Snake Pass could close for good if major landslip occurs, Derbyshire county councillors warn

The infamous Snake Pass in the Peak District could close for good if a major landslip occurs, councillors have warned.

Derbyshire County Council says that ongoing works to keep the A57, linking Sheffield and Manchester, open are not "long-term" solutions.

More than 30,000 vehicles use the route, which is one of the highest roads in the UK, every week.

But the notorious link road connecting the two northern cities has proven to be a headache for the local authority as it is built on historic shale landslip deposits.It is often the first route to close and last to reopen each winter due to snowfall on the higher reaches of the peaks, with motorists often diverted.

Increasingly frequent ongoing roadworks are able to keep the route open for now but should a large-scale issue arise, the road may have to shut for good, councillors have warned.

Julian Gould, the council’s highways director, and Cllr Charlotte Cupit, cabinet member for highways assets and transport, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the route is in constant state of slipping due heavy rain caused by climate change.

Roadworks are required on the route on average every six to 12 months, said the authority, and a weight restriction remains in place to reduce the strain on the slipping surface.

Derbyshire County Council says its budget of £27m a year is not enough to fix the issue in the long-term, which is why it is lobbying the government and East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward for a potential "landslip fund".

Councillor Cupit says there is clearly a “unique” problem in the county, with the council facing 200 landslips, with three particularly problematic ones.

She and Mr Gould are clear that they would like to keep the route open but that a “cataclysmic” landslip would be near-impossible to fix on the authority's current budget. “The period between interventions is now less and less", Mr Gould explains. "It won’t be sustainable long term without significant intervention but county councils can’t fund that level of intervention.”

The Snake Pass route will be temporarily closed from 14 to 25 October for surface repairs to the Gillott Hey and Alport landslip sections.A relatively minor but more long-term fix for the Alport landslip could cost up to £4 million.“Hundreds of millions would be needed for a full repair and the landslip at Gillott Hey would need tens of millions again,” Mr Gould said.

He said: “Long-term these fixes are not cost-effective. We are doing our best to manage it within the constraints of the budget we have got and are doing our best to retain access.“We can’t rule out the possibility that it could be closed. If there was a major landslip it would be beyond what we can do and central or regional funding would be needed.“It would take a significant operation to stop the road moving and all we can look to do at the moment is to slow down the movement.”

Residents have often feared the route will go the way of the former road along Mam Tor, which slipped off the hillside and was too costly to repair.

It subsequently abandoned in 1977, leaving the well-known Winnats Pass as the only route through the surrounding hills.A major intervention on the route would see a potential six-month closure of Snake Pass, with retained access to be difficult due to the intensive nature of the required works.Mr Gould is mindful of the impact on the route from construction vehicles and machinery themselves while carrying out repair works, saying this is carefully monitored and considered.

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