Long Stratton A140 bypass backed 70 years after being proposed

The scheme for Long Stratton has been proposed by developers who want to build 1,800 homes to the west of the A140

A town bypass first proposed 70 years ago is one step closer to reality after the government confirmed vital funding for the project.

Norfolk County Council's plans for the Long Stratton Bypass have been approved, along with £26.2m funding.

The authority said the bypass would cut congestion and boost the economy.

Roads Minister Baroness Charlotte Vere said the scheme would ensure "faster, smoother journeys, cutting congestion and noise pollution".

The proposed 2.5-mile (3.9km) A140 bypass will be a single carriageway road, starting on the east side of Long Stratton and rejoining the existing road just south of Oakside farm.

The bypass scheme will also see 180 new homes constructed

In all, it is estimated to cost £37.44m and will also see 1,800 homes built near the town.

The council had submitted its business case to government in January.

It will now work with developers Norfolk Homes and Norfolk Land to create a revised planning application, which will be submitted to South Norfolk Council.

The aim is for work to start in mid-2023 and for the road to open before the end of 2024.

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The county council's cabinet member for transport, Martin Wilby, said the A140 through Long Stratton was currently "a real pinch point".

He said it "affects thousands of road users, and the people who live and work in Long Stratton, on a daily basis".

"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 linking Norwich and Ipswich," he added.

South Norfolk district councillor Alison Thomas, who has been campaigning for the bypass since 1987, said the next step was to make sure it was delivered on time and within budget.

"This is a great day for Long Stratton residents and one many feared would never come," she said.

Baroness Vere said the scheme would "provide a huge boost to Long Stratton and Norfolk by ensuring faster, smoother journeys, cutting congestion and noise pollution, and allowing the construction of 1,800 new homes in the area".