Long Stratton: South Norfolk Council approves bypass plans

Councillor Alison Thomas said it was an "historic day" for her and other campaigners

A new bypass is to be built almost 100 years after it was first proposed.

Residents in Long Stratton, Norfolk, have long campaigned for a new road to take traffic on the A140 away from the town.

South Norfolk Council approved the plans for a 2.5-mile (3.9km) bypass, which will cost £46.2m, removing the final obstacle for the project.

Work is expected to start in April 2024 and take around 18 months to complete.

Demand for the bypass has grown in recent decades as the road has become one of the county's most notorious bottlenecks, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The new road forms part of a wider scheme to build 1,875 homes and a new school in Long Stratton, which currently has a population of about 4,400 people.

The project took a significant step forward in 2021, when the Department for Transport pledged £26.2m towards the total cost of the bypass.

Additional funding will come from developers building the homes.

'Historic day'

Alison Thomas, a county and district councillor for Long Stratton, told the development committee she had campaigned for the road since 1995.

"This is quite a historic day for me and many of the residents," she said.

"Discussion around a bypass first started around 1930, so let's hope we can get it done before we reach 100 years."

David Allfrey, from Norfolk County Council, which will build the bypass, said the road was essential to addressing regular congestion in the town.

He said: "This supports housing growth but it is also resolving those delays that people experience on a daily basis, bringing economic growth and an economic benefit."