It’s not the bats that are the problem but the Tories who wouldn’t listen.

After all this time Norfolk Tories really have so few answers to such major questions. The depth of our concern grows even further. Having finally had to recognise what has been screamingly obvious for at least two years - you can’t build a road through the habitat of an endangered species, that’s about as far as they have got.

The dodgy dotted line deliberately tells us nothing. No idea of the extra cost or time it will take? Of course they do but are not telling us. They know best and are not about to start admitting they have made a right pigs ear of this. We don’t have access to the information or expertise they do. But here’s some on the record facts….

The next phase of consultation will be six months overdue by the time any revisions get back to cabinet. Allowing a month for a Scrutiny call in that adds a bare minimum of seven months but is likely to be at least a year.

The assumption for inflation when the scheme first started meant every month delay would add £250k to the cost. However another report going to cabinet this month on highways says construction inflation is running at 10-15%. Rather than the £1.75m a seven month delay was assumed to cost that pushes up costs for this delay to around £14m and increases the road price to £212m.

But that’s before scheme redesign costs, additional land purchase costs (that they will try not to include in the overall costs) and extra construction costs. There is no cap on costs but we know when it becomes unaffordable to continue it will also be unaffordable to stop as the money already spent against expected government money that won’t arrive will wipe out the council reserves. It is staggeringly irresponsible financial planning.

Until we see new route proposals it’s impossible to assess the impact on the environment and habitat, but it’s clear it won’t be great, will be challenged, will lead to greater delays and ratchet up the costs again.
Meanwhile Ringland, Costessey and Weston Longville continue to be made sometime, never promises of relief. There is no silver bullet. The alternatives to the NWL won’t solve all the problems, but neither will the NWL which will bring new ones with it too. But the alternatives are quicker to implement, cheaper, would be less controversial and deliver earlier results.

The time to act is now - ditch this reckless road and come up with a solution we can all afford to get behind.

Labour Group at Norfolk County Council ( Facebook Post)