Renewed calls to investigate Derby island

Palm Court Island in Derby. Picture by LDRS.

Calls for highway bosses to investigate safety on a busy Derby island have grown after a spate of “near misses” and incidents.

Earlier this year the city’s Palm Court Island between Allestree and Darley Abbey was branded “unsafe” and “no longer fit for its traffic level”, with many calling into question its safety.

But despite the concerns Derby City Council said there was not enough accident data or recorded incidents to warrant immediate action at the island which connects with the A38.

However since then, it is claimed there have been more “near misses” between vehicles and pedestrians – prompting further discussions over safety.

The city council says it will review latest figures when available following “recent incidents”.

The concerns are mainly around pedestrians getting across the roads around the main island and past A38 slip roads with drivers approaching at fast speeds.

But Derby cyclists have also raised deep concerns saying their safety is in danger with no cycle lanes around it.

Allestree councillor Steve Hassall said he had been made aware of near misses and has approached city highways chiefs once again to address concerns.

He said: “I understand why Highways has to work from recorded evidence and prioritise limited resources, but I do think that position is misguided in this particular location.

“Difficult crossing movements, traffic speeds, poor visibility and near misses which, by their very nature, often never become part of the formal collision statistics.

“We shouldn’t have to wait for somebody to be seriously injured before concluding that a location presents a problem.”

But pedestrians walking around the island said they did not believe it was such an issue.

Chris from Allestree said: “It’s not as bad as any other big island in the city. The thing is drivers have to go fast to get through because other cars are going past.”

David from Darley Abbey said it was a busy island but said he never felt he was in danger.

Derby Cycling Group has also called for improvements to be explored. A report on the island and safety concerns has been published on its website since concerns were raised in February.

Tony Roelich from the group backed calls for an investigation, saying the island was “a daunting place” for both cyclists and pedestrians.

“It’s a big problem,” he said.

“Palm Court has no cycle paths of any kind. The paths which run round Palm Court are totally unsuitable for sharing with pedestrians.”

In February fellow cyclist Ian Dent said the island was the “most dangerous place” to cycle in Derby.

A spokesperson for Derby City Council said: “We understand local concerns about Palm Court, and we have been made aware of recent incidents. The safety of all road users is a priority for us.

“We will review the latest official collision figures as soon as the data becomes available.

“Significant change at this location would require a major scheme, with the permission of National Highways and input from EMCCA on buses impact and potential benefits.

“As a council we are committed to balancing funding for road safety improvements across the whole city, with Palm Court remaining on our long-term list of sites to be considered.”