Highways and Public Realm updated phasing plans released ahead of today's drop-ins
With work well under way to deliver the two projects within the Ashbourne Reborn programme, additional drop-ins are taking place. The drop-ins are for members of the public and local businesses to ask questions about the delivery of the highways scheme and raise any issues about the delivery of the wider programme.
Updated phasing plans have been produced to support the sessions, held on Monday 9 June (4:30pm-7pm) and Wednesday 18 June (4:30pm-7pm) at Ashbourne’s Elim Church, Waterside Business Park, DE6 1DG.
Derbyshire County Council is responsible for delivering the current Ashbourne Reborn highways work in the town centre. They are prioritising the re-opening of St John Street which is planned by the end of September, and this remains on schedule, however the overall programme is now expected to complete in early November rather than late October.
Some additional risks have been presented by third parties and additional work has been required to put things right as work progresses through the town centre and unforeseen issues are found under the ground. Severn Trent are currently working on a partial collapse of their culvert under the junction of Dig Street and St John Street, which they found to be in a poor state of repair. In addition, previous reinstatement work by utilities companies on Dig St has not been up to the required standards and has required remediation as part of the Ashbourne Reborn highways works. The requirement for additional trial holes and surveys and some delays with Galliford Try’s supply chain have also contributed to pressure on the works programme, alongside the prioritisation of work on St John Street, which means some workers have been moved from other areas to support the earliest possible re-opening of the road. The impact on the overall programme is relatively minimal.
After the drop-in sessions, further information will be shared on the Ashbourne Reborn website and newsletters so that residents and businesses in Ashbourne can follow progress over the final months of the programme.
Galliford Try is Derbyshire County Council’s main contractor for the highways and public realm work. They run weekly drop-ins at Ashbourne Business Centre, Dig Street on Tuesdays from 12-3pm. Their public liaison officer can also arrange to visit businesses at a time that is convenient for them.
The main construction phase for the highways and public realm project continues to be progressed by Galliford Try, and significant progress has been made on St John St, Dig St, Buxton Road and the Market Place. Work has also started on Millennium Square, including preparatory excavation for the planters. Some within-programme adjustments to the phasing of the works have proved necessary to accommodate the changes, and an update phasing plan has been published. Work is ongoing to minimise the impact to town centre businesses, including premises on Dig Street, which will be contacted individually by Galliford Try’s Public Liaison Officer.
Ashbourne Reborn is a £15.9m programme aimed at transforming Ashbourne town centre through significant improvements to highways and public realm and the development of the Link Community Hub. It is funded by UK Central Government via the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
The District Council is the Accountable Body for Ashbourne Reborn, Derbyshire County Council is responsible for delivering the Highways and Public Realm project and Ashbourne Methodist Church the Link Community Hub. These partners work in collaboration with Ashbourne Town Team, Ashbourne Town Council and AshCom who brought forward proposals, identified opportunities and raised match funding for the original bid.
To receive email updates, sign up for the newsletter at the District Council website www.derbyshiredales.gov.uk/enewsreg (tick the box for Ashbourne Reborn), or visit the Ashbourne Reborn website www.ashbournereborn.co.uk for the latest news, FAQs and detailed information about the project. To follow on social media, find @AshbourneReborn on Facebook, Instagram.
