Fresh environmental concerns raised about link road

Pictures of the proposed link road showed sloped embankments designed to reduce noise

New environmental concerns have been raised about plans for a 3.9-mile (6.3km) link road near Norwich.

The Norfolk Wildlife Trust said it was concerned that higher levels of carbon, noise and light pollution would have a significant impact on local wildlife.

On Friday, it emerged that the cost to build The Western Link had risen by more than £20m and that it would open three years later than planned.

Norfolk County Council said it was committed to creating the dual carriageway in an "environmentally responsible way".

The council said it aimed to achieve "biodiversity net gain" for habitats around the road, as set out by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs.

However, Helen Baczkowska, a senior manager for the Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s nature recovery team, said no amount of mitigation could offset the damage caused by building the road.

"There are other impacts other than just carbon around the road," she said.

"Obviously there's noise and light pollution, which creatures like bats are incredibly sensitive to, and things like badgers and bats will be at a higher risk of collisions."

The area around the proposed dual carriageway is thought to contain Britain’s largest colony of the threatened Barbastelle bat which is protected by law.

Other groups that oppose the plans include Stop the Wensum Link, CPRE Norfolk, Friends of the Earth, the Woodland Trust, Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists’ Society, Buglife, Norfolk and Norwich Bat Group and British Dragonfly Society.

Norfolk County Council said the road would cut congestion and journey times

The Western Link Road would form a new ring road around the city, connecting the Broadland Northway - known as the Norwich Distributor Road - at the A1067 with the A47 at Easton

The Department for Transport has approved the outline business case and the Conservative-run county council revealed it will formally put in a planning application in early 2024, with preparatory building work starting at the end of 2025.

Construction could begin in the summer of 2026 and the road should open in 2029.

More than 300 people met in the Wensum Valley to protest against the road in January last year

Graham Plant, a Conservative councillor and cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport said: "For Norfolk it’s [The Western Link] a really important piece of infrastructure. It helps us grow the economy, it helps us build houses and it helps us move forward as a county.

"You’ve got to remember there are 40,000 houses that are going around Norwich in the next 15 to 20 years and if we don’t have the infrastructure in place to carry that then we’re going to be in a really difficult position."

The full council will discuss the proposal in December.