A6 closes for a week as trees pose risk to public

A major route has closed for a week for emergency work amid concerns trees could fall into the road.

The A6 shut just after the junction at Cromford in Derbyshire heading towards Matlock Bath, from 06:00 GMT on Sunday.

A spokesperson for the county council said about 100 trees on a sloping plot of land next to the roadside pose an "unacceptable" safety risk.

A diversion route has been put in place via the A610 and A38, which the BBC has calculated will add about eight miles to people's journeys.

According to Derbyshire County Council, there are a number of ash trees affected by ash dieback on the route, alongside dead elms, and other trees, which have been left overhanging and unsafe after Storm Claudia hit the county on Friday.

The trees are on private land, but the authority said it had to intervene because of the risk to motorists and pedestrians as two trees had already fallen onto the road.

The spokesperson said: "It is highly likely given recent weather that more trees could come down imminently.

"Please accept our apologies for the issues that we know this will cause. We must put public safety first at all times."

During the work there will also be "significant disruption to bus services", with discussions ongoing to find alternative arrangements, the spokesperson added.

Bus company Trentbarton have diverted some routes, but said the Little Sixes route would not be operational during the work.

School transport will also be affected, with the council "working on plans for this".

Several roads in Derbyshire were closed due to heavy rain, which caused flooding in a number of areas over the last two days.

The authority said some roads were shut on Sunday, including Spinkhill Lane in Renishaw, from A6135 to Spinkhill, where cars have become stuck in flood water.

Other road closures are the B6053 Eckington Road between Staveley and Renishaw, Works Road in Barrow Hill and Leathersley Lane in Scropton.

The B6012 Bakewell Road from 13 bends to B6048 junction, Wilne Road in Draycott from the Market Place to Sawley Road, and the A5012 Via Gellia are also closed, the council added.

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