New cycle lane for Chesterfield's Chatsworth Road blasted as 'absolutely ridiculous' - as residents claimed 'technical issues' with logging objections

The Government has awarded Derbyshire County Council £1.68m to create the new route. It will go from the A619 junction with Holymoor Road, along Chatsworth Road and the existing Hipper Valley Trail, through Queen’s Park, past the train station and to the hospital and beyond by using Crow Lane and Wetlands Lane.

The cycle lane will be built and the current 30mph speed limit will be extended while Crow Lane will close permanently to vehicles to create a dedicated cycle and walking route from the east side of the town to the Royal Hospital.

The council confirmed the decision last week, following the results of the public consultation which revealed most people were in support of the scheme.

But some residents claim their objections would not register as part of the consultation process.

Pete Blant, who lives in the area said: "We had to try on a few different occasions - to go onto the website and register objections. And I'm speaking to more and more local residents who say they weren't able to go register their objection either. It's just very fishy, that the council wants to implement something in order to get some funding and it just seems that every avenue to raise an objections have been blocked. They've not followed the correct protocols in terms of a making the local community aware of this, and by giving the local community the chance to register objections. It's just ridiculous.”

He added: “I just fear that the local cyclists have done a very good job in getting the cycling community to try and register more votes of support. But a lot of the so called votes of support come from outside of the area and even international places as far and wide as Canada – and the scheme it’s not going to even affect them.

“The council's handling of this has been absolutely despicable. For a democratic society that we apparently live in, to have a decision like this railroaded through and not give the local population the opportunity to raise their concerns, is disgusting.”

Pete said he feared the scheme would be dangerous for drivers and cyclists.

He added: “In the last few weeks environmental protesters have been blocking the M25. In the case of Chatsworth Road I feel strongly enough that I probably would consider glueing myself to the pavement to stop them working on the cycle route, because I just think it's absolutely ridiculous.

“I live on the right hand side of Chatsworth Road driving up. And for me to turn right into my road there is a central reservation area I can pull into and come out of the main traffic going up Chatsworth Road. Thanks to that I'm not holding up any traffic and, and I can turn right safely without fear of being hit from behind.

“The plans are taking away the ability for motorists to pull into the central area. The amount of traffic that rotates especially at rush hours or bank holidays means Chatsworth Road can’t afford slowing down. Ambulances, fire engines and police vehicles will not be able to get up and down that road.There’s a danger that if somebody is turning right, and there's a lorry coming up behind them, they won’t break in time. I do fear there are going to be fatalities.

“And almost nobody will use this cycle route. There might be a handful of cyclists supporting it, but keen cyclists I've spoken to do not use this road, because it's too busy. A two lane cycle route and a 30 mile an hour speed limit are just going to add to congestion and will not solve any issues.”

Chesterfield Civic Society expressed their ‘absolute and unqualified opposition’ to the dedicated cycle lane – stating it would make Chatsworth Road ‘dangerously narrow for the volume of traffic which it currently carries.’

James Cowley, a concerned resident of Somersall Park Road who attended the Civic Society meeting, said: “I am a parent and would love my daughter to cycle to her school, but the dangers of a route on Chatsworth Road are huge and loss of life is inevitable. I therefore would not let her on the route which defeats the whole object of getting our younger generation to embrace exercise and climate change.”

James added: “We are not against a cycle route and many of us are in favour of the route across the fields as this would be safer and there is a more logical connection to Holymoorside and more easily links up to the existing Hipper Trail.

“In my view this whole approach by DCC is simply one to plough ahead regardless of what the most affected people think in a blatant money grab for government funding. Their consultation has been fundamentally flawed and they have a duty to revisit this.

“Many of the roads most affected by the new route (both east and west ends) did not receive the so called consultation letter and that on a show of hands, it was an overwhelmingly rejection of the council plans in favour of revisiting the previously discussed Greendale to Somersall Lane.

“It is clear that whilst DCC allegedly paid for disruption of letters, crucial roads were interestingly missed and in my opinion this is no coincidence. It was also confirmed at the meeting that the landowners of the land affected by the proposed alternative route are in favour of using their land, but DCC continue to push liability their way which nobody in their right mind would accept and DCC know this.”

Derbyshire County Council revealed that, in total, 1,240 people responded to the widely publicised consultation concerning the proposals. They said 741 people supported the cycle lane on Chatsworth Road, with 430 objecting.

However, many residents complained about technical issues with logging objections on the website.

For the Crow Lane closure, 752 people supported this with 416 people objecting. 980 people supported the 30mph extension on Chatsworth Road, with 178 objections. For the cycle lane on Chatsworth Road 741 people supported this, with 430 objecting.

The council also received two petitions, one supporting the closure of Crow Lane, with 522 signatures, and one against the closure with 744 signatures.

In total, adding together the results of the consultation and the results of the petition, more people wanted Crow Lane to close permanently than not (738 or 51% of people were for, 638 or 44% were against, and 72 or 5% abstained.)

Work starts on some sections of the route this autumn. Crow Lane will close permanently at some point in the new year, once work to create a cycle and walking route from the station to the start of the closed Crow Lane section has taken place.

Cabinet member for highways assets and transport, Councillor Kewal Singh Athwal, said: “We have listened carefully to what people told us in the consultation and looked at all the alternatives given.

“Creating this route across Chesterfield will give many more people the opportunity to get out of their cars, and either walk or cycle to get into town, or up to the hospital.

“We know that many hospital staff walked or cycled on Crow Lane at the height of the pandemic, and we would expect numbers to increase when the lane closes to vehicles again for good.”

A spokesperson for Derbyshire County Council said they were not aware that there were issues with the website and the 95 per cent of total respondents were located in Derbyshire with over 85 per cent located in Chesterfield.

They said the scheme has been designed in-line with the latest guidance for cycle infrastructure and has been road safety audited and emergency services had been consulted and no issues raised.