Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info
An 18-month partial road closure in Derby – branded “unacceptable” – has cost taxpayers more than £10,000. Frustrated residents have described the continued lane closure on Uttoxeter Road in Mickleover an “absolute joke” and “pathetic”.
And the closure time could stretch up to two years with Derby City Council tangled in legal complications over a damaged wall.
Temporary traffic lights were first installed on a section of Uttoxeter Road near the junction with Cavendish Way following the collapse of a privately owned stone wall during Storm Babet in October 2023, which caused significant flooding across the city.
Join us on WhatsApp to get the latest news straight to your phone
But now more than 18 months on, the lane closure remains in place despite repeated calls for the issue to be sorted.
A Freedom of Information (FOI) request states the wall is not the responsibility of the council “which is why there is a complicated legal process to be followed”. The issue is further complicated due to the complex history of the wall and finding out who is legally responsible for repairs to be carried out.
The FOI also says the city council has paid out more than £10,500 to keep the temporary traffic lights in operation for 18 months. The sum is likely to include other administrative costs as well.
The council says the cost is recoverable, however no decision has been taken regarding recovery as it is dependent on future works and “insurance company involvement”.
Mickleover councillors said publicly a while ago the road closure had gone on for “too long” and have long called for an end to the matter to help alleviate long-standing traffic and pedestrian issues.
During a full city council meeting, as far back as February 2024, councillor Matthew Holmes described the lane closure then as a “very frustrating situation”.
He told the meeting: “The temporary lights regularly require interventions to replace the batteries. And pedestrians, especially the elderly and those with mobility issues, are finding the barrier arrangements a constant challenge.”
The city council’s Labour cabinet member for transport, Carmel Swan, responded at the meeting, stating an enforcement process was starting with the owner of the wall but officers needed more time to assess the legal position.
The FOI, published to the public on June 26, says the council hopes the road can reopen fully within the next few months but this is not guaranteed due to the current legal complications.
A spokesperson for Derby City Council said: “The wall on Uttoxeter Road is owned by a third party and not the council, meaning that our powers to intervene are restricted by private property rights.
“Before the council can take action, ownership has to be clearly established and insurance companies have to be consulted. Following this, there is a process of legally notifying the owners. Whilst this takes place, technical and design work has been happening in the background so that proposals can be made to both the insurance companies and property owners about the required works.
“We understand that the long-term use of temporary signals has been frustrating to some road users, however these signals have been kept in place to keep everyone safe from any further movement in the wall. We will continue to try and make arrangements for the wall to be made safe and for the signals removed.”
Read more – Daughter stole £38,000 from her dementia-suffering dad
Residents have spoken out on the duration of the traffic lights. One person said: “The baffling thing is that the council has paid 16 months for temporary two-way lights. To hire and maintain them is a big cost. It would be more cost-effective to sort the wall out.”
Another said: “Cost of meetings about it and the cost of temporary lights, the wall could have been rebuilt ten times over.” And another joked: “We will be celebrating two years this October.”
But some say the lights are making a “positive” difference and are actually reducing traffic problems in the area. A Mickleover resident said: “The traffic lights have made a huge, positive difference to the flow of traffic through Mickleover, including the flow of traffic around the Tesco roundabout. Keep the lights.”
A Uttoxeter Road resident said: “We have got used to the lights and they cut down on traffic, so as far I am concerned they can stay there.”
We send out the biggest stories in an email every day. Sign up for the main Derbyshire Live newsletter here.
