Better Transport

11 January: Norfolk County Council is trying to get planning permission for the first stage of a major road by pretending its a small change to a minor junction.

The Postwick Hub Interchange might sound like something executives propose in 'blue sky' brainstorms, but it's the first stage in the Norwich Northern Distributor Road. If Norfolk is succesful, it would make it harder to stop the NNDR.

Although the Government has agreed in principle to fund the NNDR, there are going to be big budget cuts over the next few years. It's highly likely that the scheme will get cut, because it's hard to see how a ring-road around north-east Norwich could be a regional priority.

We think that the Hub and the NNDR shouldn't be considered seperately, which is why we've objected to Norfolk's application for planning permission. Even the Department for Transport agrees that there's no point building such an over-designed junction if - as looks likely - there's no major road to connect it to.