A38 Road Expansion Faces Legal Challenge
Date: 4th Feb 2021
A member of a Derby campaign group is seeking a judicial review of the decision by Grant Shapps to give the go ahead for the A38 Derby Junctions road scheme, despite several misgivings by the Planning Inspectorate related to climate change issues.[1]
The scheme is part of the Government's controversial £27 billion strategy to expand England’s road network, which has been thrown into doubt after documents showed that the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, overrode official advice to review the plans on environmental grounds. [2] This was revealed after lawyers for the campaign group Transport Action Network (TAN) sought a judicial review of the Government’s nationwide road building projects.
The A38 Derby Junctions road scheme, which will cost £250 million, will make major changes at three roundabouts and widen the road to three lanes each way as it passes through Derby. It will cause the loss of an estimated 100,000 trees and a large amount of wildlife habitat and will create an extra 280,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions in its 60-year lifespan. It will also increase pollution in a city that already has illegally high pollution levels. The works alone, which will take four years, will create an additional 131,000 tonnes of carbon.
The Department for Transport was informed of the intention to start legal proceedings on 2nd February and, following a letter of response from the Department for Transport, the claimant, who is part of Stop the A38 Expansion Group, has decided to issue a request for a judicial review this week.
A member of Stop the A38 Expansion Group, said: “If successful, this could bring the Government’s carbon-intense road building madness to an end and add to pressure for Highways England to be replaced with a new organisation fit for the challenges of the 21st century, with a mission to deliver high-quality, low-carbon and clean transport infrastructure and services for us all.” [3]
“The Government’s plan to build more roads when we are in a climate emergency is irrational, irresponsible and dangerous. It’s also totally incompatible with the UK hosting the Climate Change Conference, COP26, later this year!”