Snake Pass slips may top £100m, council says

Active landslips surrounding Snake Pass could cost more than £100m to investigate and repair, Derbyshire County Council has said.

Charlotte Hill, the authority's cabinet member for highways, said the provisional estimate was "beyond our means and why we continue to lobby for more funding".

There are four landslip sites along the A57 route, which links Sheffield and Manchester at Doctor's Gate, Wood Cottage, Alport and Gillot Hey.

Hill said a feasibility study for the Doctors Gate landslip had been recently completed and there was an agreement to repair it using Department for Transport funding.

The authority was "actively working" on repair options for the other landslip sites, Hill added.

The road was closed for three weeks from June to early July, from Glossop to the junction with the Fairholmes Visitor Centre to allow for ground investigations at the Doctor's Gate landslip site.

The first phase of a wider programme of safety improvements along the route also began - funded by £7.6m from the government's Safer Roads Fund.

These works included retaining wall repairs at Doctor's Gate, a visual inspection of the structures along the route including a detailed, once every six-year inspection at the Alport Bridge landslip, the installation of upgraded safety barriers and road patching repairs.

When Andy Burnham was the mayor of Greater Manchester, he joined two of his mayoral counterparts whose areas cover the Peak District in calling for the government to take greater responsibility for the Snake Pass route.

The former mayor was implying at the time that such a vital route connecting Manchester and Sheffield was too important to be the responsibility of a local council like Derbyshire County Council, and its limited budget.

But in his new role as prime minister, there has been no movement on the government's position - despite Burnham calling for a "better road solution" for the region in August.

Asked whether the government was considering further action in line with the prime minister's previous calls to take the road out of the hands of the council, the Department of Transport previously told the BBC: "While it is Derbyshire County Council's responsibility to maintain this iconic road, last year we announced a £7.6m boost to make life-saving improvements on the route.

"We are also providing the East Midlands Combined County Authority with £2bn in Transport for City Regions funding over the next six years so they can invest in their local transport network, wherever they see fit."

Councillor Charlotte Hill said the road presented "complex challenges" to the council.

"We recognise the importance of the Snake Pass but it presents us with complex challenges due to its underlying geology along with the topography of the surrounding area and exposure to severe weather," she added.

"With a number of active landslips along the route, it's crucial we focus on finding a long-term solution that addresses these issues safely and sustainably.

"The provisional estimate to investigate and repair these landslips is in excess of £100m which is beyond our means and why we continue to lobby for more funding.

"We welcome the renewed impetus in finding solutions and we are working with the East Midlands Combined County Authority on a delivery plan with the expectation that extra funding will be forthcoming.

"If funding is forthcoming we are looking at all works being completed by the end of 2031."

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