Back in 2020 planning applications were submitted to both Derby City Council (responsible for the southern section) and Erewash Borough Council (responsible for the northern section) for the necessary permission to build the Derwent Valley Cycleway from Darley Abbey to the Ford Lane junction with the A38 across the fields near to the River Derwent.
After discussions with various interested bodies we (in conjunction with National Highways and their contractors) have identified a slightly different route at the northern end. In this modified plan, the route would follow the river more closely, pass under the A38 bridge over the River Derwent, and terminate at Ford Lane near to the Ford Lane bridge over the river.
This modification is judged by the planning department as sufficiently different to need a new application and thus the appropriate paperwork has been submitted to Erewash Borough Council with the original planning application being withdrawn. Those who commented on the original application may have received a letter informing you of the application withdrawal. National Highways have confirmed that the new (replacement) application has been submitted and will appear on the Erewash planning website as soon as it is processed by the Council.
One unfortunate side effect of this withdrawal / resubmission process is that all the comments on the original planning application are lost with the withdrawal. As soon as the new application appears online, and available for comments, we’ll be asking people to write in to support the modified plans.
The letters from the Council about the withdrawal of the planning application may cause some confusion but people can be assured that the project is progressing as planned (albeit slower than we’d hoped) and that the planning application withdrawal is just a bureaucratic detail. We look forward to the new planning application being rapidly determined and the project proceeding to the build stage.
