Representation by Honingham Parish Council (Honingham Parish Council)
- Date submitted
- 16 June 2021
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
The Parish of Honingham sits directly on the route of the proposed dualled A47. The Council has had significant involvement during the initial stages, consulting regularly with Highways England about the design and details of the dualled A47. The Council has fed back on many issues regarding the evolving designs but continues to have significant concerns about the final design and the impact it will have on the parish of Honingham and its residents. Many key aspects of the design of the A47 hinge on the construction of the Norwich Western Link. This road, proposed by Norfolk County Council, has currently neither the funding nor the approval to build it, yet the implications of the two roads combined will create a traffic nightmare for those living in the area. The Council continue to be extremely concerned about the impact of additional traffic through the village of Honingham which will be seeking to gain access to roads to the South, such as the A11, from the Wood Lane roundabout to the west of the village. After consultation with local parish councils Highways England have agreed to close Berrys Lane, cutting off the obvious route to travel South. However, it has not provided enough detail on how they will prevent traffic from cutting through Dereham Road and the village centre. The proposed Norwich Road roundabout to the east of Honingham village has been placed in an unsuitable location, connecting to a narrow single track country lane on one side (Taverham Road) and another narrow lane which is due to be closed under a Local Development Order on the other (Blind Lane). There seems no justifiable reason for this junctions location or the impact the noise, lighting, construction and increase in traffic will have on this rural area. The issue of increased traffic on Taverham Road both during and after the completion of the A47 remains an area of deep concern for the Parish Council. Highways England have continued to reiterate that this problem is not one they are responsible for solving, passing responsibility to Norfolk County Council, yet it is a problem of their creation. The current proposal by Highways England is for a Temporary Traffic Order which proposes the closure of Honingham Lane just north of what is locally known as the Merryhill crossroads. The outcome of this will be to redirect all the local (and new) traffic across the Ringland Hills via Taverham Road. Traffic modelling by Norfolk County Council has indicated that traffic flow on this road will vastly increase during this time but there has yet to be any significant or conclusive decisions as to how to mitigate this, and the impact it will have on those living on that road. There are significant details for this application which remain unresolved and the Council seek to ensure they continue to contribute to this application.