Hopes of government plugging £6m bypass shortfall

An artist's impression of the proposed bypass to the east of Long Stratton

A councillor said she was hopeful the government would plug a £6m funding gap for a new bypass to take traffic away from a rural town.

The cost to dual a 2.5-mile (3.9km) stretch of the A140 at Long Stratton, Norfolk has risen to £46.2m.

Norfolk County Council's cabinet has voted to press ahead with the scheme, while approving the increase in cost.

Alison Thomas, county councillor for Long Stratton, said it was hoped that work on the project would begin next spring and would be completed by the end of 2025.

"I'm very hopeful it will move forward and the residents of Long Stratton will be able to understand it is going to become a reality," she said.

Regarding the potential for additional government funding, Ms Thomas added: "You can never say never. Things come left field that you don't expect but I think the team have worked incredibly hard to make sure we've covered all bases."

The single carriageway A140 has a speed limit of 30mph (50km/h) for several miles through the centre of Long Stratton

The A140 at Long Stratton, on the main road between Ipswich and Norwich, is known as a traffic "pinch point".

Plans to bypass the town were given formal planning permission in September.

The government has already pledged to fund 70% of the scheme.

However, the cost of the original project has increased from £37.4m to £46.2m due to inflation and rising construction costs.

The county council said that if the Department for Transport (DfT) did not provide the additional funding other "relevant authorities" would have to step in to cover the shortfall.

County councillor Alison Thomas said she hoped the government would provide the additional funding needed for the bypass

There have been calls to bypass the A140 through the centre of Long Stratton since the 1930s.

A previous bid to press ahead with a similar scheme failed in 2008.

Plans for the current project involve a new primary school and 1,800 new homes.

Andrea Peacock, 55, who lives alongside the A140 in Long Stratton, said: "We've been waiting long enough. I hope it does go ahead but I'm not that confident because obviously we've been waiting a long time."

The county council is preparing to submit the full business case for the bypass to the DfT.

Graham Plant, cabinet member for highways, said: "The steps we are taking will ensure the road can be fully financed no matter what and this puts us in the strongest possible position to deliver this vital new infrastructure without delay."