A busy Mansfield junction which has troubled drivers for some time remains a "shocking" issue, according to motorists. The junction, on Nottingham Road, connects Mansfield town centre to Nottingham and is also the major access point for the busy Mansfield Leisure Park.
The retail development, home to Sainsbury's and Aldi supermarkets, an Odeon cinema, three restaurants, a McDonald's and a bingo hall, is one of the most-used retail parks in Mansfield. Traffic accessing the development has been described as "shocking" for years, with cars getting backlogged going both north and south on Nottingham Road and struggling to exit the leisure park
Now, residents have spoken out about the traffic and dangers that they feel the road poses. Aimee Grehan, 34, who lives in Mansfield Woodhouse, said: "It's awful at this junction. I drive through it all the time for my job in Nottingham and the road is just backed up all the way down.
"I'm not sure if there is an issue with the traffic lights or what but the congestion is unbelievable. I was sure I heard that there were going to be improvements or something up here so that there wasn't so much traffic but that obviously hasn't happened.
"Obviously with all the shops here, which I am a fan of by the way, people want to get over there and do some shopping or get some food or whatever. It just makes it tough."
Paul Whitehead, 53, said: "It's a shocker, a real real shocker. I was hoping some changes would be made soon because so much traffic builds up. The retail park being right here doesn't help matters but I understand that drivers need to get in there. Provisions should have absolutely been made, though, to stop this excess build up of traffic.
"It's difficult for everyone, you know. You have people wanting to get into Nottingham for whatever reason, you have people wanting to get into the retail park and do what they need to do, there's people coming into Mansfield. I think it's dangerous for pedestrians crossing too. It's a nightmare really."
Mansfield MP Ben Bradley, who is the leader of the county council, has been campaigning for changes at the junction since 2017. He says that a plan has been in place since early 2020, but the finds required had to be reallocated in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mr Bradley now says that Nottinghamshire County Council currently lacks the funds to move ahead with the plan that is in place. He said: "From a county council perspective, where things are within our scope and budget we've started to do that on that site. In terms of the specific junction itself we've got a plan in place which is all good to go but we need to find three of four million quid to deliver it. Back in March 2020 we had the money in the bank nearly - we were about a day away from having it confirmed and then Covid hit and all those funds got reallocated towards Covid support.
"We'd done all the planning, everything was in place, we had the money and then we didn't and in light of all of those differing priorities we haven't been able to find a way yet to get it back. So that's something I'm still working on. At the minute the plan is there, it's good to go we just need to find the money. With it being three of four million quid for us that's not just something we can pluck out of thin air."
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