From the junction between Buxton Road and St John's Street Ashbourne a black dust covers almost half of this road. It is clearly visible on the pavements and on the 'Covid safety' features that adorn our town.
Earth Day 2021
Derbyshire Dales District Council have been trying really hard to make it seem that they have not been dilatory in declaring an Air Quality Management Area for Buxton Road and St John's Street in Ashbourne. Head of Regulatory Services, Tim Braund, is quoted in the Ashbourne News Telegraph as saying that 'a key issue during the council's investigation of pollution in Ashbourne Town Centre has been the repeated theft of the diffusion tubes used to monitor air quality'.
After more than three years a situation that was first recorded in autumn 2017 is finally being officially acknowledged; air quality on Buxton Road Ashbourne does not meet national standards.
When it comes to the DCC Highway Authority it seems that what is 'safe' is related to how many people have been killed or injured in a given stretch of highway. It does not appear to be in any way related to how the average person feels as they attempt to cross that highway or ride a bike along it. We believe that at a time when we are encouraging as many people as possible to leave the car at home in order to tackle climate change, those involved in transport planning should take seriously the need to make people feel safe when walking, cycling or taking public transport.
From the Facebook postings of County Council Conservative leader Barry Lewis, it would seem that the controlling Conservative group have apparently decided that road safety is, after all, a good thing, even when it costs money.
