Page 4 - Ashbourne 08-02-2021

Strategy
Although the proposal for the Ashbourne bypass has been identified in the Local Plan, there is no confirmed case for funding, and it is entirely likely that the scheme will remain unfunded as it competes with many other demands for money from Government.
Although the “Levelling Up” agenda is high on the Government’s agenda – it is low on detail.
Exact priorities remain unclear.
There may be a demand for housing the Derbyshire Dales – this needs to be evidenced but is unlikely to the overriding driver for this development.
But - Ashbourne has no railway station; and limited employment - it may struggle to make a case against other locations.
The risk is providing a dormitory town, with car dependent travel patterns to employment centres some distance away.
But if a wholly publicly funded scheme may be difficult to realise this is an opportunity to use development to leverage what funding there is.
Ashbourne