Fears for Derby’s future amid new doubts over A50 while A38 works in jeopardy

The proposed new A50 junction and link road at Sinfin. Image from Pegasus Planning Group.

Fears have been raised over Derby’s future as fresh doubts surface over a new A50 junction – while major A38 improvements appear in jeopardy too.

An investigation is to be held amid deep concerns about the impact on Derby jobs and traffic should both major schemes not happen.

It was reported this week that the cost of a new Derby A50 junction has soared to more than £89 million with work yet to start.

This is despite planning approval given five years ago for the new “3A” junction proposed to be between junction 4 (Toyota Island) and junction 3 (Bonnie Prince roundabout).

The last known cost of the scheme was £78.04 million in January – meaning there is now an £11m-plus blackhole with no diggers in sight.

The A50 project is being led by Derbyshire County Council but the impact and benefits of the scheme are “essential” to Derby.

But worried city councillors fear there will also be a big impact on Derby should the works not go ahead.

Infinity Park is a new manufacturing and business park south of Derby that is bringing high levels of investment, with large companies taking plots and subsequently creating thousands of jobs to the city.

However, it is claimed the success of Infinity Park “depends” on the delivery of the new A50 junction, but that’s not all.

Next to Infinity Park is a proposed 2,000-home development, known as Infinity Garden Village. The village could have more than 3,000 homes in the long term.

This all comes as the Government proposes to cancel the estimated £600m project to upgrade the A38 in order to boost the UK’s defence spending.

The project, which has long been surrounded in controversy, would involve the creation of flyovers, underpasses, and roads widened from four lanes to six (three on either side).

At a regeneration, vibrancy and climate change scrutiny board meeting, Chaddesden councillor Martin Rawson called on Derby City Council bosses to seriously look into the situation.

He said: “There are a couple of road projects which the growth [of the city] is dependent on, which we are left up in the air about. We need to get a quick decision on the A38.

“The cost of the A50 junction is spiralling all the time. There’s an £11m hole in the funding for it now.

“All of this investment into Infinity Park depends on that. I’d be interested to get more details on what the issues are there and how that can be moved along to make sure we don’t lose out on these potential jobs.”

Chair of the scrutiny board Phil Ingall said he was deeply concerned about the future of the A50 scheme.

He said: “I don’t think people realise how big Infinity Park is going to be. There’s only a few buildings there at the moment.

“Without that [A50] junction going in, Infinity Park Way will just clog Chellaston entirely.

“Without this junction going in, I’m not sure they [Infinity Garden Village residents] will be able to leave their house because there will be so much more traffic coming through.”

Mr Ingall added losing the A38 would be a “very difficult one to swallow” and would not want the A50 junction “to go the same route”.

Councillor Sue Bonser told the meeting it was “important” for a decision to be made on the A38 “now”.