South Norfolk: Long Stratton Bypass gets green light
South Norfolk Council’s Development Management Committee has approved planning applications for the Long Stratton bypass, over 1,800 new homes, new employment land, and a primary school site.
The final decision is subject to some further details to address Nutrient Neutrality, but in reality yesterday’s decision (on Wednesday 15 March, 2023) was the final hurdle in the process and the people of Long Stratton can now look forward to the start of this regionally import scheme that will cut congestion and support the local economy for many years to come.
South Norfolk Councillors and Long Stratton residents have campaigned and lobbied government for a bypass for decades and following this decision the work is a significant step nearer the start of construction.
The A140 through Long Stratton is a pinch point that affects thousands of road users, and especially the people who live and work in Long Stratton, on a daily basis.
The bypass will cut congestion, help the local economy and vastly improve this regionally important route that links Norwich and Ipswich. The bypass is set to create hundreds of new jobs and homes, open up improvements for cycling and walking, and solve the traffic and transport issues local people have been facing for more than a generation.
South Norfolk Council has worked hand in hand with Norfolk County Council and with Norfolk Homes Ltd and Norfolk Land Ltd to bring forward a scheme which will deliver much needed homes new jobs and the long-awaited bypass. This collaborative approach has resulted in a significant funding commitment from government which will enable the road to be delivered alongside the housing development, rather than having to wait years for it to be built.
The proposed new A140 bypass will be a single carriageway that will provide a new junction at Church Lane to the north, extending from this junction on the east side of Long Stratton going south for approximately 3.9km, where it will re-join the existing A140 near Oakside farm. The estimated overall cost of the bypass is approx. £46.23m with funding primarily sourced from central government, local developer contributions and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). The target date for work to start on construction is April 2024 with a 18 month construction period , with the road open to traffic before the end of 2025.