Rat running is an effective  card for Norfolk County Council to play. 

It fuels anger villagers who  have a significant increase in local traffic and congestion.  It impacts on life and can be damaging to health.  

The NWL is sold to Norfolk as an instrument to reduce congestion witnessed by a  handful of villages lying to the west of Norwich.

Its an easy win for NCC even though those affected are blind to the fact that rat running is seen only a problem to those blighted.  

Therein lies the problem.  Unless through integrated and sustainable transport planning, car dependancy can  be reduced, curing rat running in one or two villages will only serve to move the problem elsewhere. 

So lets look at the NWL.   The main beneficiary if it is built will be those drivers travelling down from north Norfolk and wishing to find a quicker route to travel west from the Fakenham Road, so as to pick up the A47 and to then connect with the A11.   The reverse also apples with those heading up the A47 and wishing to connect to the Fakenham Road to  reach places such as Holt and Burnham Market. 

Yes, this will avoid cars using Weston Longville to make that connection, however it is difficult to see how the NWL will bring any benefit to villages like Ringland, Taverham, Drayton and  Costessey.   The junction to the NWL is too high up to make any difference to these villages.   With rising fuel prices and human nature being what it is, drivers will be reluctant to dive between two to three miles up the A47 to connect with the NWL when it would be much quicker to drive through the villages to connect with the  Fakenham Road and or NDR via Ringland or Taverham or Drayton. 

Furthermore, the NWL will not make access to and from Norwich from any of these villages any quicker.   Those living in those roads will continue to use the radial roads to either enter the city direct or to link up with the NDR east of the Fir Covert Road junction. 

The other inevitable consequence of connecting the NWL at Wood Lane is that many drivers will be tempted to cut through villages lying to the west and south west of that junction to avoid Thickthorn and connect with the A11 at Wymondham. 

There is also a risk that some drivers will still decide to use the Weston Longville route to connect with the Fakenham Road at Lenwade.   Roar and Norfolk Golf Club are attractions that will make this shorter route more appealing. 

The truth is that one very expensive road will not ease rat running.