Norfolk County Council is seeking contractor bids to build the Long Stratton Bypass, which will run south of Norwich. The project, which is expected to cost around £46 million, will begin in late 2023.
The proposed new A140 bypass will be a single carriageway road with a new junction at Church Lane to the north. It will then extend southerly from this junction on the east side of Long Stratton for approximately 3.9km. Consequently, it will join the existing A140 just south of Oakside Farm. It will open at the end of 2025.
The construction of a bypass is linked to the goals and objectives outlined in the previously adopted Joint Core Strategy (JCS) and the Long Stratton Area Action Plan (LSAAP). It is also a priority infrastructure project for Norfolk County Council. Furthermore, it is seen as critical to delivering much-needed housing and job growth in the area.
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Long Stratton Bypass funding
The government accepted an outline business case submitted to the Department of Transport (DfT). The outline was to bid for Major Road Network funding to help facilitate project delivery in July 2021. The project would be primarily externally funded, with 70% coming from the Department for Transport’s Major Road Network Fund. 30% will come from local contributions, primarily developer contributions and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) contributions.
Norfolk County Council is working with developer Norfolk Homes to develop proposals for the long-awaited bypass. The latest cost estimates are nearly £9 million higher than the original fully-funded estimate, with a government contribution of £26.2 million already secured from the Department of Transport.
The council is now looking into all possible sources of infrastructure funding to close the gap, and a revised breakdown of funding contributions will be included in the full business case, which will be submitted to government for approval once all statutory approval processes have been completed.
