West Winch Housing Access Road set to take an important step forward

The West Winch Housing Access Road is set to take an important step forward at a council meeting in September.

In a report to Norfolk County Council's cabinet, members will be asked to approve the completion and submission of the Outline Business Case to the Department for Transport.

The business case is key to unlocking government funding for the project which would see a new 1.5-mile road connecting the A10 to the A47.

Cllr Graham Plant, cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport at Norfolk County Council said:

"The West Winch Housing Access Road is an important project for King's Lynn and West Norfolk. It not only supports the planned housing and economic growth in the area, but it also provides a solution to long-standing traffic issues on the A10."

"We are working closely with the borough council to bring this project forward as soon as possible. We know that residents want to see the road approved and built in good time and we are working hard to deliver it."

The West Winch Housing Access Road will serve the West Winch Growth area which will see up to 4,000 new homes built over the next 20 years.

The proposed route connects the A10 to the A47 along a new 1.5-mile road. The road would join the A47 via a new roundabout and the A47 would be dualled between Hardwick and the new road.
Councillor Alex Kemp, local member for Clenchwarton and King's Lynn South, said:

"I urge the Government to guarantee the funding of the West Winch Housing Access Road as soon as possible - the sustainability of West Winch and the viability of the Local Plan depend on it.
The current A10 in West Winch is heavily congested and the West Winch Housing Access Road will take the HGV's and heavy through traffic out of the village onto the Strategic Route Network. This is essential to allow the current A10 to be traffic calmed, creating a more sustainable environment for walking and cycling, for safe new crossings, and improvements from the existing levels of congestion, delays and unreliable journey times."

The cabinet report also includes the outcome of a consultation that concluded earlier this year.

The results show clear support for key elements of the proposals, including where the new road would intersect with Rectory Lane and Chequers Lane.

The responses also showed support for the proposed improvements to the existing A10, including the introduction of vehicle weight limits and new crossings for pedestrians and cyclists. These improvements to the A10 would only be possible alongside the delivery of the West Winch Housing Access Road which would divert traffic away from the village of West Winch.

The report provides cabinet members with an updated project cost of £84.47m, an increase from the original estimated cost of £64.73m which was presented to the county council's cabinet in March 2021.

The increased costs are largely due to inflation which has increased significantly since the original figures were produced in 2021. The increase in cost is similar to those seen on other projects and in the wider construction industry.

If approved, a significant proportion of the project costs will be provided by the Department for Transport as part of their Major Road Network funding programme. There will also be a local contribution that is funded by the future housing developments.

Initial assessments of the revised cost indicate that the project will continue to be 'high value for money' according to the Department for Transport's criteria.

The county council are also due to submit a planning application for the road before the end of the year. A further report will be presented to Cabinet to seek agreement to submit the application.

The current project timeline would see construction of the road begin in 2025, taking around 2 years to complete. This is subject planning permission and funding approval from the Department for Transport.

Cabinet will consider the report when it meets at 10am on Monday, 4 September. Watch the meeting, live or afterwards and read the report.