Cost of planned Chesterfield-Staveley by-pass road soars to £166 million

The Chesterfield-Staveley Regeneration Route scheme, overseen by Derbyshire County Council, would see a 6km bypass built on the eastern side of the market town.

It aims to both cut down congestion between the two towns of Chesterfield and Staveley and also open up disused land for 1,800 homes and a swathe of new businesses, creating 3,400 jobs.

A report from the county council, with the outline business case for the scheme now being submitted to central Government, details that the cost of the project has surged from £130 million to £166 million – factoring in inflation, costs of materials and potential risks. This equates to a quarter of the council’s entire annual budget.

The planned 6km route would run from the roundabout by Sainsbury’s on the A619 in Chesterfield, past the new Heritage Green Estate, following the historic Chesterfield Canal and finishing at Hall Lane in Staveley.

It would cross the canal in several spots, requiring new bridges to be built and the possible re-routing of the popular waterway – which dates back to the 18th century. The target for construction of the 6km route is between 2025 and 2027.

Cllr Carolyn Renwick, cabinet member for infrastructure and the environment, told a council meeting today (December 8): “The Chesterfield-Staveley Regeneration Route constitutes the single, largest project within the council’s regeneration pipeline, creating a highway link of 6km that will run parallel to the A619 between Tapton and Staveley and open up to the east of Chesterfield along the Staveley Corridor and support the delivery of up to 1,800 homes and 3,400 jobs. “This is a huge project for the county with major benefits for North Derbyshire.”

Cllr Tony King, cabinet member for clean growth and regeneration, told the meeting: “The land that this relief road will go across is possibly some of the most polluted in the county and clearing it has been quite some problem but this would resolve that problem.

“This is a huge part of the Staveley Town Deal (£25 million from central Government). There have been major problems along the way but I think it is important that it will go ahead.”

Cllr Simon Spencer, deputy leader of the council, told the meeting: “This is a particularly significant project, which has been long in the making and it is fair to say there are going to be some significant problems and risks. It demonstrates huge potential in terms of both job creation and investment in an area that needs the investment.”

The council is looking to get an 85 per cent grant from central Government of £141 million to pay for the majority of the scheme. It says a “local” contribution of £25 million will be required to fund the rest of the scheme, with landowners telling the authority this “can be achieved”, the report details.

The report outlines that in a public consultation in early 2022, 60 per cent of respondents were in favour of the project. A formal planning application is due to be submitted in 2023.