Latest news with #GrahamPlant
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Ten new road safety schemes for Norfolk towns and villages after £2.6m boost
Ten new schemes to make roads in Norfolk towns and villages safer for pedestrians and cyclists have been revealed. Pedestrian crossings, bridges and cycle paths are among projects which Norfolk County Council has earmarked to spend £2.6m of newly-awarded government cash on. The Active Travel money is specifically to help pay for measures which will encourage people to walk or cycle. New pedestrian crossings are planned (Image: Paul Hewitt) The Conservative-controlled council has identified the following projects to get a share of the cash: -A pedestrian/cycle link between Hethersett and the Norwich Research Park and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital A new pedestrian / cycle link to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital is planned (Image: Mike Page) -New signalised crossing on the B1332 in Brooke -Two new crossings of the A1101 (signalised) and A1122 (zebra) in Outwell -A footbridge in Nordelph -A crossing on Greenway Lane, Fakenham -A crossing on the A1064 in Filby -A crossing of Burgh Road in Aylsham -A toucan crossing of the A1066 Munford Road near Croxton Road in Thetford, to improve cycling access to Thetford rail station Thetford Railway Station (Image: Denise Bradley) -A signalised crossing of Poppy Way in Postwick -A signalised crossing of Yarmouth Road/The Street in Blofield. Graham Plant, Norfolk County Council cabinet member for highways, transport and infrastructure (Image: Sonya Duncan) READ MORE: Eight-month Norwich Airport link road work set to start Graham Plant, County Hall's cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport, said: "This funding represents a significant opportunity for us to build on the progress we've made in promoting active travel across Norfolk. "By focusing on deliverable infrastructure projects and continuing our successful behaviour change programmes, we're not only improving safety and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists, but also supporting healthier lifestyles, reducing emissions, and enhancing our communities. "These schemes link in to our long-term strategies and will help us create a more sustainable and connected Norfolk." Labour county councillor Chrissie Rumsby (Image: Norfolk Labour Party) However, at a council meeting this week, Chrissie Rumsby, Labour county councillor for Mile Cross, asked why new projects were being started when a proposed Active Travel-funded scheme for her area had been put on ice. The Conservative-controlled council "paused" development of a plan for Mile Cross at the end of January, just months after consulting the public on the project. The scheme included new cycle lanes and two new zebra crossings on Mile Cross Road, along with the closure of one end of Half Mile Road to vehicles. It could also, potentially, see more 20mph speed limits imposed. Mr Plant told Ms Rumsby that scheme was still being worked on, but that did not stop new projects being started elsewhere.
BBC News
30-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
New Norwich Western Link plans being proposed after bat concerns
Plans to build a new road to ease congestion near Norwich could be back on the table after initially being withdrawn because of concerns about its impact on 3.9-mile (6.2-km) Norwich Western Link, connecting the Northern Distributor Road (NDR) to the A47, had been in the works for years before being scrapped in County Council admitted a dual carriageway or viaduct over the River Wensum was unlikely due to the eco-restrictions, but said a single carriageway could be an Plant, a Conservative cabinet member, said they hoped to work closely with Natural England to mitigate the risk of previous issues with protected bats. Norfolk County Council had been seeking approval from the government to build the £274m Norwich Western Link, but last year the project's future was thrown into doubt after Natural England changed rules protecting rare Barbastelle bats that lived on the route of the proposed Marshall, Natural England's deputy director for Norfolk and Suffolk, said his organisation was "clear that development and nature can go hand in hand".But he said Barbastelle bats were "incredibly rare" and that the proposed route "would destroy one of the largest remaining populations in the UK".The county council is now considering whether a single carriageway option might solve congestion issues, the Local Democracy Reporting Service is also considering making minor improvements to the existing road network, public transport and improvements for walking and cycling and making changes to the existing B-road between Wood Lane and Lenwade. Plant, the cabinet member for transport, said the council believed a new road was still the best solution to improve issues in villages west of Norwich."We have been, and are continuing to, implement some smaller-scale measures which may provide some relief to affected communities."However, a larger-scale intervention is still needed through our Norwich Western Link project in order to improve the situation significantly."The council estimated it would cost £1.66m to appraise the various options, which would include a public consultation before being presented to cabinet members next Department for Transport had agreed to contribute £960,000 toward the development costs. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
27-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
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 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 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 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 aim was to ease congestion and reduce rat-running through after government advisers Natural England changed the rules protecting rare barbastelle bats, the council withdrew its planning 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 on developing the Western Link has already cost £56m, with £33m provided by the 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.
BBC News
18-06-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Electric buses help boost Norwich air quality levels
A fleet of battery-powered buses is being credited with bringing air quality in a city within legal 2023, monitoring in Norwich showed a peak of 38.5 micrograms of nitrogen dioxide in a cubic metre of air. The legal limit in the UK and the EU is County Council said figures show the city level fell to 16.5 micrograms per cubic metre during eight of the past 11 Plant, cabinet member for transport and infrastructure, said: "After all the hard work put into bringing these buses to Norfolk, it's great to see the impact the switch to electric can have for our environment." Councillor Plant added: " These new electric vehicles produce zero tailpipe emissions, which means a cleaner, greener environment for people to live, work and enjoy. "With the Roundtree Way depot now operating a fully electric fleet, Norfolk really is a leader in sustainable public transport in the East of England."First Bus put their hand in their pocket, they put in several million pounds - more than what the government put in - to make electric work in Norwich."That is really important to understand, it's not just the government paying for this; operators are also part of the answer." Asher Minns, executive director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, based at the University of East Anglia, said the figures were encouraging, but he would prefer to see a longer monitoring period to be certain about the reduction in emissions."There is no reason to think that the electric buses are contributing to the improvement in air quality in those city centre bits where the air quality was really poor and where the buses are frequent."Air quality improvement really did start from a pretty low base, definitely linked to diesel buses, not least because these were end-of-life buses that were being sent to Norwich, whereas now we've got state-of-the-art electric buses on quite a lot of the routes."He said Norwich, although famous for being flat, was prone to a phenomenon called thermal inversion."[This] is where air pollution can sit on top of the hill that is Norwich in winter on cold days and on hot days," he added."That isn't pollution from Norwich; we accumulate pollution from the continent and the south east, so there is a bit of geography and topography in there which isn't in the control of certainly for Norwich itself, one of the main contributors that can be influenced is to do with air quality from traffic." The battery bus fleet was purchased with a £14.7m government grant, which Norfolk County Council applied for, and £23m from FirstBus, which operates the Eastern Counties Marlow, managing director of First Bus East of England, said: "These figures are a clear sign that zero-emission transport can play a significant role in creating cleaner, healthier places for people. "We're incredibly proud to see the investment in electric buses and depot infrastructure already delivering meaningful benefits for Norwich." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Yahoo
Months of roadworks to start at major junction
The first phase of roadworks to improve a major route into Norwich for cyclists and pedestrians starts on Monday and is set to last until November. The £2.2m upgrade will extend the "yellow pedalway" route along the A140 Holt Road between Middletons Lane in Hellesdon, and Broadland Northway, known locally as the Northern Distributor Road. Graham Plant, Norfolk County Council's Conservative cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport, told BBC Radio Norfolk it would ultimately benefit "isolated communities that don't have safe cycling access to the city". Local people and business said they were expecting "quite a lot of disruption" but broadly welcomed the plans. Temporary traffic lights will be installed at the A140 junction with Amsterdam Way, by Norwich Airport, overnight on Sunday, They will start operating from Monday between 07:00 and 19:00 until mid-November while a new pedestrian and cycle crossing is installed. "It will also improve public transport access to the airport and to community sports facilities at The Nest, enabling those who live nearby to safely walk or cycle there," said Plant. Lacey Douglass, Conservative member for Hellesdon South East on Broadland District Council, said residents were expecting "disruption" but that ultimately local people would benefit from being able to walk or cycle to the countryside. "We have a real lack of green spaces in Hellesdon, so that is a positive," she said. Charles Sanders, managing director of Sanders Coaches, said of the potential disruption that: "We'll just have to see how it goes and hopefully passengers will bear with us. "We're really hoping it won't get too bad." The work will include the upgrading and widening of traffic signals, islands and footpaths. Work on the paths outside residential properties will be completed in early 2026. The third and final phase linking the upgraded route to the Broadland Northway will happen next year, at a date to be announced. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Footbridge brings bypass a step closer Major £200m road scheme gets government approval Work begins on long awaited £47m bypass around town Norfolk County Council: Highways
