A record £60m investment to improve Derbyshire roads

Caption: Derbyshire County Council recently celebrated the achievement at the Darley Dale Depot. Derbyshire County Council Leader, Councillor Alan Graves, Cabinet Member for Potholes, Highways and Transport, Councillor Charlotte Hill, Chief Executive Neil Crittenden and Highways Director Julian Gould were all in attendance.

Derbyshire County Council has invested a record £60 million in highways across the county over the past year.

The investment is funding the council’s annual capital programme, including major long-term preventative maintenance designed to extend the lifespan of Derbyshire’s highways network.

Work completed and under way includes micro-asphalting, full road resurfacing, surface dressing, slurry sealing and pavement repairs, alongside landslip repairs, bridge works, drainage improvements and road-safety schemes.

Funding has been secured from Government and the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA).

Fixing potholes also remains a priority. The council now has 34 pothole repair teams working across Derbyshire each day as part of a rapid-response service, repairing up to 2,000 potholes every week.

The council’s highways team says progress can be affected by wet and cold winter weather, but work is continuing at pace and the council acknowledges there is more to do.

To support this work, the council is exploring innovative techniques and materials to deliver better, longer-lasting repairs for residents, businesses and communities. A dedicated highways innovation focus group has been set up to identify and test improvements, with new approaches expected to be rolled out across the county’s roads network.

Councillor Charlotte Hill, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Potholes, Highways and Transport, said: “I’m delighted we have made the biggest investment ever in Derbyshire’s roads, but this is just the start.

“Highways are a top priority for us, as set out in our Council Plan, and we are committed to delivering a programme that keeps roads and pavements in the best condition possible.

“We have also set up a dedicated group to drive innovation and identify new ways of working. In addition, we are exploring all options to increase investment in our roads over the next couple of years.”