adjacent former Staveley Chemical Works site for employment uses.
However, these proposals are dependent on the delivery of the Chesterfield-Staveley Regeneration Route scheme which is expected to unlock other regeneration and development opportunities in the Staveley area if it is built.
The scheme has been reported as the county’s most expensive, proposed infrastructure project after its costs increased to £166m in December, 2022, and it had been hoped by those concerned that a Government Department for Transport decision about the overall funding would have been announced by now.
Derbyshire County Council, Chesterfield Borough Council and Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins have been given the opportunity to comment further on the scheme’s progress but had not yet done so by the time of publication.
