Mark Fletcher and Leader of Bolsover District Council Steve Fritchley have come together to call for Shirebrook Link Road.
Mark Fletcher MP, Member of Parliament for Bolsover, and Cllr Steve Fritchley, Leader of Bolsover District Council, have signed a joint letter to Derbyshire County Council and D2N2, Local Enterprise Partnership for Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, to request capital funding for a major infrastructure project within the constituency, the Shirebrook Growth Corridor and Link Road.
Bolsover District suffers from poor East-West infrastructure and a purpose-built link road from the M1 to Shirebrook will help improve connectivity and accessibility for businesses in Shirebrook and provide the foundations for future strategic site developments along the corridor.
Furthermore, the Shirebrook Link Road will help to alleviate traffic and congestion on the A617 and reduce both noise and air pollution for residents living in Glapwell, Doe Lea and Bramley Vale.
Bolsover District has suffered from historic levels of underinvestment, which has only perpetuated a feeling that residents are being left behind or simply ignored. Shirebrook is one of the most deprived towns within Derbyshire and has been highlighted as one of 20 towns in England and Wales most affected economically by the Covid-19 pandemic. We believe this infrastructure project would help ensure that we build back better and level-up the Districts across Derbyshire and the East Midlands.
Speaking about the project Mark Fletcher MP said:
"As we recover from Covid-19 pandemic, we need to make sure that all of our energies are put into prioritising the infrastructure and investment we need for our region. The Shirebrook Link Road is something that has been talked about for decades, but we need to crack on. It has the support of the District Council, local businesses and councillors and many other stakeholders.
“Steve Fritchley and I have committed to working together on projects that will benefit the district the most, and the link road is a vital part of that.’’
Bolsover District Council Leader, Cllr Steve Fritchley said the proposed link road would open up the area for major investment.
“I have been fighting for this new link road for over twenty years. Shirebrook is one of the fastest growing towns in the country with massive potential for growth. We have new housing, new businesses, new developments, but they all need modern and robust infrastructure.
“So to help facilitate this growth the creation of a new purpose-built link road connecting the town to the M1 network would attract significant investment help to create more business, provide more jobs for local people and give the whole area a major boost.”
