Mayor urges rethink on cuts to roads schemes

The mayor of the East Midlands has repeated calls for the government to rethink proposals to cancel two major road improvement schemes in Derby and Nottinghamshire.

The estimated £600m A38 scheme and A46 Newark Bypass project are among several road projects that could be scrapped to pay for increased defence spending.

Flyovers and underpasses were set to be constructed in Derby to cut congestion and increase capacity, while the A46 project would see the widening of 6.5km (four miles) of the existing single carriageway to a dual carriageway.

Labour mayor Claire Ward said infrastructure improvements should not come at the expense of defence spending.

"You can't make the case of defence versus infrastructure," she said.

"I recognise how important defence is. We know that here in this region and we will play our part.

"I'm assured that the decision hasn't been made - this is a proposal.

"We will be urging Andy Burnham, our new prime minister, to recognise how important it is that we get this investment into our region."

She added: "It shouldn't be that the East Midlands is paying that price to invest into defence alone."

In 2023–24, transport spending in the East Midlands was 54% of the UK average, the lowest level of any UK region or nation.

The A38 scheme was part of the Department for Transport's £27bn road investment strategy for highways improvements across England.

The project - work for which was due to begin in 2030 - had been designed to cut congestion on the stretch of the A38 where local traffic meets vehicles travelling between Birmingham and the M1.

It would see roads widened, with flyovers and underpasses constructed at Little Eaton, Markeaton and Kingsway roundabouts.

The A46 Newark Bypass scheme - which would dual the existing single carriageway between Farndon and Winthorpe - was initially approved by the government in October 2025.

The project also includes a new flyover at the Cattle Market junction, a new bridge over the A1 and the widening of roundabouts at Farndon and Winthorpe.

Paul Peacock, leader of Newark and Sherwood District Council, has written a letter to Andy Burnham asking him to reconsider the proposals.

He said: "That section of the A46 is a real bottleneck, so most days you get a lot of congestion in there and also that congestion spreads into Newark itself."

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