Snake Pass: New plan to 'save' crumbling route criticised in Sheffield
A Sheffield transport guru has criticised a proposal to ‘move’ High Peak borough into Greater Manchester to save the Snake Pass.
Peter Kennan, co-chair of Sheffield Chamber’s transport forum, said the vital but crumbling route into Sheffield needed funds from central government and not residents being moved into another authority.
High Peak Labour MP Jon Pearce believes moving the borough from the East Midlands Combined Authority area to Greater Manchester would be the best way of securing the millions needed to repair and maintain the road, The i Paper reports.
Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership lobby group, is also said to back the move.
But Peter Kennan said it should not be about moving political boundaries.
He wrote: “All I need to say is - sort out the Snake with an allocation of funds from central government with all local political leaders working together.
“Why on earth do we need to get into moving political boundaries. I do not support the Northern Powerhouse Partnership here. Sort out the road, not the political boundaries.”
The A57 Snake Pass is plagued by landslips and currently has three sets of traffic lights and a 7.5 tonne weight limit due to crumbling carriageways.
The 12-mile section known as Snake Road sees more than 30,000 vehicles a week, including 1,500 lorries, according to Derbyshire County Council.
Alarm bells rang when Coun Charlotte Cupit recently said it could close to traffic due to the costs.