County Hall ready to borrow millions for road if new government withholds cash

Council leaders are prepared to borrow millions of pounds to get the Norwich Western Link built, should a new government not agree to bankroll the scheme further.

Conservative-controlled Norfolk County Council has come under renewed pressure to look at alternatives to the controversial £274m road, given their party might not hold the purse strings after the General Election.

A visualisation of the Norwich Western Link road (Image: Norfolk County Council)

But council leaders insisted they remained committed to the 3.9-mile road, which would connect the Norwich Northern Distributor Road to the A47 near Honingham, west of Norwich.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has agreed to provide £213m towards the bill.

County Hall leaders hoped that would be increased to £251m, using money 'saved' by cancelling the northern leg of the HS2 rail route.

However, the government failed to confirm extra cash before the election was called.

Brian Watkins (Image: Liberal Democrats)

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And Brian Watkins, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat group, at a meeting of the Tory-controlled cabinet this week, said: "There has been no guarantee by the Labour Party, the likely next government, that the council will receive the money needed to make up the almost £40m deficit for the project."

He asked, if extra cash was not allocated, would the council look at alternative plans?

Graham Plant, Norfolk County Council cabinet member for highways, transport and infrastructure (Image: Norfolk County Council)

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Graham Plant, the council's cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport, said Mr Watkins' question was "premature and speculative".

But he said, if the DfT does not increase the money, the council was prepared to borrow millions to get the road built.

He said: "The overall borrowing capacity of the council is managed alongside the capital programme and is managed at a level that is deemed affordable."

While council leaders remain bullish about the financial aspect of the road, there remains considerable uncertainty over whether it will ever be built.

A visualisation of the viaduct on the Norwich Western Link

Government advisors Natural England said, based on information provided so far, it would be unlikely to award the licence needed to do anything which might disturb or harm rare barbastelle bats on the route.

Without that licence, the road could not be built.

The council has lodged plans for the road with its own planning committee.