Council says “we’d rather cyclists did not ride up” Snake Pass “construction site”, but people on bikes “welcome” to use one side of infamous road during landslip works (before turning around at the top)

Cyclists are welcome to use the Glossop side of the A57 Snake Pass when it is closed to all road users later this month for repairs to sections once again affected by landslips, before performing a U-turn at the summit and heading back in the opposite direction, Derbyshire County Council has said.

However, the local authority has also warned that “for safety reasons we’d rather cyclists did not ride up from the other side” due to the vast array of road works, which are set to be carried out from 14 to 25 October, turning the infamously windy road into a “construction site”.

The council has also insisted to road.cc that – despite reports emerging this week that Snake Pass could be in danger of going the way of fellow Peak District road Mam Tor and closing completely due to the increasingly frequent need for roadworks – there are currently no plans to completely close the road.

Nevertheless, the local authority did admit to road.cc that “there is always the danger that another landslip could cause a closure”.

> Snake Pass now “belongs to cyclists” as Peak District climb closed to motorists for at least a month

After a series of closures and landslips in early 2022 caused by Storms Eunice and Franklin – and the subsequent toing and froing from the council on whether cyclists could enjoy the temporarily closed road – Snake Pass has found itself back in the headlines this week, after councillors in Derbyshire warned that the risk of further landslides, and the funding required to constantly fix the road, could eventually lead to it being closed completely.

It was confirmed earlier this week that the A57, which links Sheffield and Manchester and is used by 30,000 motorists a week, will be closed from 14 to 25 October for repair works at Gillott Hey and Alport, where significant damage has occurred.

Another section, at Wood Cottage, also has a 30mph speed limit and 7.5 tonne vehicle weight restriction in place due to the road surface “rippling”.

The works at Gillott Hey and Alport will involve raised sections of the rippling road being trimmed off and a new top layer being added, in what local councillors have described as a “stop-gap” bid to avoid adding more weight to the route, which was built on historic shale landslip deposits and is subject to roadworks every six to 12 months.

> Closure of Snake Pass to bike riders described as an ‘anti-cyclist decision dressed up cheaply as Health and Safety’

Over the past few years, these road closures have sparked a debate on whether it is appropriate for cyclists to avail themselves of Snake Pass – which many people on bikes deem overly hostile and dangerous when it is in full operation – when the windy and scenic road is closed to motor traffic.

Most famously, in late February and early March 2022, the stretch of road was hailed as “the best LTN ever” when it was closed to motorists, but still briefly accessible to cyclists and pedestrians. That particular party was not to last, however, as Derbyshire County Council soon shut off the road to everyone, citing “concerns over safety”.

That belated full closure was branded by campaigners as an “anti-cyclist decision dressed up cheaply as Health and Safety”, and prompted a number of so-called ‘Snake Pass trespass’ mass rides, which saw groups of up to 60 riders climbing to the road closure, labelling the road a “cyclist’s paradise” free from the high-speed traffic that normally populates the 12-mile winding route out of Glossop.

Despite cyclists taking part claiming the road was as safe as ever for bike riders and walkers without cars, it didn’t stop controversial former Conservative councillor Brian Coleman calling those behind the Trespass rides “organised gangs up to no good” on Jeremy Vine’s Radio 2 programme.

> Cyclists CAN enjoy Snake Pass during latest landslip repairs, council confirms

In May last year, during another five days of road closures to repair landslips, Derbyshire County Council said that the route would remain closed to all users, including cyclists and pedestrians, but that people on bikes could still use the road – made a lot quieter due to the diversions in place for drivers – up to the point where the works were being carried out.

And now, the local authority has issued similar advice, announcing that cyclists are “welcome” to ride up from Glossop to the summit of Snake Pass, where the road is shut. However, a council spokesperson told road.cc that the local authority would “rather cyclists did not ride up from the other side” due to the myriad roadworks taking place.

“Cyclists are welcome to cycle up from the Glossop end of the pass to the summit and to return the same way as there is no work taking place there,” the spokesperson said.

“For safety reasons we’d rather cyclists did not ride up from the other side, as there are a range of different jobs being carried out at various places, making it a construction site.

“These include tree felling for Ash die back, resurfacing, wall repairs, hedge trimming, gully emptying, and at Doctors Gate we will be digging a trench right across the road.”

> Peak District or the Alps? Cyclist enjoys snow-covered Snake Pass

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

They also warned that the £27 million set aside by the council each year for landslip repairs is not enough to address the issue long term, and that a “cataclysmic” slip could lead to the local authority shutting the road for good.

“The period between interventions is now less and less”, Gould said. “It won’t be sustainable long term without significant intervention but county councils can’t fund that level of intervention.”

The upcoming work to fix the landslip at Alport is expected to cost £4 million, but Gould said that “hundreds of millions would be needed for a full repair and the landslip at Gillott Hey would need tens of millions again”.

He continued: “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.”

> Cycling UK urges council to publish evidence justifying Snake Pass cycling ban

The councillors also noted that a major intervention on the route would lead to a six-month closure of Snake Pass, with retained access made difficult by the intensive nature of the works.

Gould also admitted that Snake Pass isn’t in a “dissimilar situation” to Mam Tor, which was abandoned in 1977 after slipping off the hillside and proving too costly to repair.

However, the council has told road.cc that there are currently no plans to shut Snake Pass and leave it completely free to cyclists.

“At the moment we have no plans to permanently close the road, but given the history of this road and the underlying geology, there is always the danger that another landslip could cause a closure,” the spokesperson said.