The government has confirmed vital funding of £26.2m for Norfolk County Council’s Long Stratton Bypass, which will cut congestion and support the local economy
Approval of the council’s Outline Business Case has now been received from the Department for Transport along with a funding commitment of £26.2m towards the cost of building the new Long Stratton Bypass.
Norfolk County Council is working in collaboration with developer Norfolk Homes Ltd/Norfolk Land Ltd to bring forward the plans for the long-awaited bypass.
As part of the planning process, South Norfolk Council will then complete a consultation on the planning application details.
‘Ensuring faster, smoother journeys’
Roads minister Baroness Vere, said: “This new scheme will provide a huge boost to Long Stratton and Norfolk by ensuring faster, smoother journeys, cutting congestion and noise pollution, and allowing the construction of 1,800 new homes in the area.
“This Government is dedicated to levelling up across the country and we will continue to support regional economies by investing in vital local transport projects like this one.”
Councillor Martin Wilby, Norfolk County Council’s cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport and member of Transport East, commented: “This is fantastic news and a most timely announcement from government, particularly in view of the Covid-19 recovery.
“The A140 through Long Stratton is a real pinch point that affects thousands of road users, and the people who live and work in Long Stratton, on a daily basis.
“We want to deliver this vital scheme as soon as possible to cut congestion, help the local economy and vastly improve this major regionally important route linking Norwich and Ipswich.
“The bypass is set to create hundreds of new jobs and homes, open up improvements for cycling and walking, and solve traffic and transport issues local people have been facing for more than a generation.”
The proposed new A140 bypass will be a single carriageway road that will provide a new junction at Church Lane to the north, extending from this junction on the east side of Long Stratton in a southerly direction for approximately 3.9km, where it will re-join the existing A140 just south of Oakside farm.
The estimated overall cost of the bypass is £37.44m with the remaining funding primarily sourced from local developer contributions and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).
Subject to receiving all the necessary statutory approvals, including planning permission, the target date for work to start on construction is mid-2023, with the road open to traffic before the end of 2024.
