Snake Pass to close?

[comfortablynumb]

From the BBC, so take with a pinch of salt.

Apparently Derbyshire council is considering closing it because it's becoming too expensive to clear the regular landslides.

As one of the greatest driving routes in the UK, that would be a great loss.

 

Think it'll happen?

[autopaul]

Are they not about to spend £200 million on the relief road linking the end of the snake to the m67. Seems a waste of money if they close the snake before it's complete 

[sierraman]

What about all the people that live on that route or the farmers that use it for access?

[lesapandre]

I think  'close' would probably mean restrict the use and downgrade the maintenance. You are right it would probably still need to be open to allow access - but not to through car traffic. 

But it's a case of - if you slash council budgets  - they buy less and they look for savings. 

If closed to normal traffic it could perhaps be used for motorsport? 

A case of 'drive now whilst road lasts'.

[straightSix]

Not driven it for a while but aren't there a load of speed cameras on there now?

[lesapandre]

If there are that's been conveniently left out of the story.

[artdjones]

Probably the usual thing with budgets. If you're under pressure, cancel something iconic that everyone loves, instead of reducing your bureaucratic empire. 

[cobblers]

  On 03/02/2025 at 08:15, sierraman said:

What about all the people that live on that route or the farmers that use it for access?

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The council will bulldoze their houses and drop them off a ferry into the sea. It's all we can afford

[Jim Bell]

It's the snakes I feel sorry for. 

[Rust Collector]

  On 03/02/2025 at 09:39, cobblers said:

The council will bulldoze their houses and drop them off a ferry into the sea. It's all we can afford

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And as if it couldn’t get any worse than that, the affected residents will have to arrange their slot for this through a booking system.

[Fabergé Greggs]

  On 03/02/2025 at 09:47, Jim Bell said:

It's the snakes I feel sorry for. 

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Sure but as others have said, the numbers just don’t adder up 

[lesapandre]

Fangs for that.

[Rust Collector]

  On 03/02/2025 at 09:47, Jim Bell said:

It's the snakes I feel sorry for. 

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No need to panic, as I understand that the snake budget is set by central government and is ring-fenced; so in the 2025-26 financial year the council highways staff whose positions have become untenable, will now be TUPE’d into a role of stuffing adders through council tax payers’ letterboxes.

[Metal Guru]

  On 03/02/2025 at 09:47, Jim Bell said:

It's the snakes I feel sorry for. 

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They’ll be ok. The government is full of snakes.

[Muniphobia]

Maybe the government will hold a Cobra meeting about it

[loserone]

This the problem when successive governments constrict the budgets

[Jim Bell]

Something something Keith Starmer Hissy-fit. 

[lesapandre]

Keith Charmer.

[somewhatfoolish]

They might declassify it or reduce it to a B road, closing a road completely is quite difficult; then the next time there's a landslip blocking it they can take even more longer clearing it up.

[sierraman]

  On 03/02/2025 at 09:39, cobblers said:

The council will bulldoze their houses and drop them off a ferry into the sea. It's all we can afford

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Could be worse, they could be relocated to Rotherham. 

[Pieman]

Whatever they decide it will no doubt be universally tai-panned.

[Jim Bell]

  On 03/02/2025 at 12:09, sierraman said:

Could be worse, they could be relocated to Rotherham. 

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I don't get this one. 

[sierraman]

  On 03/02/2025 at 12:41, Jim Bell said:

I don't get this one. 

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It’s a shit hole. 

[Jim Bell]

  On 03/02/2025 at 12:42, sierraman said:

It’s a shit hole. 

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Not for me thanks. I suffer from a reptile disfunction. 

[loserone]

Snakes have vents anyway 

[comfortablynumb]

I love the direction this has taken, not laughed so much in ages 👍

[lesapandre]

  On 03/02/2025 at 14:04, comfortablynumb said:

I love the direction this has taken, not laughed so much in ages 👍

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Once bitten...twice laughted?

[lesapandre]

The road will in future only be open to AC Cobras. A car many asp-ire to.

[Pieman]

  On 03/02/2025 at 14:09, lesapandre said:

The road will in future only be open to AC Cobras.

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As long as the engine doesn't go boom(slang).

[comfortablynumb]

  On 03/02/2025 at 14:09, lesapandre said:

The road will in future only be open to AC Cobras. A car many asp-ire to.

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Not Dodge vipers?