Take Action: Help Stop the A38 Expansion and Fund Sustainable Transport!
After years of campaigning, the Government is finally reviewing the destructive A38 Derby Junctions road scheme.
The new Labour Government is reviewing infrastructure spending, and many road schemes have already been cancelled. The A38 scheme is still under consideration—your voice can make a difference!
Now is the time to act. Write to your political representatives and urge them to cancel this harmful project and reallocate funding to sustainable transport solutions.
Write to Your Representatives
Tips for Writing
We’ve provided an example letter and key points to help you.
Personalise your email or letter—politicians are more likely to respond to messages that reflect your own views and experiences.
Share why this issue matters to you personally; your story can make a powerful impact.
Be polite and respectful. Many politicians have been willing to engage with us and discuss our concerns, even when we don’t agree on everything.
Your voice matters—let it be heard!
Who to write to?
Heidi Alexander MP, The Secretary of State for Transport
heidi.alexander.mp@parliament.uk and dftcorrespondence@dft.gov.uk
Heidi is a key decision maker in the infrastructure review and future investment in UK transport infrastructure.
Lilian Greenwood MP, Minister for the Future of Roads
lilian.greenwood.mp@parliament.uk
Catherine Atkinson MP for Derby North
Catherine Atkinson MP of Derby North is on the Transport Select Committee and is an advocate of railway investment, especially as Derby will be home to Great British railway HQ and the railway industry is a big part of Derby’s economy. She is also committed to action on the climate crisis.
catherine.atkinson.mp@parliament.uk
Clare Ward, East Midlands Mayor
The East Midlands Mayor has influence on how the transport networks in the East Midlands are invested in. Please ask her to prioritise public transport and active travel over polluting and destructive road schemes.
Other local MPs
Find your local MP via https://www.writetothem.com/
https://democracy.derbyshire.gov.uk/mgMemberIndexMP.aspx?bcr=1
Key points to help you write
The infrastructure review is a vital opportunity to save £15 billion nationally by cancelling outdated and destructive road schemes like the A38 Derby Junctions. Redirecting this funding to sustainable transport, such as rail and public transport, would support national decarbonisation goals, create jobs, and deliver greater economic and social benefits.
The A38 scheme will worsen congestion and increase traffic. Expanding roads induces demand, leading to more car-dependent developments and higher traffic levels over time. Planning documents show an increase in traffic if the scheme is completed.
More car dependent housing with no extra doctors, schools, dentists etc. The previous Government who approved the scheme and the old Conservative city council administration who supported it, said the main purpose of the A38 expansion is to release more land near the A38 around Derby for “a minimum of 11,000 developments.”. People in Mickleover and Mackworth are already struggling from the pressure on local services and infrastructure due poorly planned house building with no sustainable transport investment. The A38 expansion will lead to even more of this. There is no mention of extra doctors, schools etc. alongside the new developments.
It will significantly increase carbon emissions both through construction and extra traffic, directly undermining the UK's climate targets and worsening the climate crisis. Improved traffic flow will not reduce carbon emissions, this is a false claim. The planning documents show an increase and the first legal challenge was successful due on carbon emission grounds.
Environmental destruction: Thousands of trees will be felled, with fewer replanted, resulting in permanent habitat loss for wildlife. New planting cannot offset this damage.
Air and noise pollution: The scheme will increase NO₂ levels, particularly near sensitive areas like the Royal School for the Deaf and Markeaton Roundabout, and bring higher noise levels to many residential areas.
Four years of severe disruption: Construction will cause long-term traffic chaos, harming residents and businesses. There are no mitigation plans in place.
Loss of homes and land: The compulsory purchase of private properties, gardens, and agricultural land will irreparably harm communities.
Avoid wasting over £250 million of public funds: The scheme costs were last estimated in 2019 and are likely to be more now due to inflation, increased construction costs and carbon pricing. The £250 million cost of the scheme is a misuse of public funds, especially at a time when the Government faces a £22 billion budget deficit.
The full business case of the A38 expansion is still not complete and the final costs and benefit-cost ratio (BCR) are not known. The has never been a comprehensive economic assessment published justifying the claimed benefits relative to the costs and significant environmental and community harms. A Combined Modelling and Appraisal (ComMA) report was not produced. The Examining Authority of the scheme noted the lack of information on the methodology and assumptions used in the economic assessment and requested a full version of the assessment. National Highways only provided a table summarising the Analysis of Monetised Costs and Benefits (AMCB).
Flawed economic justification: The A38 Derby Junctions scheme is based on an outdated 2019 economic assessment. Independent analysis suggests that the benefit-cost ratio (BCR) could now fall below 2, indicating poor value for money. Despite this, the old Conservative Government moved forward with the scheme.
The journey-saving benefits are likely exaggerated: National Highways published a report in 2017 which found that congestion was made worse on dozens of major roads in England by a project to tackle bottlenecks. The pinch-point programme was started in 2011 to relieve congestion, stimulate growth in local economies and improve safety, but the report showed most schemes had failed to do this. It’s likely the A38 scheme will also fail in its aims, especially due to induced demand by enabling more car-dependent developments.
The scheme is not necessary to support the development of new housing in and around Derby. The expansion risks entrenching car dependency, increasing congestion and causing huge environmental harm. Recent developments in Derby demonstrate that sustainable housing growth is achievable without increasing road capacity.
Alternative solutions have never been considered: National Highways only proposed road-based projects and no research into multi-modal solutions was ever conducted.
Alternative solutions are cheaper, faster and less harmful: In the short term, better traffic signalling, improved road signs, lowering speed limits, pedestrian and cyclist bridges / underpasses and even road pricing could alleviate congestion while longer term, multi-modal transport solutions are researched and implemented.
Example letter to personalise
Dear [Recipient's Name],
I am writing to urge you to cancel the A38 Derby Junctions road scheme (also known as the A38 expansion), due to its weak economic case and negative impacts as part of the ongoing infrastructure review.
The A38 expansion is an outdated, costly, disruptive and environmentally damaging project. Originally estimated to cost £250 million in 2019, the actual cost is likely to be significantly higher due to inflation, increased construction expenses, and new carbon pricing guidance. Yet, despite these uncertainties, the Full Business Case (FBC) for the scheme will not be completed until June 2026 (according to an FOI request to National Highways), well after the infrastructure spending review, which concludes in June 2025.
How can the Government make a fully informed decision on such an expensive and disruptive project without knowing the final costs or the latest benefit-cost ratio (BCR)?
Even the Examining Authority raised concerns during the scheme’s approval process about the lack of transparency in its economic assessment. National Highways failed to produce a Combined Modelling and Appraisal (ComMA) report, only providing a summary table of the Analysis of Monetised Costs and Benefits (AMCB). This is far from the comprehensive assessment required to justify the project’s costs and benefits.
Former Conservative transport minister Mark Harper approved the A38 scheme in 2023 despite it being ruled unlawful in 2021. In 2015, the A38’s BCR was 6.1, but by 2018 it had fallen to 2.6. During the re-examination, he refused to update the benefit-cost ratio (BCR) using current Treasury guidance or adjust for inflation, claiming it was not proportionate to the investment decision, yet he did not have enough information to make that decision. A legal challenge on the grounds of the scheme’s outdated economic assessment was dismissed because the court ruled that the Transport Minister has the right to approve a scheme with missing and out of date information as this information will be updated and calculated at the FBC stage.
During the second legal challenge, National Highways admitted that including carbon pricing would reduce the BCR to 2.4 but withdrew this evidence to block an expert evidence report suggesting the scheme’s BCR could fall below 2.
In contrast, active travel and public transport projects deliver far higher value. Cycle schemes like Connect2 have BCRs of up to 10.9:1, while major bus-related projects average 4.2:1—well above most road schemes.
There have been problems with the economic viability of the A38 expansion throughout the scheme’s approval process and it is very concerning that a decision may be made on the scheme’s future with the infrastructure spending review in June 2025, when the FBC will not be completed for over another year.
Evidence from National Highways' own 2017 report on the pinch-point programme suggests that road expansion projects often fail to deliver promised congestion relief. Many schemes have made congestion worse due to induced demand, and the A38 expansion will likely have the same outcome. Again highlighting how wasteful and pointless the project is.
The goals of reducing congestion on the A38 could be better achieved through short-term, lower-cost interventions such as improved traffic signalling, more signal enforcement (drivers often run red lights then block the roundabouts) better road signs, lowering speed limits, pedestrian and cyclist bridges or underpasses, and road pricing. These measures could alleviate congestion while longer-term, multi-modal transport solutions are researched and implemented. They would be faster to deliver, less disruptive, and more consistent with the UK’s decarbonisation goals. However, National Highways only proposed road-based projects and no research into multi-modal solutions was ever conducted for the A38 Derby corridor.
The proposed A38 road expansion is not necessary to support the development of new housing in and around Derby. The expansion risks entrenching car dependency, increasing congestion and causing huge environmental harm. Recent housing developments in Derby with good public transport links and local amenities demonstrate that sustainable growth is achievable without increasing road capacity, in line with the new Labour Government’s ambitious climate goals.
Cancelling the A38 scheme would avoid devastating impacts on local communities and the environment, including the destruction of wildlife habitats, public green spaces, private gardens, farmland, and homes. It would also prevent increased NO₂ emissions, especially around Markeaton Roundabout, which puts residents’ health at risk—including those at the Royal School for the Deaf. Additionally, the project would cause four years of severe traffic disruption during construction.
Redirecting funds from the A38 expansion toward public transport, rail infrastructure, and freight electrification would be far more effective in reducing emissions, benefiting public health, and creating jobs. Derby’s economy is uniquely positioned to thrive with greater investment in the rail supply chain, which would provide long-term economic benefits.
Derby’s bus services, mainly run by Trent Barton and Arriva, are limited, with poorly connected routes often requiring inconvenient transfers. Bus franchising would allow Derby City Council to coordinate services, ensuring fully integrated, reliable, and frequent public transport with multi-operator ticketing and faster journey times. Unlike Nottingham, Derby lacks a tram network, and its fragmented cycling infrastructure highlights the need for safer, better-connected routes.
Investing a fraction of the £250 million planned for the A38 expansion into public transport would deliver far greater economic, social, and environmental benefits. Improved public transport reduces travel costs, reliance on oil, and congestion while boosting productivity and generating significant returns. Rail alone contributes £43 billion annually to the economy, with every £1 spent creating £2.50 in wider benefits. Stronger public transport links could increase GDP outside London by over £50 billion annually.
The new Labour Government has already cancelled several harmful road schemes as part of its infrastructure review. Cancelling the A38 expansion would align with these priorities and reflect a commitment to sustainable transport, carbon reduction, and better public health outcomes.
I urge you to recommend cancelling the A38 Derby Junctions scheme and reallocating the funds toward sustainable transport solutions that support growth in Derby and across the UK. Thank you for your consideration of this important matter.
Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]