Last week Sarah Dines MP submitted a request for funding for the Ashbourne Bypass to the Treasury and The Government ahead of the March Budget.
Having spoken to many constituents and stake holders, Ms Dines believes this project to be vital to the residents of Ashbourne, but also to the whole of Derbyshire Dales and further afield.
Sarah Dines MP has walked along Buxton Road, St Johns Street and Victoria Square and has noted it is very dangerous for pedestrians and drivers alike. Ms Dines is also concerned for the health of her constituents due to the pollution from the exhaust fumes from the numerous heavy goods vehicles which are presently choking the town. This is a project that will have a profound national impact in the levelling up of the Northern regions. It will provide much needed connectivity, benefitting people across the Derbyshire Dales, Derby, Sheffield, Staffordshire, Stoke and critically it would provide a national artery for the distribution of vital minerals.
Ms Dines said, ‘My constituency in Derbyshire provides over a quarter of minerals nationally for the whole construction industry, vital to infrastructure projects across the country and the bypass is needed to allow these national projects to access the minerals they need to complete these projects on time. Notably one of the minerals extracted from my constituency is a rare variety of fluorite which comes exclusively from my constituency and the only source for this mineral worldwide. The danger to pedestrians in Ashbourne is high due to this traffic and it is just not acceptable.
A bypass would bring a great benefit to local business and residents and will enhance the accessibility of the much loved Peak District National Park. It would relieve traffic flow problems, as the only movement of minerals at the moment is through villages and the historic town of Ashbourne. So the bypass would provide relief for these villages by diverting the lorries, it would help keep residents and visitors safe and it would have obvious environmental benefits reducing pollution and peoples exposure to standing traffic. We are only asking for just over a mile in length of new road, and the project would be modest in cost compared to other requests to the treasury.
There’s been a campaign for this for over 40 years now, and it’s about time we got it.
It is for these reasons I have submitted this funding request to the Treasury and I certainly hope they listen and deliver.’
