Norwich Northern Distributor Road
Encyclopedia
The Norwich Northern Distributor Road (also known as the Norwich Northern bypass, the Norwich Northern Distributor Route and the NDR) is a proposed 8.7 mile dual-carriageway linking the A47
to the south east of the city to the proposed Rackheath Eco-town
and to Norwich International Airport
to the north of Norwich
. It was given 'Programme Entry' status by the Department for Transport in December 2009 with estimated completion in 2015 at a cost of £90.7m. The business case for the project was reviewed due to the government drive to save money, and the scheme was placed in the Development Pool. The schemes in this pool must submit new business cases to compete for Department for Transport
funding in late 2011.
The project was initially for a road from the A47
to the west of Norwich passing to the north of the city and linking to the A47 to the east near Postwick. The project was later scaled back to start at the A1067 road
and avoid an important Site of Special Scientific Interest
and then approval in December 2009 was only given for the section of the A140 road
close to the Airport to the A47 in the east. The scheme is opposed by a number of local and national organisations.
to the east of Norwich and includes development of the A47/A1042 road junction and also a further 500 parking places at the Postwick Park and ride (one of six Norwich park and ride
sites).
. The route would eastwards to pass to the south of communities of Horsham St Faith, Spixworth
and Rackheath
before joining the A47 Trunk Road at the existing Postwick Interchange. New at-grade roundabouts would be constructed where the NDR crosses the main radial roads linking the north and north east of Norfolk to Norwich
city centre.
to also be built.
In March 2006 Norfolk CC then deferred the decision to consult on the route due to environmental concerns by English Nature
and the Environment Agency
regarding the western end of the route where it would pass through the Wensum Valley
.
In August 2005 the council published their preferred route for the section from the A1067 to the 47 road in the east, but left open the possibility that the section from the A1067 to the A47 to the west of Norwich would not be included due to the objections relating to the Wensum Valley.
In September 2005 the council dropped the section to the west of the A1067 from the proposal.
In November 2005 the application by Norfolk Council Council for funding from the Transport Innovation Fund was turned down.
In December 2005 the road the East of England plan was examined in public with representations against the NDR from the Norwich & Norfolk Transport Action Group, Friends of the Earth
and the Campaign to Protect Rural England.
In June 2006 the report from the examination of the East of England Spatial Strategy recommended that the road should be dropped, citing the lack of consultation as the main reason and in March 2007 the Secretary of State accepted the decision and published her intended changes to the East of England Plan without the NDR.
During 2007, The Department of Communities and Local Government (CLG) announced a competition to build up to 10 eco-towns.
September 2007: The government intervenes to block Norfolk Council's proposal to award any contract to build the road without going through a competitive tendering process.
In Auguest 2008 Norfolk county council propose Rackheath Eco-town
as the site for one of the new 'eco-towns'.
During the autumn of 2008 the council suggested that there would be a public inquiry in September 2009 with construction starting early in 2011 and completion by the end of 2012.
While the East of England allocated RFA revenue to the road in February 2009, the Department for Transport warned in July 2009 that "given the fiscal uncertainty, increasing carbon constraints and DaSTS work in hand, a 10-year programme [of funding] must necessarily remain provisional at this stage."
Local Transport Today reported in April 2009 that the Department for Transport
had "voiced concerns" about the scheme and suggested that the council might like to submit an alternative layout for an associated project, the Postwick Hub, which did not include the NDR. £21 million had been allocated to the Postwick Hub through the Community Infrastructure Fund
, conditional on the distributor road also receiving funding. John Dowie, director of regional and local transport delivery for the DfT, said that "It would be open to Norfolk to review the Postwick Junction design and prepare an alternative option that is less dependent on the NNDR".
In June 2009, the site was given the go-ahead from the Government, after receiving an A-grade listing, meaning the location would be generally suitable for an eco-town Local campaigners said that relying on the NDR would make it unsustainable.
In August 2009 the longer scheme to the A1067 was expected to cost £117m. £69m (60% of the estimated cost) was expected to come from the Regional Funding Allocation (RFA) and the remaining £47.5m to be sought from Norwich Growth Point infrastructure funding, the Community Infrastructure Fund
and developer contributions.
In December 2009 the Department for Transport approved the project giving it 'Program Entry' status, but only for the section of road from the A140 by Norwich Airport and the A47 to the east of Norwich and suggested dates of early 2013 for a start to construction with completion in 2015. They also approved the Postwick Hub development.
In May 2010 Local Transport Today revealed that, as part of the Government's drive to cut spending, all major transport schemes are being reviewed with an eye to reduce spending. This includes the Norwich Northern Distributor Road.
In October 2010 Philip Hammond
revealed that the scheme would be one of those competing for funding at the end of 2011 to be part of the second wave of transport projects given the go ahead by the coalition government
.
In late October 2010 Graham Plant, cabinet member for transport and travel at Norfolk County Council, told the Eastern Daily Press that the NDR was being reviewed because of budget cuts. He also explained that it was likely to lead to cuts to the core bus network and park and ride. "What we need to know is what are residents’ priorities," he said. "We have looked at all the arguments for and against the NDR and the Postwick Hub. But I am well aware there are people who that doesn’t affect at all living in the rural hinterland, who need a bus service."
The Greater Norwich Development Partnership, a non-departmental public body
which includes Norfolk County Council and Norwich City Council, has described the dual carriageway as "an integral part of our plans to improve the local public transport network and reduce reliance on the private car."
The road is rated priority 'A1' by the East of England Regional Assembly
and strongly supported by Norfolk County Council.
Although the distributor road is not mentioned on the transport page of the official Eco-town website, it is included on the 'masterplan' map as a white line without meaningful labels and is regarded as an integral part of the proposal by the Greater Norwich Development Partnership.
Norfolk County Council have described the scheme as having 'large adverse' impacts on several protected species, including barn owls and bat
s and a 'moderate adverse' impact on landscape.
The Department of Communities and Local Government's 'location decision statement' explained that the local authority believed that "road access should be part of the proposed NDR" but that "alternative means of improving road access to Rackheath are also achievable". The eco-town would be split in two by the NDR, which DCLG felt was a "key weakness" of that particular location.
from a local campaign group and is also opposed by the Campaign for Better Transport, a public transport advocacy
group.
Campaign for Better Transport executive director Stephen Joseph criticised the scheme as poor use of funding when the DfT revealed the Norwich Northern Distributor Road was going ahead, while the Sustainable Travel Cities and Kickstart Bus programs were suspended.
Opponents argue that although the route had been changed so that it no longer crosses the River Wensum
a Site of Special Scientific Interest
that there would create pressure to extend the road across the valley at a later date.
A47 road
The A47 is a trunk road in England originally linking Birmingham to Great Yarmouth. Most of the section between Birmingham and Nuneaton is now classified as the B4114.-Route:...
to the south east of the city to the proposed Rackheath Eco-town
Rackheath Eco-town
The Rackheath Eco-town is a proposal for just over 5000 houses to be built in the Rackheath area, in Norfolk, within a mile of The Broads National Park...
and to Norwich International Airport
Norwich International Airport
Norwich International Airport , also known as Norwich Airport, is an airport in the City of Norwich within Norfolk, England north of the city centre and on the edge of the city's suburbs....
to the north of Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
. It was given 'Programme Entry' status by the Department for Transport in December 2009 with estimated completion in 2015 at a cost of £90.7m. The business case for the project was reviewed due to the government drive to save money, and the scheme was placed in the Development Pool. The schemes in this pool must submit new business cases to compete for Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
funding in late 2011.
The project was initially for a road from the A47
A47 road
The A47 is a trunk road in England originally linking Birmingham to Great Yarmouth. Most of the section between Birmingham and Nuneaton is now classified as the B4114.-Route:...
to the west of Norwich passing to the north of the city and linking to the A47 to the east near Postwick. The project was later scaled back to start at the A1067 road
A1067 road
The A1067 is an English A road entirely in the county of Norfolk. It runs from Fakenham Northern By-Pass to Norwich inner ring road .-A47 to A1067 Link Road:...
and avoid an important Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
and then approval in December 2009 was only given for the section of the A140 road
A140 road
The A140 is an 'A-class' road in Norfolk and Suffolk, East Anglia, England partly following the route of the Roman Pye Road. It runs from the A14 near Needham Market to the A149 south of Cromer. It is of primary status for the entirety of its route. It is approximately 56 miles in length...
close to the Airport to the A47 in the east. The scheme is opposed by a number of local and national organisations.
Postwick Hub
The £21 million Postwick Hub scheme at the start of the NDR road is in the district of BroadlandBroadland
Broadland is a local government district in Norfolk, England, named after the Norfolk Broads. Its council is based in Thorpe St Andrew, which is a suburb of the City of Norwich.-History:The district was formed on April 1, 1974 by the merger of St...
to the east of Norwich and includes development of the A47/A1042 road junction and also a further 500 parking places at the Postwick Park and ride (one of six Norwich park and ride
Norwich park and ride
Norwich park and ride is a park and ride bus service in the city of Norwich, East Anglia. The first of the park and rides was opened in the early 1990s at Norwich International Airport in Hellesdon, while the sixth site was opened in Thickthorn in 2005...
sites).
A47 (Postwick) to the A140
The NDR would be predominantly a dual carriageway road approximately 8.7 miles long. At its western end it would start at the A140 Cromer Road at a new grade separated junction, close to Norwich International AirportNorwich International Airport
Norwich International Airport , also known as Norwich Airport, is an airport in the City of Norwich within Norfolk, England north of the city centre and on the edge of the city's suburbs....
. The route would eastwards to pass to the south of communities of Horsham St Faith, Spixworth
Spixworth
Spixworth is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village lies close to the B1150 road and is north of Norwich and some south of North Walsham.It covers an area of and had a population of 3,769 in 1,508 households as of the 2001 census....
and Rackheath
Rackheath
Rackheath is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk, and is roughly outside of Norwich City Centre.It covers an area of and had a population of 1,551 in 625 households as of the 2001 census....
before joining the A47 Trunk Road at the existing Postwick Interchange. New at-grade roundabouts would be constructed where the NDR crosses the main radial roads linking the north and north east of Norfolk to Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
city centre.
A140 to A1067 section
When the DfT decision on the shorter NDR was announced in December 2009 Adrian Gunson, cabinet member for planning and transportation, said that the council would seek planning permission for its preferred route from the A140 to the A1067 in the hope that funding could be secured at a later date.A1067 west to A47
When the DfT decision on the shorter NDR was announced in December 2009 there were calls from councillors for the section between the A1067 and the A47 across the Wensum ValleyRiver Wensum
The River Wensum is a chalk fed river in Norfolk, England and a tributary of the River Yare despite being the larger of the two rivers. The complete river is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation ....
to also be built.
History
In 2005 Norfolk County Council persuaded the East of England regional assembly to add the road to the Regional Spatial Strategy as a late inclusion describing it as 'Norwich Northern Distributor road to improve access to the airport and development to the north of the city'. They also indicated that they would need to perform an environmental impact assessment, the realism of the cost estimates but had not decided on a route.In March 2006 Norfolk CC then deferred the decision to consult on the route due to environmental concerns by English Nature
English Nature
English Nature was the United Kingdom government agency that promoted the conservation of wildlife, geology and wild places throughout England between 1990 and 2006...
and the Environment Agency
Environment Agency
The Environment Agency is a British non-departmental public body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Government Sponsored Body of the Welsh Assembly Government that serves England and Wales.-Purpose:...
regarding the western end of the route where it would pass through the Wensum Valley
River Wensum
The River Wensum is a chalk fed river in Norfolk, England and a tributary of the River Yare despite being the larger of the two rivers. The complete river is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation ....
.
In August 2005 the council published their preferred route for the section from the A1067 to the 47 road in the east, but left open the possibility that the section from the A1067 to the A47 to the west of Norwich would not be included due to the objections relating to the Wensum Valley.
In September 2005 the council dropped the section to the west of the A1067 from the proposal.
In November 2005 the application by Norfolk Council Council for funding from the Transport Innovation Fund was turned down.
In December 2005 the road the East of England plan was examined in public with representations against the NDR from the Norwich & Norfolk Transport Action Group, Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth International is an international network of environmental organizations in 76 countries.FOEI is assisted by a small secretariat which provides support for the network and its agreed major campaigns...
and the Campaign to Protect Rural England.
In June 2006 the report from the examination of the East of England Spatial Strategy recommended that the road should be dropped, citing the lack of consultation as the main reason and in March 2007 the Secretary of State accepted the decision and published her intended changes to the East of England Plan without the NDR.
During 2007, The Department of Communities and Local Government (CLG) announced a competition to build up to 10 eco-towns.
September 2007: The government intervenes to block Norfolk Council's proposal to award any contract to build the road without going through a competitive tendering process.
In Auguest 2008 Norfolk county council propose Rackheath Eco-town
Rackheath Eco-town
The Rackheath Eco-town is a proposal for just over 5000 houses to be built in the Rackheath area, in Norfolk, within a mile of The Broads National Park...
as the site for one of the new 'eco-towns'.
During the autumn of 2008 the council suggested that there would be a public inquiry in September 2009 with construction starting early in 2011 and completion by the end of 2012.
While the East of England allocated RFA revenue to the road in February 2009, the Department for Transport warned in July 2009 that "given the fiscal uncertainty, increasing carbon constraints and DaSTS work in hand, a 10-year programme [of funding] must necessarily remain provisional at this stage."
Local Transport Today reported in April 2009 that the Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
had "voiced concerns" about the scheme and suggested that the council might like to submit an alternative layout for an associated project, the Postwick Hub, which did not include the NDR. £21 million had been allocated to the Postwick Hub through the Community Infrastructure Fund
Community Infrastructure Fund
Community Infrastructure Fund is a UK government initiative created as a joint venture by the Department for Transport and the Department for Communities and Local Government., it was created following the recommendation of the Barker Review of Housing Supply.CIF was created to fund transport...
, conditional on the distributor road also receiving funding. John Dowie, director of regional and local transport delivery for the DfT, said that "It would be open to Norfolk to review the Postwick Junction design and prepare an alternative option that is less dependent on the NNDR".
In June 2009, the site was given the go-ahead from the Government, after receiving an A-grade listing, meaning the location would be generally suitable for an eco-town Local campaigners said that relying on the NDR would make it unsustainable.
In August 2009 the longer scheme to the A1067 was expected to cost £117m. £69m (60% of the estimated cost) was expected to come from the Regional Funding Allocation (RFA) and the remaining £47.5m to be sought from Norwich Growth Point infrastructure funding, the Community Infrastructure Fund
Community Infrastructure Fund
Community Infrastructure Fund is a UK government initiative created as a joint venture by the Department for Transport and the Department for Communities and Local Government., it was created following the recommendation of the Barker Review of Housing Supply.CIF was created to fund transport...
and developer contributions.
In December 2009 the Department for Transport approved the project giving it 'Program Entry' status, but only for the section of road from the A140 by Norwich Airport and the A47 to the east of Norwich and suggested dates of early 2013 for a start to construction with completion in 2015. They also approved the Postwick Hub development.
In May 2010 Local Transport Today revealed that, as part of the Government's drive to cut spending, all major transport schemes are being reviewed with an eye to reduce spending. This includes the Norwich Northern Distributor Road.
In October 2010 Philip Hammond
Philip Hammond
Philip Hammond MP is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the current Defence Secretary in the Coalition government led by David Cameron, having succeeded Liam Fox on 14 October 2011...
revealed that the scheme would be one of those competing for funding at the end of 2011 to be part of the second wave of transport projects given the go ahead by the coalition government
United Kingdom coalition government (2010–present)
The ConservativeLiberal Democrat coalition is the present Government of the United Kingdom, formed after the 2010 general election. The Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats entered into discussions which culminated in the 2010 coalition agreement, setting out a programme for government...
.
In late October 2010 Graham Plant, cabinet member for transport and travel at Norfolk County Council, told the Eastern Daily Press that the NDR was being reviewed because of budget cuts. He also explained that it was likely to lead to cuts to the core bus network and park and ride. "What we need to know is what are residents’ priorities," he said. "We have looked at all the arguments for and against the NDR and the Postwick Hub. But I am well aware there are people who that doesn’t affect at all living in the rural hinterland, who need a bus service."
Scheme objectives
The scheme objectives, as laid out in the Major Scheme Business Case, are to:- Reduce congestion on strategic routes to the north of the city
- Reduce noise, air pollution and accidents for communities in the northern suburbs of Norwich and outlying villages
- Enable the removal of through traffic from the city centre, and implementation of widespread pedestrianisation/bus priority measures
- Provide direct access to growth locations, helping to deliver significant housing and employment growth as set out in the EEP RSS/RTS
- Support the continued success of the Norwich economy as the driver to growth across the north of the region
- Provide improved access to north and north east Norfolk
The Greater Norwich Development Partnership, a non-departmental public body
Non-departmental public body
In the United Kingdom, a non-departmental public body —often referred to as a quango—is a classification applied by the Cabinet Office, Treasury, Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive to certain types of public bodies...
which includes Norfolk County Council and Norwich City Council, has described the dual carriageway as "an integral part of our plans to improve the local public transport network and reduce reliance on the private car."
The road is rated priority 'A1' by the East of England Regional Assembly
East of England Regional Assembly
The East of England Regional Assembly was the regional assembly for the East of England region of the United Kingdom. It was based at Flempton, near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. The assembly was created as a voluntary regional chamber in 1998 by the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998. The first...
and strongly supported by Norfolk County Council.
Although the distributor road is not mentioned on the transport page of the official Eco-town website, it is included on the 'masterplan' map as a white line without meaningful labels and is regarded as an integral part of the proposal by the Greater Norwich Development Partnership.
Environmental impact
The local Green Party candidate highlighted that the road would generate an addition 25,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions in the first year.Norfolk County Council have described the scheme as having 'large adverse' impacts on several protected species, including barn owls and bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s and a 'moderate adverse' impact on landscape.
The Department of Communities and Local Government's 'location decision statement' explained that the local authority believed that "road access should be part of the proposed NDR" but that "alternative means of improving road access to Rackheath are also achievable". The eco-town would be split in two by the NDR, which DCLG felt was a "key weakness" of that particular location.
Opposition
The road is the focus of a long running uk road protestRoad protest (UK)
Road protest in the United Kingdom usually occurs as a reaction to a stated intention by the empowered authorities to build a new road, or to modify an existing road. Protests may also be made by those wishing to see new roads built or improvements made to existing roads. Motivations for protests...
from a local campaign group and is also opposed by the Campaign for Better Transport, a public transport advocacy
Advocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
group.
Campaign for Better Transport executive director Stephen Joseph criticised the scheme as poor use of funding when the DfT revealed the Norwich Northern Distributor Road was going ahead, while the Sustainable Travel Cities and Kickstart Bus programs were suspended.
Opponents argue that although the route had been changed so that it no longer crosses the River Wensum
River Wensum
The River Wensum is a chalk fed river in Norfolk, England and a tributary of the River Yare despite being the larger of the two rivers. The complete river is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation ....
a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
that there would create pressure to extend the road across the valley at a later date.
See also
- Road protest in the United Kingdom