Norfolk County Council has launched a public consultation on proposals for the West Winch Housing Access Road.

The pre-planning application consultation will give people the opportunity to put forward their views before the planning application is finalised and submitted next year.

The consultation will run for eight weeks until Sunday 8 January, with the proposals available to view online. In addition, three local events will be held during the consultation period, with information on display and members of the project team on hand to answer questions.

The new road will serve the South East King's Lynn Growth Area (known locally as the West Winch Growth area) which will see up to 4,000 new homes built over the next 20 years.

David Allfrey, Assistant Director for Infrastructure Delivery at Norfolk County Council said: "The road is an essential part of the wider plans to create new housing in the area and resolve traffic issues on the existing A10. We are therefore working closely with the borough council and local partners to deliver this vital piece of infrastructure as soon as possible.

"This consultation will provide everyone with more detail about the proposed scheme which would see the A10 rerouted as it approaches King’s Lynn. This is an important opportunity for us to receive local input before we finalise and submit the planning application next year. I would encourage as many people as possible to look through the proposals and give us their feedback."

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The road's route connects the A10 to the A47 via new 1.5-mile road, starting to the south of Gravelhill Lane in West Winch and joining the A47 before it reaches the Hardwick Junction.

The road joins the A47 via a new signalised roundabout and dedicated free-flow slip road. The scheme would see the dualling of the A47 between Hardwick and the new road. Changes will be made to the Hardwick Interchange to account for the extra housing traffic and the rerouted A10.

The West Winch Housing Access Road will provide an alternative route around village of West Winch. The traffic flows through West Winch are expected to fall significantly once the new road opens. In the new road’s opening year, it is forecast that the daily traffic through West Winch will be 55-62% lower than 2018 levels.

The reduction in traffic will allow the introduction of measures through the village to improve safety and living conditions for local residents. This could include a reduction to existing speed limits, weight restriction on heavy good vehicles and new crossings for pedestrians and cyclists.

The new road would intersect two existing local roads in Rectory Lane and Chequers Lane. The proposals would see a new bridge built to carry Rectory Lane over the access road to maintain connectivity between West Winch and North Runcton. Chequers Lane would be severed to prevent traffic travelling through North Runcton to the A47. The opportunity for a pedestrian and cycle crossing at Chequers Lane will be explored as part of the consultation.

Steps are also being taken to consider the local landscape and ecology. The consultation will include details about themes such as air quality, noise, biodiversity, drainage, and climate.

The consultation will also provide information about sustainable transport. This includes the connectivity between new and existing walking and cycling routes, and the opportunity for improvements to public transport.