Campaigners celebrate victory in fight to make accident ‘hotspot’ safer

A new police enforcement area is to be built in a notorious accident ‘hotspot’ following joint intervention from Police and Crime Commissioner Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts and road safety partners. 

The Derbyshire PCC offered her full support to Parish Councillors, residents and safety campaigners including North East Derbyshire MP Louise Sandher-Jones in pressing for urgent action to address the high number of collisions along the A632 between Chesterfield and Matlock, specifically at the Span Carr crossroads. 

The road has been the site of several serious and fatal collisions over the years, and residents have long-expressed concerns over excessive speed. 

Back in April, the Commissioner attended an Ashover Parish Council meeting to listen to concerns before raising the issue at the Derby and Derbyshire Road Safety Partnership Governance Board, of which the PCC is a member.

Currently, due to the layout of the road and surrounding area, there is no safe location for vehicles to park and conduct police enforcement.

However, following positive discussions, Derbyshire County Council has agreed to fund the installation of a purpose-built bay for roads policing officers to deploy their speed enforcement van. 

Initial planning is now underway to identify a suitable location with completion targeted for December 2025. 

In response to consistent concerns raised by residents during her recent consultation, the Commissioner has committed to prioritising action against speeding motorists through proactive enforcement, as part of her Police and Crime Plan.

Under her Anti-Social Behaviour and Community Safety priority, the Commissioner has also pledged to take a robust approach to tackling dangerous driving, expand the Community Speed Watch programme, and work collaboratively to develop initiatives that improve road safety and reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on the road network

Police and Crime Commissioner Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts said: “This is a huge step forward and will be vital for addressing ongoing issues of speeding along this route in the future.

“Every death or serious injury on our roads is a tragedy that leaves a family and a community in mourning. Most of the serious collisions on our roads are preventable, and as community leaders we must spare no effort in reducing the risks, especially when there is clear evidence of a problem. 

“I am pleased Derbyshire County Council has approved this measure and would like to thank all partners, including residents and local campaigners who have fought so passionately for change, for their hard work in securing this improvement, which could help to save lives.” 

Councillor Charlotte Hill, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Potholes, Highways and Transport, said: “Road safety is one of our top priorities and we continue to work hard with the police to improve road safety on this route. 

“The funding we’re providing to create a purpose-built bay for a speed enforcement van is the latest in a series of measures to help reduce the number of collisions on the A632, and we’ll continue to support the police in our joint efforts to improve road safety. 

“We believe the A632 should be included in the national scheme for average speed cameras and other measures which we hope the Government will support us with, and we continue to be in regular contact with the Department for Transport for funding for this through the national Safer Roads Fund.”

Louise Sandher-Jones MP, the Member of Parliament for North East Derbyshire commented: “I am consistently worried about the safety of North East Derbyshire’s roads. The A632 runs through North East Derbyshire and has multiple dangerous points including Kelstedge and the Span Carr junction. Hugely excessive speeds are regularly recorded and sadly we have seen fatal accidents. I am working closely with the Derbyshire Constabulary and regional representatives like Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts (The Police and Crime Commissioner) to ensure speed awareness on roads like the A632. We must work together to ensure no more lives are needlessly lost on roads in North East Derbyshire.”