Wildlife group writes to government over 'extremely damaging' dual carriageway plans in Norwich

Eliot Lyne, CEO of the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, has written to the government over concerns about the Norwich Western Link road. Credit: Norfolk Wildlife Trust / Jimmy King
Eliot Lyne, chief executive of the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, has written to the government over concerns about the Norwich Western Link road. Credit: Norfolk Wildlife Trust / Jimmy King

A wildlife group says a planning application for a controversial new dual carriageway should be taken out of the hands of local councillors.

The 3.8 mile Norwich Western Link road would cost around £274m and connect the A1067 to the A47 near Honingham.

A public consultation on the contested project closed on 19 August and the responses are now being reviewed by Norfolk County Council before a decision is made.

But Norfolk Wildlife Trust says the impact of the new road is of national significance and should be considered by the government instead.

Eliot Lyne, chief executive of the group, said the development would be harmful to the UK’s largest-known community of rare and legally protected barbastelle bats.

He said habitats including woodland, wetlands and rare chalk rivers would also be damaged.

A woodland habitat in the path of the Norwich Western Link road. Credit: Norfolk Wildlife Trust / Jimmy King

"We appreciate that there may be good reasons to provide solutions to congestion and other issues relating to transport in this part of Norfolk," said Mr Lyne.

"We have no objection to sustainable development where wildlife is not adversely affected.

"However, the current proposal is objectively extremely damaging to wildlife."

The trust has written to Angela Rayner MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, urging her to call-in the development.

This would mean the planning application is considered on a national level, rather than letting local councillors make the decision.

Norfolk County Council said a previous request for the application to be called in was rejected last year and that had not changed.

After the consultation closed last week, Norfolk County Council said the project would ensure "traffic congestion on local roads and in communities to the west of Norwich would be significantly reduced, road safety would improve and journey times through that area would be quicker and more reliable".

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