Stalemate over A47 schemes resolved - with dualling decision due in days
What changes to the A47 would look like at Blofield looking towards Acle. - Credit: Highways England
A stand-off between council chiefs and highways bosses, over how parts of the 'old' A47 will be maintained if multi-million pound dualling schemes go ahead, has been resolved.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps is due to announce this week whether he has granted permission for the dualling of a section of the road between Blofield and North Burlingham.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps - Credit: PA
And Norfolk County Council bosses have confirmed a long-running wrangle with National Highways over that stretch - and two other schemes - has been settled.
As a major A-road - or 'trunk road' - the A47 is maintained by the government-owned company National Highways.
But, if permission for dualling is approved at North Burlingham to Blofield, North Tuddenham to Easton and at Thickthorn on the edge of Norwich, part of the old roads would be 'de-trunked'.
That would see responsibility for those - and the cost of maintenance - pass to Norfolk County Council, as it would become a local road.
With the council grappling with a £60m funding gap, the authority was keen to get agreement over what condition handed over sections of road would be in.
It also sought to secure money from National Highways to cover the cost of maintaining the de-trunked sections.
The two organisations had been at loggerheads for months, with the county council asking Mr Shapps, if he is minded to approve the schemes, to do so with 'protective provisions'.
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Those would give the council the power to approve detailed plans of some elements of the schemes before they were constructed.
But the council has confirmed it has now reached a resolution with National Highways and has dropped its provisions calls.
The A47 between North Tuddenham and Easton . Pic: Highways England. - Credit: Highways England
One of the sticking points over the North Tuddenham to Easton section was over provision of a spur for the mooted Norwich Western Link Road.
But Tom McCabe, the council's head of paid service, wrote to the Planning Inspectorate to state all outstanding matters have been resolved.
Tom McCabe, head of paid service at Norfolk County Council - Credit: Supplied
A spokesman for the county council said: "We’ve agreed with National Highways to work together to ensure the design of the Norwich Western Link can connect with the A47 at their new roundabout."
