Access road plans move step closer as business case set to be submitted

Plans to build a major new road scheme in West Norfolk have moved a step closer.

Norfolk County Council cabinet members agreed to put forward a business case to the government for the West Winch access road.

It is hoped the £84m scheme will help alleviate traffic on one of the county’s most congested roads while also allowing a bid to build 4,000 new homes in the village.

Councillors were in full support of the bid, which will create a new access road linking the A10 and A47, bypassing both the gridlocked village to the south of Lynn and the nearby Hardwick roundabout.

The decision follows growing calls for West Norfolk Council to block any more homes in the area until the road is built, which led residents and Cllr Alex Kemp to stage a roadside protest last month.

The county council agreed to a £1m increase of its contributions towards the project this year, which it hopes will be reimbursed from the Department for Transport and Homes England when the project is approved.

A business case will now be submitted to the government which, if approved, is expected to see construction of the road begin in 2025.