Highways Agency - Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers

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• Opening ceremony
• 1. need for the bypass

1. Need For The Bypass

The line of the bypass has been known and safeguarded since the 1960s. Properties built or purchased since then have been occupied in the knowledge that the bypass was likely to be built in the future.

The bypass will:

• Remove up to 20,000 vehicles a day (including 1,600 HGVs) from the existing single carriageway A6 Shardlow Road
• Prevent some 550 road casualties over the next 30 years
• Improve air quality for properties near the existing A6 Shardlow Road
• Reduce traffic noise for some 550 properties near A6 Shardlow Road
• Allow access to a regeneration area leading to the creation of new jobs
• Complete the core trunk road network in Derby

A contract to design and build the bypass will be awarded in Summer 2002, with construction activities likely to start shortly afterwards. There will be a local exhibition held before work starts - this will show the bypass plans in more detail and give further information aboutaspects such as environmental and archaeological work, landscaping and the construction process.

2. Public Inquiry Process

The public inquiry for A6 Alvaston bypass was held locally in June 2000. This included an exhibition showing the proposals, and it was during this time that objections (including issues from Friends of the Earth) were presented to the Inspector, who duly reported to the Secretary of State for Transport. A decision to proceed with the bypass was made by the Secretary of State in March 2001.

Therefore, we are now unable to consider further or repeated objections, or further debate the need for the bypass.

3. Protestors

A small number of protesters are currently on land adjacent to the route of the bypass.They are occupying land illegally and attempting to avoid the democratic process.

The protesters are quoting s.6 of the 1977 Criminal Law Act as giving them a right tooccupy someone else's land and deny entry to the owner. They are mistaken - s.6 refersonly to the use of unreasonable force for securing entry onto premises - it does notprevent the owner going onto his land.

The protesters will not delay the programme for the bypass. We will take legal action toremove them if necessary.

4. Environmental Mitigation Works

An ecological assessment of the route of the bypass was undertaken before the publicinquiry. Some wildlife and possible archaeological remains were identified.

We have recently felled approximately 200 trees at Coronation Plantation. This work wasnecessary at this time to avoid the bird nesting and bat roosting seasons.

We have also identified Great Crested Newts (a protected species) on part of the route ofthe bypass, although not in Coronation Plantation. We will start works to provide newpond habitats for these newts within the next few weeks, and at a later stage relocate thenewts to these new ponds.

We will carry out further archaeological surveys in Spring 2002. Currently we haveidentified some cropmarks, some palaeoenvironmental deposits, and some medievalpottery scatter. We will record any significant archaeological remains likely to be affected,and keep a watching brief during the construction works for any other finds.

Measures to reduce the effect of the bypass locally include an 4 metre high earth bundadjacent to properties, low noise surfacing, extensive landscaping planting (including over2,000 small trees), and new paths and bridges across the bypass to ensure continuedaccess to Elvaston Castle.

5. Further Information

If you require any further information please contact the Highways Agency A6 AlvastonBypass team at:

Highways Agency
Broadway
Broad Street
Birmingham
B15 1BL

or telephone 08459 556575