It was reported yesterday  that Norfolk County Council has borrowed £26.5m towards the NDR, costing Council Tax payers around £530,000 a year in  interest  payments  over the next five decades

This is an addition to the £28m it already pays in interest each year on other loans. 

At a time when there is much talk about an imminent recession the idea NCC has said if there is a shortfall on the proposed NWL it will look to borrow more money can only be viewed as reckless thinking.       The estimated cost of the road is £157m but with overspend likely together with the high cost of environmental mitigation measures,  some believe the final bill could be closer to £300m. 

Ass to this annual cost of maintaining the bridge and the road of around half a million pounds each year one must seriously question the financial sense of this project. 

This follows recent reports of a £71m budget gap forecast for the next two years which has left Norfolk County Council in need of finding £40m in the coming year.  From this  £20m is set to come from the service sectors including £9m from adult social care, £4.5m from children's services and £5m from community and environmental services.

It seems clear if the NWL goes ahead there will be even more financial pressure on an already struggling Council,  and to believe ‘buy now, pay later’ is the way forward is irresponsible and will inevitably lead to council tax increases and further costs to vital services.  

The NWL is not needed  and in any event we can not afford it - help us stop the road by signing our petition : http://chng.it/CrHBrT9n