Norfolk dual carriageway’s mixed reception

News that the construction of a dual carriageway in Norfolk has been approved by ministers has received a mixed reception. The 20km Norwich Northern Distributor Road (NDR) from the A47 at Postwick to the A1067 Fakenham road is to receive £150m from the DfT. Consent is subject to there being no legal challenge in the next six weeks, or any such challenge being cleared by the courts.

Supporting the road dualling, Norfolk Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive, Caroline Williams, said, ‘This news is another positive step toward getting the improvements to Norfolk’s infrastructure which the business community has been calling for. Norfolk Chamber is delighted to hear that the Government has given the go-ahead for the NDR and look forward to work starting as the earliest possible opportunity. The NDR is not just a piece of road but the opportunity to unlock jobs and new homes for the city and surrounding area.’

However, Campaign for Better Transport has condemned the government’s decision to give planning permission to the project. Chief Executive of Campaign for Better Transport, Stephen Joseph, said, ‘It beggars belief that ministers have approved this scheme when, even on its own terms, there is no case for carving 20km of new dual carriageway through the fringes of the Broads. The £150m of public money being wasted on this road would be far better spent on public transport, sorting out potholes, space for cycling, getting freight off our roads and reducing the need to travel by car.’

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