Calls for bridge to stop A47 dualling work leaving villagers cut off
The A47 between Blofield and North Burlingham. Pic: Highways England. - Credit: Highways England
More effort is being made to protect "frogs and newts" than to stop villagers being cut off when part of the A47 is dualled, the deputy leader of Norfolk County Council has claimed.
Highways England said the £50m to £100m scheme, which would see a new dual carriageway built to the south of the existing road, will ease congestion.
The A47 between Blofield and North Burlingham. Pic: Highways England. - Credit: Highways England
But Norfolk County Council is dismayed that, despite discussions, the scheme does not include a crossing so cyclists and pedestrians can get between North Burlingham and Lingwood.
The agency said: "There is insufficient evidence to support the case for a new grade separated crossing of the new A47."
At a meeting of the council's planning and highways delegations committee, councillors agreed to back the principle of the scheme - but renewed calls for the bridge.
Graham Plant, deputy leader of Norfolk County Council. - Credit: Archant
You may also want to watch:
Graham Plant, deputy leader of the Conservative-controlled council, said: "Not putting in a pedestrian or cycleway that helps move between the villages, I think it's a bit of a backwards view.
"We have got a paper here telling us all about the ecology and the environment and there's nothing in it for humans.
Most Read
- 1 Police fine 39 second-homers and day-trippers in resort crackdown
- 2 Drama as police plane circles villages for missing person
- 3 Rogue trader jailed after taking thousands of pounds from customers
- 4 Family of missing man informed after body found near lake
- 5 Builder wants zero affordable homes in development – after promising 13
- 6 A 42-bedroom hotel with ballroom and set in three acres for sale
- 7 More than 40pc of people in Norfolk have now had their first Covid jab
- 8 Seafront Bath House homes for sale again after price drop
- 9 Seafront beach chalets demolished as part of major £1.6m scheme
- 10 Have your say - should north Norfolk be able to ease restrictions sooner?
"They are doing it all for a frog and a newt. What about the humans? There's villages between and they need to connect.
"You can't just put a road through the middle and say 'find your own way', it's just not on."
The committee also raised concerns over plans to detrunk the 'old' section of the A47 which would be superseded, as the job of maintaining that would fall on the council.
A planning inspector will consider representations from interested parties during an examination of the scheme in due course, before deciding whether to recommend a development consent order be granted.
If it is, work would start this time next year, to be completed in 2024/25.
The EDP has, through the Just Dual It! campaign, called for a commitment for more investment to dual the A47.
