Councillors in Norfolk are being asked to take forward plans for a new bypass, despite the scheme facing a funding gap of £16m even if a £50m bid for government support is successful.
A report to the highway authority’s cabinet recommends the continued development of the West Winch Housing Access Road and submission of an Outline Business Case (OBC) to the Department for Transport (DfT).
The scheme has already seen costs rise by £20m in the last two years, while the council report warns that it may have to write off £2.2m if the scheme does not go ahead.
The 1.5-mile road would provide a new link between the local authority maintained A10, which is part of the Major Road Network (MRN), and the A47 on the strategic road network.
It is seen as crucial to the development of around 4,000 new homes in the West Winch area under King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council’s Local Plan
The county council intends to bid for £50m from the MRN funding pot, with £14.65m expected from Homes England, and £3.45m from local and developer contributions.
The report for a cabinet meeting next week gives an updated project cost of £84.47m, an increase from the original estimated cost of £64.73m in March 2021.
Norfolk CC said the increased costs are largely due to inflation and are similar to increases on other projects and in the wider construction industry.
However, the total projected funding of £68m is around £16m short of the revised cost. The cabinet report does not address this issue.
A spokesperson for the council told Highways that with the Outline Business Case yet to be submitted, funding from the DfT is not yet set.
The limit for an MRN funding bid is £50m and any bid for a higher amount would fall within the parallel Large Local Majors scheme.
Cllr Graham Plant, the county council’s cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport, said: ‘The West Winch Housing Access Road not only supports the planned housing and economic growth in the area, but 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.
‘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.’
Cllr Plant added: ‘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.’
Norfolk CC said it is due to submit a planning application for the road before the end of the year. The current project timeline would see construction begin in 2025 and take around two years.
