Future of A47/A11 Thickthorn roundabout revamp uncertain

The multi-million-pound upgrade of the Thickthorn roundabout rests on the outcome of a review into government spending on transport, which will be ongoing for months to come.

While plans to revamp the roundabout have survived the budget, upgrades to the Vauxhall junction in Great Yarmouth were among schemes to be axed.

The project at Thickthorn - where the A47 meets the A11 on the edge of Norwich - has been in the pipeline for a decade but work has yet to start following a series of legal challenges. 

The Thickthorn roundabout (Image: Antony Kelly) WHAT IS THE THICKTHORN PROJECT?

The plans for Thickthorn include a new slip road off the A11 northbound, to take traffic under both roads before rejoining traffic on the A47 heading towards Great Yarmouth - eliminating the need to use the roundabout.

The upgrades, along with the Vauxhall scheme and the dualling of two sections of the A47, were among £300m of schemes announced by then prime minister David Cameron in 2014.

These were delayed by legal challenges brought by eco-campaigner Dr Andrew Boswell, who took his case to the High Court and the Court of Appeal.

Dr Andrew Boswell challenged the A47 schemes in the courts (Image: Dan Grimmer) READ MORE: Fees to increase at 14 Norfolk car parks

His argument, that the Conservative government acted unlawfully in approving the schemes because it did not consider the cumulative environmental impacts, was rejected in May.

This meant National Highways - which said his challenges delayed work by 20 months and added tens of millions of pounds to costs - could finally start work on the schemes.

While dualling work - between Blofield and North Burlingham and from Easton to North Tuddenham - began this summer, work at Thickthorn and Vauxhall roundabout has yet to start.

BUDGET DEVELOPMENTS

The government's autumn budget pledged its support of the A47 dualling work that has already begun - and has provided an unspecified amount of additional funding to plug the gap caused by delays.

The £50m upgrades to the A47 Vauxhall Roundabout in Great Yarmouth, on the other hand, were thrown out. 

Chancellor Rachel Reeves (Image: PA)While the Thickthorn scheme was at risk of being axed in the budget, it has survived for the time being.

Its future remains subject to the Department for Transport's capital review, which was launched in July after the new Labour government said it inherited £2.9bn of unfunded schemes from the Conservatives and admitted some may have to be scrapped.

Norfolk County Council and the county's MPs consider the scheme vital to improving the safety of the junction, easing congestion and providing an economic stimulus to the region.

Transport secretary Louise Haigh (Image: Ben Whitley) READ MORE: MP says new tax rules will not hit 'proper farmers'

Louise Haigh, the transport secretary, said: "Communities up and down the country have been given hope for new transport infrastructure, with no plans or funds to deliver them. This government will not make that mistake. 

"There has been a lack of openness with the public about the status of schemes – some of which were cancelled or paused by the previous government, without proper communication to the public.

"We will bring in external expertise and move quickly to make recommendations about current and future schemes."

Highways bosses had previously hoped for preparatory work to start on the Thickthorn project in December, pending the outcome of this investigation.

However, it is now understood the review will not be wrapped up until spring, meaning there could be months to go before there is any clarity.