Full planning permission granted for £46m bypass

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

Full planning permission has been granted for a new £46m bypass to take traffic away from a rural town.

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

South Norfolk Council approved the scheme and the highways authority, Norfolk County Council, said it hoped work on the 2.5-mile (3.9km) bypass would begin next spring and would be completed by the end of 2025.

A final business case must now be submitted to the government to release the funding needed to construct the road.

Demands for a bypass were first mooted a century ago.

"We want to deliver this vital scheme as soon as possible to cut congestion, help the local economy and vastly improve this major regionally-important route," said Graham Plant, the county council's cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport.

"The bypass is set to create hundreds of new jobs and homes, open up improvements for cycling and walking, and solve traffic and transport issues local people have been facing for more than a generation."

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

Plans for a bypass were approved by South Norfolk Council in March pending confirmation environment standards had been met, which has now happened.

Plans for the town also include a new primary school and 1,800 new homes.

John Fuller, leader of South Norfolk Council, said: "I am absolutely thrilled on behalf of residents... that South Norfolk Council has now secured planning permission for the long awaited bypass.

"This is a generational achievement which will bring far-reaching benefits."

The county council said it was in the process of selecting a construction contractor.

The project was originally due to cost £37.4m, butut this increased to £46.2m due to "unforeseen delays" and "worldwide impacts linked to inflation".