Erewash commuter route reopens

The closed cycleroute which connects the Nutbrook Trail to the Erewash Canal. Image from Eddie Bisknell. F

The reopening of a major Derbyshire commuter route which has been closed for a year has been welcomed as a win for residents – despite the extended delay.

Enforcement action from Erewash Borough Council has seen the cycle-route connection between the Nutbrook Trail and Erewash Canal via the under-development New Stanton Park development south of Ilkeston, finally reopened to the public.

For more than a year, the many people – including those in Shipley, Cotmanhay, Ilkeston, Kirk Hallam, Ilkeston, Sandiacre, Stapleford and Long Eaton – who use the route for their daily commute have been unable to do so and have faced a lengthy diversion through industrial estates dominated by large HGVs and dust-covered roads.

This was due to a breach of planning agreements from Verdant, who are developing the 200-acre former Stanton Ironworks site as the largest brownfield redevelopment in the East Midlands, set to create 4,000 jobs.

The firm closed the cycle route and completed a new one through its regeneration site, but did not open it due to concerns about health and safety, crime and vandalism.

It pitched a plan for nightly closures of the cycle route with fences and locked gates, but this was rejected by frustrated councillors who claimed they were being “gaslit”.

Councillors said the previous route needed diverting due to safety issues and that the diversion exacerbated this problem.

Following enforcement action, campaigning by residents and an article by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the new connection, away from the roads and along the canal, has now been opened.

Councillor Kate Fennelly, one of the area’s borough councillors, said: “The reopening of the Nutbrook Trail diversion through New Stanton is extremely welcome, but it should never have taken this long to resolve. 

“Residents have been raising concerns for months, and the uncertainty around access has had a real impact on people’s wellbeing. 

“For many, this route isn’t just a leisure path, it’s part of their daily routine, their exercise, and their way of managing stress and maintaining good mental health.

“When a key community route is suddenly closed or left in limbo, it disrupts people’s stability. I’ve spoken to residents who rely on the trail for safe cycling, walking, and as a space to clear their head. 

“Losing that unexpectedly creates frustration, anxiety, and a genuine sense of being ignored.

“I want to thank the Erewash Borough Council planning team for the work they’ve put in to finally get this reopened, and I also want to recognise the residents who kept pushing for answers. Their persistence ensured this issue wasn’t forgotten.

“Now that the route is open 24/7, I hope people can get back to enjoying the trail and using it as the valuable community asset it is for physical health, mental wellbeing, and everyday travel.”

Cllr Fennelly said a wrought iron sculpture, known as the Wild Weed Vetch, made by local metal workers for the Nutbrook Trail, has gone missing since the route has been reopened and is pushing for clarity on what has happened to it, and for the “unique feature” to be reinstated.

As part of its planning approval by Erewash Borough Council in 2022 the developer had to create a new cycling route within the former ironworks before development or occupation of any industrial units.

The developer has now built and occupied a number of units including major distributor DX, a Starbucks and McDonald’s, and laid all of the tarmac for the new cycle route.

This route leads to the canal and reconnects with route 67 at Stanton Lock.