Council back to drawing board over failed Norwich link road
A council which spent £56m on a failed road project will be going back to the drawing board to try and find an alternative solution.Norfolk County Council had to withdraw its plans for the controversial Norwich Western Link road earlier this year because of concerns about its impact on rare bats.Graham Plant, the Conservative councillor responsible for transport, said the authority was now "looking at alternative options" and aimed to have a preferred choice by next summer.Leader of the Labour group, Steve Morphew, said a "plan B" should already have been in place and he could not "think of another example of a scheme so badly handled".
The 3.9-mile (6.2km) link road was due to connect the Northern Distributor Road to the A47 west of the city, and had been in the works for years.The aim was to ease congestion and reduce rat-running through villages.But after government advisers Natural England changed the rules protecting rare barbastelle bats, the council withdrew its planning application.The council said it planned to spend £1.43m on exploring different options for the Western Link, with just under £1m of the funding expected to come from the Department for Transport (DfT).However, a DfT spokesman said "no decisions have yet been made" on funding, and they would "provide updates on specific schemes in due course."
Plant, who insisted that drawing up a full-formed alternative earlier would have been too expensive, said he was "as confident as you can be" that a solution could be found."We'll be going back through previous options that we looked at – about 80 of them – but we'll be looking at new options as well."The council admitted a dual carriageway over the River Wensum was unlikely because of the eco-restrictions, but said a single carriageway could be an option.Work on developing the Western Link has already cost £56m, with £33m provided by the DfT.Morphew said the money had been "wasted".'I can't think of another example of a scheme so badly handled," he added."I wouldn't trust this Conservative administration to sweep the roads, let alone have another go at building one."
Liberal Democrat leader Brian Watkins said it was "no surprise that the Western Link in its original form is dead".He added: "The Conservatives must take full responsibility for the wasted money and time which has been pumped into this doomed project."The council said it would run a consultation on alternative proposals for the Western Link and intended to confirm its preferred option by next summer.
Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Cut-price train travel for families planned in armed forces reforms
Families of military veterans could soon benefit from their own cut-price train fares, as ministers consider extending the popular Veterans Railcard to provide travel discounts. Under current rules, the railcard offers a third off most train tickets, but spouses of veterans can only access concessions when travelling alongside the cardholder, not independently. The proposed change would allow family members to use the benefits on their own. This potential expansion forms part of wider government efforts to strengthen the UK's military covenant. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed plans for a "legal duty" on all government departments, compelling them to consider the needs of military personnel and their families when formulating policy. Number 10 indicated that more details of this measure would be set out in due course, but suggested it could include initiatives such as extending travel benefits to the families of veterans and the bereaved. While the extension of the Veterans Railcard to family members is understood to be one proposal under consideration, officials stress that no final decisions have yet been made. Sir Keir earlier met trainee pilots and their families as he visited RAF Valley on Anglesey in North Wales, to mark Armed Forces Day. He said: 'Across the country and around the world, our service personnel and their families make the ultimate sacrifice to keep us safe and protect our freedom and our way of life. 'When I became Prime Minister, I made a promise to serve those who have served us. 'Through the new Armed Forces Covenant, we are delivering on that promise, ensuring our service personnel, veterans and their families are treated with the respect they deserve, that is our duty. 'Our Armed Forces Covenant will put our armed forces community at the very heart of government decision-making. 'Their courage, duty, and sacrifice are the foundation of our national values, and they deserve nothing less.' Labour pledged in its manifesto to fully implement the Armed Forces Covenant, which supports the military community through a range of initiatives and grants. Under the new legislation all areas of Government will for the first time have to have 'due regard' in decision-making for the unique circumstances and position of the armed forces community, Downing Street said. Currently, this is only legally required in areas of housing, healthcare and education at local level, meaning it does not apply to central Government. The extension will cover policy areas including employment, immigration, welfare, transport, pensions, childcare and criminal justice. The Government aims to make the changes in the next Armed Forces Bill, one of which is required every five years. The last Bill was passed in 2021. It comes ahead more than 200 events expected to take place across the UK to mark Armed Forces Day. The town of Cleethorpes in Lincolnshire will host this year's annual national event, and is expected to welcome 200,000 visitors. It will feature a military parade with personnel from the Royal Navy, British Army and the RAF's Red Arrows, including music from the British Army Band Catterick and the Band of the Coldstream Guards. A flypast by Chinook helicopters and historic aircraft from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will take place above the town's beaches, as well as a fireworks display and a concert by military musicians. Defence Secretary John Healey, who will attend the celebrations, said: 'On Armed Forces Day the nation unites to thank our armed forces: our service personnel, our reservists, our veterans and our cadets. 'This is the day we celebrate all they do, in ordinary and extraordinary ways, to make Britain secure at home and strong abroad. 'We're matching our words with actions, committing an extra £1.5 billion to fix forces' family housing this parliament, the largest pay rise in over 20 years for personnel, and bringing the Armed Forces Covenant fully into law. 'Our government's plan for change is renewing the nation's contract with those who serve.' The Ministry of Defence has also announced that the bidding process for next year's Armed Forces Day national event will open next week on Tuesday. Show less
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Prime minister's benefit cuts U-turn leaves backbenchers feeling bruised
"What an absolute bloody shambles!"When we tell you that this is the unvarnished view of a Labour MP now willing to back the Prime Minister Keir Starmer's benefits plans, you get a sense of how much anger this row has provoked and is still there are still plenty who are not happy and still either pushing for further changes or planning to vote against the measures."It is not the resolution lots of people want. They are tinkering with a broken bill," another MP tells us. After backbench Labour MPs revolted against the government's proposed welfare reforms, the prime minister made concessions, saying the stricter criteria would only apply to new claimants."Clearly some at least will have been pacified by the concessions but there are still very significant numbers" of opponents, a third MP texts, adding "it shouldn't be underestimated the potential effect of a weekend of emails from constituents, constituency surgeries etc."Debbie Abrahams, the Labour MP who chairs the Work and Pensions Select Committee, told the BBC: "The concessions are a good start, they are very good concessions and they will protect existing claimants. However there are still concerns about new claimants. It would not be right for me not to do anything just to spare the prime minister an inconvenience." In other words, she does not appear won over note that Disability Labour, which describes itself as "an independent socialist society affiliated to the UK Labour Party" is still urging all MPs to oppose the see how opinion and mood within the Parliamentary Labour Party settles by is very clear is many Labour backbenchers feel very Street "see us as an inconvenience, people to manage, not to listen to. When we are invited into No 10, and it doesn't happen often, it is to be told what to think," is how one MP puts is not hard to find pretty blunt assessments of the prime minister and his Chief of Staff Morgan MPs say the whips – those in charge of party discipline – had raised the concerns of many with Downing Street."They either didn't think about it or didn't think new MPs would have the balls to stand up to them," reflected one."Perhaps this is the moment they finally get it," reflects another, "and they get better at talking to us, and listening." Keir Starmer u-turns on benefits changes after Labour backlashWe've got the right balance says Keir Starmer, after benefits U-turnWhy Keir Starmer faces a political storm over welfare reforms Others fear that the six month cycle of Chancellor Rachel Reeves seeking to meet her self-imposed fiscal rules will, as they see it, mean the pattern of hunting for cuts will keep think the only solution, in time, will be a new chancellor. Senior voices in government counter that Starmer and Reeves personify the modern Labour Party in government. Those voices say being seen as responsible with the country's finances is paramount and Reeves' rules help achieve around the prime minister will be glad the week is over and hopeful they picked the least worst option to deal with the outbreak of insurrection over they may allow themselves a moment's reflection on the best part of a year in government. Next Friday marks the first anniversary of the general election, and so 12 months since Sir Keir Starmer became prime part of that he has given an interview to his biographer, the journalist and former Labour Party Director of Communications Tom Baldwin in The Observer. In it, Sir Keir said he was too gloomy last summer and he regreted saying "the damage" done the country by immigration in recent years "is incalculable". He also said that his remark that immigration risked turning the UK into an "island of strangers" was a mistake and repudiates much else of the political strategy of his first year in spent the week battling to mend relations with many on the left and centre-left of the Labour Party, this interview has managed to find a way to alienate his allies too."Outrageous", "weak", "totally lacking in moral fibre" are just a few of the choice words from Starmer loyalists — yes, is particular anger at the perception that he is throwing his closest aides under a bus.A senior government source said they were too angry to speak about leaves the impression that right now, the prime minister is a politician who cannot do anything it also, yet again, poses a bigger question about what the prime minister stands those remarks about immigration were a mistake, what does he really think?Finding definition in his second year in No 10, as well as avoiding cock-ups, will be key.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Labour accused of signing up to ‘migrant merry-go-round with France
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has slammed the plan for failing to reduce overall numbers GIMMICK BOAT DEAL Labour accused of signing up to 'migrant merry-go-round with France LABOUR was last night accused of signing up to a 'migrant merry-go-round' with France. Ministers are expected to reach a 'one in, one-out' returns deal with the French in a bid to deter small boats. Advertisement 1 Labour's planned 'one in, one-out' returns deal with France has been slammed as a gimmick The agreement would see France take back Channel crossers in return for the UK accepting a legitimate asylum seeker with family already here. Sir Keir Starmer is under pressure to turn the tide on a record year of small boats after promising to 'smash the gangs' in the election. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and her French counterpart Bruno Retailleau believe the returns plan would break the business model of the criminals. A government source said: 'It'll start as a pilot but it's to prove the point that if you pay for your passage on a boat then you could quite quickly find yourself back in France.' Advertisement But Tory Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp branded the proposals a 'gimmick'. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: 'We pay the French half a billion pounds to wave the boats off from Calais, and in return we get a migrant merry-go-round where the same number still come here. 'The French are failing to stop the boats at sea, failing to return them like the Belgians do, and now instead of demanding real enforcement, Labour are trying a 'one in, one out' gimmick.'
