A major road scheme in west Norfolk has cleared a significant hurdle after winning planning approval, with councillors now preparing to take the next decisions needed to keep the project on track.
The West Winch Housing Access Road, designed to “cut congestion on the A10 and A47” and “take heavy traffic out of the village of West Winch”, also underpins plans for up to 4,000 new homes in the area.
Norfolk County Council’s planning committee signed off the application this morning. A newly published report sets out how officers intend to maintain momentum towards an expected start of construction in just over a year. Among the recommendations is approval to award a contract for the final design and construction of the road, with an appointment expected this winter.
However, progress has been complicated by a sharp rise in the projected cost of diverting two large high-pressure gas mains, work that must be completed before construction can begin. National Gas Transmission’s latest estimate, issued this autumn, has jumped to £24.5m—more than twice the figure it provided last year.
Cllr Graham Plant, the council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Transport, said the planning decision marked a major step forward. “It’s fantastic that we’ve now got planning approval for this important infrastructure project,” he said. “We’ve achieved two big milestones this year.”
But he acknowledged the frustration caused by the revised gas diversion costs. “Given the progress we’ve made, it’s incredibly frustrating that costs for gas diversion works quoted to us by National Gas Transmission have shot up, and it’s not clear why it’s increased so much,” he said.
The council is pushing for alternatives. “We’re pressing National Gas Transmission to find a more affordable solution,” Cllr Plant said, while stressing that contingency planning was already underway: “We still need to plan for a different outcome in case the costs cannot be reduced.”
Despite the uncertainty, he said the political and organisational backing for the road remained firm. “The Government wants us to build this road, the borough council wants us to build this road and we want to build this road – so, working together, I’m confident we can make it happen.”
Once National Gas Transmission completes a review of options and provides a confirmed quote, the county council plans to work with Homes England and the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk to identify funding solutions for any additional costs. A further update is expected to go before cabinet early next year.
Norfolk County Council’s cabinet will discuss the latest report on the West Winch Housing Access Road at 10am on Monday 1 December. The meeting will be streamed live, with reports available to view online.
