Published: Thursday, 17th February 2022
Nearly a year after its submission, officials at the borough and county council will find out if there is agreement for the access road.
In the next few weeks, they could hear if their strategic outline business case for a housing access road between the A10 and A47 is to be approved for the next stage of the process.
The West Winch Strategic Growth Area is the largest and most strategically important site for housing in west Norfolk. It will allow for the creation of up to 4,000 homes. To open up this site for full development a new housing access road is required. A new connection between the A47 and A10 will reduce traffic through the village of West Winch and cut congestion on the A10 to the Hardwick junction.
The growth area will offer employment opportunities, commercial space, community resources, health facilities, education, play facilities, public open spaces, and transport links all on one site, and will bring economic benefits for the immediate area and west Norfolk as a whole.
The delivery of the development on the site will take place over around 18 years with a phased approach to minimise disruption. Both borough and county councils are committed to seeking delivery of appropriate infrastructure to support this growth over the lifetime of the development.
Norfolk County Council, supported by the borough council, submitted a strategic outline business case (SOBC) to the Department for Transport to secure funding for the new road. The road is on the Department for Transport programme for the Major Road Network, a new tier of roads announced by the government. If the SOBC is supported by the Department for Transport, then the Norfolk County Council will be asked to develop the outline business case. The DFT will provide funding towards this stage. If the outline business case is successful, funding would be made available for the development of the new road.
Cllr Martin Wilby, Norfolk County Council Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Transport, said: “This would be the biggest housing development in West Norfolk in decades so we’re working alongside the borough council to ensure we would be able to deliver infrastructure improvements in advance of any significant development taking place. Since we put the bid in to the government last March we have been in constant dialogue with the Department for Transport, providing additional information and clarification on our submission. We are hopeful that in the coming few weeks we will hear whether or not this bid has been successful.”
Cllr Richard Blunt, Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk Cabinet Member for Development, said: “We are working closely with partners to address infrastructure needs for the strategic growth area, with securing funding for a new road a priority. I am pleased with the progress on this element of the project so far and am hopeful that we shall shortly find out whether we will go on to the next stage.
“We are also developing the masterplan for the area which, along with the design of the road, will be available for public consultation later this year. The masterplan will guide how the area grows and develops and brings together housing, community facilities and amenities with the existing environment. Following consultation, the final masterplan will submitted to Cabinet for sign off.”
A joint letter from the Leaders of Norfolk County Council and the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk is being compiled and will be sent to ministers urging them to support the bid for the new road
Consultation details for the road and masterplan will be announced in due course.
In the meantime information about the West Winch Strategic Growth Area is available from our 'About West Winch Strategic Growth Area' page.