D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership has approved investment to part-fund the completion of Woodville Regeneration Route.

The road, between Woodville and Swadlincote will support major regeneration plans for the area.

The £13.4 million scheme, overseen by Derbyshire County Council, will benefit from an investment of £6.4 million by D2N2 from its Local Growth Fund allocation of £250.7 million.

The Local Growth Fund enables D2N2, the Local Enterprise Partnership for Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, and Nottinghamshire to invest in projects that benefit the local area and economy, supporting greater numbers of jobs, homes, and learners.

In recent years, Swadlincote has seen substantial job creation and new housing development following a severe decline after the closure of its mining and ceramic industries.

It is currently one of the fastest-growing areas in England with the fifth fastest-growing population in the country outside the South East of England.

Once complete, the Woodville Regeneration Route will unlock land to support further economic development including much needed commercial space, 300 new homes, and potentially 3,100 jobs.

A further benefit of the new road will be a significant reduction in congestion for road users accessing Swadlincote from the east and west via the M1, M42, and A38.

With the first section of the new road already complete as part of the Woodville Woodlands housing development, work to complete the Woodville Regeneration Route is due to begin in the autumn of this year with completion occurring in 2021.

D2N2 Interim Chair David Williams said: "Our investment into road linking Swadlincote and Woodville will help create the homes and jobs the South Derbyshire area needs to continue to thrive."

"As we move towards the recovery stage of the Coronavirus pandemic, D2N2, through investments such as this, will continue to play a central role in supporting our communities, ensuring no area is left behind."

Derbyshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure, Councillor Simon Spencer, said: "This funding is the final piece in the jigsaw funding puzzle for the Woodville Regeneration Route so I'm delighted that it has been agreed. Once built the road will help to regenerate the whole area, bringing jobs and new homes."

Councillor Martyn Ford, South Derbyshire District Council's Leader, said: "South Derbyshire is a fast-growing area and we welcome this grant funding which will create employment, new homes and relieve congestion on our existing road network.

"This is good news for South Derbyshire and will help boost the local economy as it begins to recover following the coronavirus pandemic."