A road link between the A47 and the newly-opened £205m Broadland Northway must get moving soon - otherwise the county could be 'still talking about it in 30 years' time'.

Eastern Daily Press: Stuart Clancy, Vice-Chairman of Norfolk County Council’s Environment, Development and Transport Committee.Stuart Clancy, Vice-Chairman of Norfolk County Council’s Environment, Development and Transport Committee. (Image: Norfolk County Council © 2017)

That was the warning as Broadland District Council pledged its 'total and 100pc support' for the Western Link.

Members of the council's cabinet have agreed to respond to consultation into plans to connect what used to be called the Northern Distributor Road with the A47 to the west of Norwich.

In the agreed response, the council identifies the Western Link as its preferred option for improving transport in the west of the city - along with improving public transport and cycle routes and better walking routes.

However, along with its response - in which an angry face was selected to represent the council's feeling about travelling through this area of the county - a letter will be sent emphasising Broadland's support for the scheme.

Stuart Clancy, deputy leader of the council, said: 'It is important we put across total and 100pc support of the Western Link. It needs to be got on with and we need to follow the due process.

'It is vitally important this process is taken on in a way that makes sure we are not still talking about it in 30 years time. If the consultation is to be completed in full by 2021 we have to keep this very much on track.'

The district council's response to the consultation also urged Norfolk County Council to provide better access to the University of East Anglia and the Norwich Research Park.

The consultation also asked people to identify which transport issues from a list of 11 were problems in their area - a list which includes rat-running, slow journey times and both city centre and rural congestion.

Broadland District Council's response indicated that it felt all of the 11 issues were a problem.

Other issues included in the list were poor walking and cycling routes, poor journey reliability, road safety and roads being unsuitable for their levels of traffic.

Members agreed to both the consultation response and providing a written letter of support.

Norfolk County Council has previously said it is aiming for construction of the Western Link to start in 2022.