Objective 3: Enhancing connectivity

Summary of Objective

We'll work in partnership with others to help achieve connectivity across borders, whether influencing policies or making a case for improvements across counties. This includes assessing the carbon impacts of schemes and scoping potential methodologies in collaboration with the Sub National Transport Bodies.

Policies

• Policy 8: Our priority will be to improve major road and rail connections between larger places in Norfolk, and to major ports, airports and cities in the rest of the UK
• Policy 9:  Our priority for improved connectivity will be that clean transport modes use the network
• Policy 10: We'll seek to improve connectivity between rural areas and services in urban centres

Objective 3 delivery highlights

Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) 

ZEBRA funding was initially secured from the Department for Transport for 15 zero emission single deck buses in Norwich. This was then increased to 70 in November 2022, including double-deckers. 

We achived this through strong partnership working with First Bus, who match funded the scheme. Roundtree Way bus depot has now become one of the first two fully electric bus depots outside of London. All 70 zero emission buses are now operational in Norwich, representing half of the First Bus fleet. 

Rail network improvements

We've worked with partners on a range of actions. This includes development of rail programmes through the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline process. 

Rail patronage dropped during the Covid-19 pandemic. But Greater Anglia, who operate most of the services in the county, have reported a strong return to pre-Covid levels.

We continue to have a representative on the East West Rail Main Line Board. The 2022 Autumn Statement reinforced the government's commitment to the new transport link between Oxford and Cambridge. This allows East West Rail to move forward with plans into 2023-24.

We've worked with Transport East on a regional approach to connectivity. We worked on several workstreams including the State of Rail in the East report. This included attending a Roundtable session in Parliament.

We've started work on a review of the Norfolk Rail Prospectus. This will set out our clear vision for rail in Norfolk and we're due to complete the review in early 2025.

Dualling of A47

The A47 Alliance Steering Group is a lobbying group calling on Government to commit to the full dualling of the A47. It brings together local authorities, MPs and other organisations including the business community represented by the Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce and the Federation of Small Businesses. 

In the current campaign, the A47 Alliance is calling on Government to commit to A47 dualling in the Third Roads Investment Strategy (RIS3). We expect the Government will publish this in late 2024/early 2025. 

The A47 Alliance's priority dualling schemes for RIS3 are:

• Acle Straight
• Tilney to East Winch
• Peterborough to Wisbech

The campaign so far has seen a collation of testimonials from MPs, councillors, businesses and the public, social media activity, and engagement with MPs.

A47 dualling and improvement schemes agreed

In August 2022 Development Consent Orders were granted for the Blofield to North Burlingham and North Tuddenham to Easton dualling schemes. 

The Thickthorn A47/A11 junction improvement scheme got the go ahead on 14 October 2022. A legal challenge to the schemes was dismissed in May 2024.

Working with National Highways

We've worked with National Highways on several schemes in Norfolk. This includes improvements to the Vauxhall roundabout at Great Yarmouth, Thickthorn junction at Norwich and along the A47. 

These improvements make journeys quicker, safer, and more reliable. They also allow growth and support the local economy.

Network improvements in Great Yarmouth

We completed the improvements to Harfreys Roundabout in Great Yarmouth and opened to them to  traffic on 1 February 2024. This was alongside the opening of the Third River Crossing (Herring Bridge) to help ease congestion, shorten journey times and make journeys more reliable. The schemes also support work to maximise investment, regeneration and economic growth opportunities in the town and borough. 

We delivered Herring Bridge on budget and it has already won awards. It won Road Bridge of the Year at the New Civil Engineer Bridges Awards.

Norwich Western Link

Norwich Western Link received approval for the Outline Business Case from the DfT in October 2023. It gave a commitment to fund £213m towards the total cost of the project, with the potential for an uplift to the government contribution to cover even more of the costs.

The planning application for the project was submitted to the planning authority in June 2024. It's currently under consultation.

A10 West Winch Housing Access Road (WWHAR)

Cabinet approved the planning application for the (WWHAR) scheme and it was submitted in December 2023. 

We held a further engagement event on 9 January 2024 in West Winch. This was to share the detailed plans that form the planning application and tell people how they could respond to the formal planning application consultation. 

We're currently engaging with the local planning authority on the application and consultation and with DfT on any Outline Business Case queries. 

The WWHAR will connect the South East King's Lynn Growth Area to the existing road network. It will ensure that traffic has a minimal impact on the existing A10 as it passes through West Winch. It will also provide walking and cycling facilities along the route. It's needed for an allocation of up to 4,000 homes.

Working with Transport East

We work with Transport East to continue to make the case for investment in Large Local Majors (LLM) and Major Road Network (MRN) priorities, and for government to open up funding opportunities for a wider range of projects.

Flexibus+

In March 2022 Norfolk County Council announced a new flexibus+ service. This provides more than 7,000 residents in Swaffham and surrounding areas with a flexible on-demand bus service. A £700,000 grant awarded from the UK government's Rural Mobility Fund made this possible. 

It's also a step towards a key aim in our ambitious Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP). 

E-cargo bikes

The e-cargo bike scheme is now operational in Norwich and we're closely monitoring its use.  We're looking at options to expand its coverage beyond the Air Quality Management Area.

Work for next period

Rail and road improvements

We continue to seek funding opportunities to deliver initiatives and work closely with the DfT and Network Rail to advocate for infrastructure improvements to enhance connectivity on the trunk road and rail network. 

We'll continue to work closely with Transport East. This includes continuing our input into their Short Term Rail Opportunities Report to achieve quick wins for the rail network and their Strategic Investment Programme. 

We welcome working with Will Quince, the new Chair of Transport East, and supporting them on their ambitions for statutory status. 

An update of the Norfolk Rail Prospectus is going out to consultation in September 2024. It's adoption date is due in early 2025. The existing Prospectus was adopted in 2013 and the review will consider achievements since then, as well as changes in the industry due to Covid-19 lockdowns and a new government. 

The Prospectus will set out the council's priorities for rail, both in the county and support for regional infrastructure upgrades. These include the Ely Improvement, East West Rail and Haughley junction.

The enhanced capacity at Ely will unlock opportunities for more frequent and reliable services to and from Norwich and King's Lynn. This will improve the connections into the bigger places in Norfolk. These improvements will also increase freight capacity. This will help remove CO2 from the road network. 

We're working with Ely Task Force partners on an update to 'Keeping Trade on Track', a document to secure funding to take Ely Area Enhancements project forward.

We'll continue to make the case for significant investment into the strategic infrastructure serving the county. Over the coming year, it will be important to work with the new government to understand their priorities and show the good case for investment into our networks.

Work continues on options to improve the A47/A17 Pullover junction at King's Lynn to tackle congestion and road safety issues in the area.

Monitoring journey times

Respondents to our LTP4 consultation in 2022 told us that consistency in journey times was important to them. So we've developed a local indicator, which we first reported on in 2021. Since then, we've continually refined this indicator as we've sought more data and better tools to explore that data, which we use to measure performance on our road network.

To determine journey reliability, we compare the average speed for the morning and evening peak hours on the principal and primary road network in Norfolk. We look at how much this varies day by day over a month. 

A higher fluctuation in average speeds from one day to another indicates poor journey reliability. A low variation indicates a more reliable, consistent network. 

We can compare this with the baseline year (2018) to see how reliability has changed over time. Across the network monitored, journey reliability has declined since the 2018 baseline.