'Road closures for fire are affecting my pub's trade'

A pub landlord has said he may have to lay staff off after a road used by passing trade was closed due to a wildfire nearby.

Steve Marsh, owner of The Dog & Partridge Inn in Flouch, said "there is no sense" in keeping the westbound carriageway of the A628 Woodhead Pass closed.

The road linking South Yorkshire to Greater Manchester was closed on Thursday after a car crash caused a moorland blaze, and remains partially shut.

A spokesperson for National Highways said: "We are looking to install signage at Flouch Roundabout confirming The Dog & Partridge Inn is open for business as usual and to alter the present road closure to enable safe access in both directions to the pub."

Marsh said the car fire, about one mile (1.6km) from his pub, was extinguished and believes the closure is still in place due to another major moorland fire about 10 miles (16km) away at Tintwistle Moor, near Glossop.

He said he had had to send staff home and also lost workers due to roadworks nearby in 2025.

Marsh said he was worried about the impact of further road closures for bridge repairs during two weekends in August at the pub's "busiest" time, and said he wanted National Highways to look at their schedule and consider proceeding with the work on weekdays.

Marsh said they were losing "thousands of pounds a week" and that it was "absolutely frustrating".

He said he had contacted National Highways to gain clarification on why the road had to remain partially closed when the fire was a significant distance away.

"I cannot see what they [National Highways] are achieving by closing this section of road," he said.

Dept Ch Fire Officer Clive Stanbrook from Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed about 65 firefighters from 10 different services were battling a large-scale fire on the moorland, measuring about two miles (3.5km) by three miles (5.5km). He said they were being supported by hundreds of others including mountain rescue teams and partner agencies.

"We're surrounding the fire by various means, such as controlled burning and also excavating some of the land around it so it can't spread any further."

He said an investigation into the cause of the fire would begin after it was "dealt with" and it could burn for another week.

The spokesperson for National Highways added: "The A628 Woodhead Pass remains closed in both directions between the A57 at Hollingworth and the A616 at Flouch due to a major wildfire in Derbyshire.

"The closure is expected to remain in place until at least Monday 27 July, although diversion routes are being reviewed daily.

"The A628 between Flouch Roundabout and The Dog & Partridge Inn remains open in both directions for local access only, including to the pub."

They added they were carrying out "essential safety, stabilisation and reconstruction" works as part of the Woodhead Cascade scheme on the A628 between the Woodhead Station access road and Salters Brook Bridge and were in discussions with the owner of The Dog & Partridge Inn "to minimise the impact of these works".

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