Plans to build a bypass to relieve one of the region's notorious traffic bottlenecks have taken a major step forward.

Tonight an area action plan for Long Stratton was formally adopted by a full meeting of South Norfolk Council.

Included in the Long Stratton Area Action Plan is a scheme to build a bypass, which the council hopes will end decades of scenes of slow moving long queues of vehicles on the A140 through the village.

As well as the £20m estimated bypass, the plan also includes a blueprint to build 1,800 homes and create 12 hectares of employment land in Long Stratton.

It covers up to the 2026.

Council leader John Fuller, who was re-elected to the post at last night's meeting, said the plan's adoption would be a 'milestone' and that it gave the council for the first time the legal remit to create a wide corridor for the bypass.

He added: 'It has been a long time coming.'

Alison Thomas, councillor and Long Stratton resident, said as part of the bypass blueprint a roundabout would be looked at for the Hempnall crossroads and announced that funds for a scoping review had been granted for it.

She also added it was her 21st year in Long Stratton and was well aware of the problems and need for the long running campaign to build the bypass.

Mrs Thomas said: 'The village has been struggling for many, many decades.'

Kevin Worsley, who represents Long Stratton, said it was 'not rocket science' to see the need for a bypass and fellow local representative Des Fulcher added: 'The infrastructure of all parts of Stratton ward is important to me.'

Murray Gray, of the Earsham ward, said people who lived in the Topcroft, Wortwell, and Alburgh areas would benefit from the bypass as they used the A140 at Long Stratton to get to Norwich.

The area action plan will give developers more certainty and a clearer picture of what will be likely to be approved planning wise.

Once negotiations are completed with landowners and planning applications put in, it is hoped work could start next year.

The council has also forecast that 420 homes out of the 1,800 homes could be built by 2020.

It is planned that there will be a 50/50 split in private and public funding for the bypass.

The meeting also saw a new chairman elected, Garry Wheatley of the Cringleford ward.

He said he was grateful to have the opportunity to represent a 'most outstanding council' and his theme of his year in office would be inclusivity.

The outgoing chairman David Bills, of Hethersett, said it had been an honour and a privilege to hold the post for the last year.