Changes made at Derby Kingsway Retail Park after traffic chaos as JD Sports opens new megastore

The layout of a notorious retail car park in Derby was changed ahead of the opening of a new sports fashion store at the weekend.

JD Sports launched its new megastore at Kingsway Retail Park on Saturday after plans were given the nod earlier this year.

Derby City Council planning officers approved the application for the new store, which was submitted by the owners of the retail park, who called for a variation of condition to the unit - which was previously occupied by Harveys before the company fell into administration - so JD Sports could move in.

However, the city council imposed a planning condition on the approved plans.

The condition called on the owners to make changes to the layout of the 500-plus space car park following traffic fears and concerns about people getting stuck for hours during the last year or so.

Those changes have now been actioned by the owners - St James’s Place Property Unit Trust - with a new car park layout in place. 

It is hoped the changes will lead to improvements “in the interests of highways safety”.

The city council wanted the owners to permanently close the access road at the car park in front of a row of shops at the bottom end of the retail park.

This is where Costa Coffee, Greggs and TK Maxx are located.

This has now led to a wider footpath being created and bollards put in to stop motorists entering it.

Derby City Council’s highways department suggested heavy traffic at this entrance point was causing the nearby internal roundabout to be “locked up”.

Closing the access road off permanently means drivers will be diverted to the other exit on the other side of the retail park, which has now been converted into a two-way (enter and exit) junction.

It is hoped diverting drivers to enter at the back of the car park and filtering down will help improve the circulation of vehicles.

In February last year, nearby roadworks led to increasingly serious traffic problems at the shopping venue.

Dozens of motorists complained they had been stuck in their cars inside the shopping park for hours.

Problems were so bad that one local taxi firm said at the time it was ready to boycott future trips to the retail park if improvements were not made. 

Traffic problems at Kingsway Retail Park have been common for several years, especially during the Christmas period.

The new JD store at Kingsway Retail Park is the brand’s 400th store in the UK.