Plans for a new M1 junction in Derbyshire have the backing of the Prime Minister.
Erewash MP Labour’s Adam Thompson said the case for a new M1 junction at Sandiacre, probably named Junction 25A is now “very good” and has the support of Andy Burnham as well as Government officials.
The positive update comes a month after Erewash Borough Council agreed, with cross-party support, to launch an £80,000 economic appraisal into a potential new M1 junction at Sandiacre, which will also consider other options.
Mr Thompson said the new PM believed a new junction could become achievable if “local people know what needs doing”.
He said: “I’ve been making the case for an upgrade to Junction 25 to anybody and everyone who might have a say in making it happen.
“Most recently, I took it directly to the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham – he told me that if local people know what needs doing, then we should be able to get it done. I agree.
“I’ve also met repeatedly with the Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, as well as Roads Minister Simon Lightwood. They took me through the process for getting a big scheme like this included in the national programme.
“The important thing is – big infrastructure upgrades like this don’t happen in a vacuum. They come alongside growth.
“So I think that everything happening at New Stanton Park now gives us a very good case for Junction 25a.”
The development of the 200-acre New Stanton Park site on the former Stanton Ironworks, south of Ilkeston, was approved by the borough council in 2022 as the largest brownfield development in the East Midlands, creating 4,000 jobs.
Early occupation of the site and work to clear it and prepare it for new economic life have seen many heavy goods vehicles travelling through Sandiacre, Ilkeston and the small village of Stanton by Dale, with many complaints from residents.
As part of that wider plan, the site will include a 17-acre rail hub to provide direct access for companies transporting their goods to and from the site and across the UK – taking more vehicles off the road.
This has not yet been developed, with the 200-acre plot still in the relatively early stages of regeneration.
Mr Thompson said: “I’ve also had meetings to try and get the Stanton rail spur back into use, so we can get all those big lorries off our local road network and onto the railways. Better for people, better for our environment.
“This won’t happen overnight, but I’m committed to keeping up the pressure and making sure Erewash has the infrastructure it needs.”
Last month’s borough council meeting heard that the New Stanton Park development would lead to 660,650 extra vehicle movements per year.
Councillor James Dawson, Labour council leader, supporting the pitch for a study into a potential new 25a junction, had said: “If we are serious about New Stanton Park, we need to be serious about people visiting the site easily without affecting residents nearby.
“The study may show that a new junction is not the right choice; it could be a new link road or an improved railhead, but we need that evidence base to form the basis of negotiations with the Government and the EMCCA.”
He said improvements to access are essential “for the wider benefit of the community and for the investment in economic growth and our future prosperity”.
Cllr Kevin Miller had said: “We need 25a to alleviate the misery of Sandiacre, Long Eaton and Stanton by Dale residents. Their lives are a misery due to accidents and pollution.”
Cllr Wayne Major, Conservative opposition leader, led the call for a council-backed study, saying: “We believe that improving access could unlock economic potential at New Stanton Park by attracting investment and creating employment opportunities, and could alleviate traffic pressure, benefiting both local businesses and residents alike.”
He had said a new junction could make residents’ lives “like they are worth living” while also allowing for the redevelopment of the “biggest brownfield site in the East Midlands”.
Previous Erewash MP Maggie Throup had also been calling for a new M1 junction at Sandiacre as part of the HS2 route, under which the M1 could be realigned, but this did not progress.
By Eddie Bisknell, Local Democracy Reporter