CONNECTING DERBY

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Work on the first phase of the controversial Connecting Derby scheme in the city centre will be completed six months later than originally planned. The delays were blamed on unforeseen obstacles, such as pipes and cables being closer to the surface than expected, which set work back while they were relaid. Mike Matthews, chairman of Derby City Centre Management Team, said, "I think it's appalling. It's damaged Derby's reputation for visitors. It's been a shambles from start to finish. I can't understand what the delays are about. It's rumbled on and on and on. It's driven all of us mad. The initial surveys were clearly not good enough."

But Christine Durrant, head of transportation at the city council, said that the cause of the delays could not have been anticipated. She said, "There have been a lot of delays because of statutory undertakers equipment. When we've actually started to lay the materials we've found that they are so shallow underground that we've had to get the gas board, say, to lower their pipes. We hadn't been able to anticipate that, as they should never have been that shallow in the first place. There have been a lot of these issues. Possibly, the contractor has underestimated how long it would take to lay the material." (So much for detailed plans of the area).

In order to complete the scheme, there are pieces of land such as gardens that the council must buy.

Leopold Street will become a cul-de-sac but lose its lower portion, which includes the Shabuj Bagan Tandoori Restaurant on the corner, whose address is actually 80 to 82 Osmaston Road. Garages plus a house owned by the city council will be demolished.

Wilmot Street will be cut in half and the new road will go through Wilmot Street car park and the grassed area between the mosque and the Spot.

Babington Lane will lose a small portion, including a carpet store, to make way for the road.

Sacheveral Street will be cut at the top end with the road going through a car park.

Forester Street will be cut in half with both halves becoming cul-de-sacs.

Part of Wilson Street will be cut and the street will become a cul-de-sac. Green space will have to be destroyed to make way for the road.

Abbey Street will be cut in half and the new road will go through the car park area. Two blocks of houses on either side of the road will have to be demolished.

Monk Street will be cut in half. Garages and two buildings will have to be demolished.

Drewry Lane will be cut at the top end and the road will go through a piece of empty land.

Kensington Street will be cut with the road going through a car park and empty land.

Freddie's Bar and the Bosnia-Herzegovinia Centre in the Curzon Street/Uttoxeter New Road area will have to be demolished to make way for the new road.

As part of the completion of the ring road, the Ford Street and King Street junctions will be upgraded.

Work on the Friargate/Ford Street area of the ring road will involve the demolition of a yard in Friargate, frontage in Stafford Street, numbers 33 and 35 Ford Street, plus a piece of land, as well as the clutch centre and an empty building in Agard Street.

Work on the King Street link will involve demolishing 2 to 8 St Helen's Street, part of a building, plus land at the Seven Sisters pub and Lonsdale House.

Are people aware of the Connecting Derby public exhibition, taking place at St Peter's Church? Probably not, as there is nothing to tell them about it outside. Perhaps the children's ride nearby there tells them enough about the new inner ring road - roundabouts everywhere, nose- to-tail cars and completely useless for getting you to your final destination.

People who do find their way into the church should not expect too much because council officers and much of the detailed information are not there. Mind you, when previously asked, the officers themselves did not seem to have a clue about the full list of people's homes and businesses that they are proposing to destroy in this road-building rape of Derby's heritage.

The July issue of the Connecting Derby leaflet promises a cycle lane along the entire route of the inner ring road. I am looking forward to a lovely tree-lined cycle path on St Alkmund's Way. Which car lane will be blocked off to provide it? I hope it is not just a 'deliberate' printing error to 'green' their polluting plans.

Real attention to detail has never been a strong point of the whole inner ring road/Five Lamps project, as a public inquiry will soon hear. Somewhat less publicity has been given to the fact that access from Cathedral Road to Full Street is going to be blocked off.

Can people see another multi-million-pound blunder on the horizon? Derby HEART certainly can. It cost an additional £13m for the last Connecting Derby fiasco. Heaven help we taxpayers when the next 'megabill' comes in. Richard Butler