About Michael Hill

Wreningham Parish Council Chair

Cllr. Graham Plant, NCC, emailed an update about the Norwich Western Link project (to connect the A47 west of the city to Broadland Northway, and create a dual carriageway orbital route around Norwich).

The team are finalising the planning application and will submit it in the next few weeks. The planning authority will publish the documents online and run a statutory public consultation. A commitment by central government has been secured to fund the majority of the cost of the Norwich Western Link when ministers approved the Outline Business Case – more than £200 million of national investment for Norfolk.

With population and employment growth expected in the county, it’s vital to continue to invest in the transport networks infrastructure to be fit for the future. This is about planning ahead, being ambitious for Norfolk and making people’s lives better.

Cllr Graham Plant, Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure
Norfolk County Council


Broadland and South Norfolk Councils are running a free mental health awareness at Shelfanger Village Hall on the on Thursday 21 March from 5.30-7.30pm. This Mental Health Awareness in the Community course will be delivered by Thriving Workplaces. Anyone connected to a community group, parish/town council or any local business in South Norfolk can attend.

You can sign up here.

This is a part of the Mindful Towns and Village project. It is designed to increase the number of local people with mental health knowledge in our communities. The main aim is to provide safe places where people in the local community can come and have a chat and where necessary get signposted to other services, such as the Council Help Hub. Attendees will receive resources: a window sticker, access to website resources, access to a closed Facebook group for Wellbeing Champions, an invitation to the upcoming Community Links meeting.  

For further information on Mindful Towns and Village as well as details on how to register please visit our website https://www.southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk/MindfulTowns . 

Michaela Beaumont, Community Capacity Officer
t 01508 533665 e michaela.beaumont@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk  


13 March 2024 update – We have received a letter stating that the GNLP has been adopted, see below:

The GNLP was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in July 2021 for examination.  Examination hearings, led by Independent Inspectors appointed by the Secretary of State took place during 2022 and 2023. The Inspectors considered that a number of main modifications were required to the plan in order for it to be considered sound and legally compliant and consultation on these took place between the 25 October and 6 December 2023.

The Greater Norwich Development Partnership is writing to notify you that the Inspectors’ Report on the GNLP has now been received.  The Inspectors’ conclusion is that with the recommended main modifications the GNLP is sound.

The Inspectors’ Report and appendices of the Main Modifications will be available to view on the GNLP website at www.gnlp.org.uk.  Hard copies will be available for public viewing during normal office hours at the following locations:

  • Broadland District Council and South Norfolk Council offices, The Horizon Centre, Broadland Business Park, Peachman Way, Norwich, NR7 0WF. Mon. – Fri. 08.30 – 17.00 (by appointment).
  • Norwich City Council, City Hall, St Peters Street, Norwich, NR2 1NH (main entrance – please ask to be directed. Mon. – Fri. 08.45 – 13.00 & 14.00 – 17.00).
  • Norfolk County Council, County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich, NR1 2DH (by appointment) and
  • South Norfolk information point at The Octagon, Mere Street, Diss IP22 4AH (Mon. – Fri. 09.00 – 17.00)

Please contact the GNLP team on 01603 306603 or email gnlp@norfolk.gov.uk to make an appointment.

You can also view the Inspectors Report on the GNLP website in Norfolk libraries using their computers.

Formal adoption of the GNLP is scheduled to take place on the following dates:

  • Norwich City Council – 12 March 2024
  • South Norfolk Council – 25 March 2024
  • Broadland District Council – 28 March 2024

Just received the e-bulletin for the A11 Spooner Row to Tuttles reconstruction scheme.

Upcoming work – 20 January 2024

Advanced notification of A11 Wymondham Bypass Overnight Closures
Resurfacing a section of Spinks Lane, now that the site compound has been removed, and reinstated the land to fields. This surfacing is taking place to reinstate a smooth road surface following increased usage while we worked to reconstruct the A11.

Temporary closure of the Tuttles Interchange southbound exit and entry slip roads overnight between 8pm and 6am on 24 February 2024 and 25 February 2024.

Traffic exiting the A11 via the Tuttles Interchange southbound exit slip road will need to continue southbound on the A11 until you reach the Browick Road southbound exit slip road. Turn right onto Browick Road, and at the third roundabout turn left onto Ayton Road. At the end of Ayton Road turn right onto Station Road, and then turn right onto the B1172. Follow the B1172 northbound to continue your journey.

Traffic joining the A11 southbound carriageway will need to travel southbound on the B1172 until Station Road. Turn right onto Station Road before turning left onto Ayton Road. At the roundabout take the third exit and continue until you reach the A11 Browick Road southbound entry slip road.

Please note that all closures are subject to change at short notice due to unforeseen circumstances or poor weather conditions.

Road users can also keep up to date on road closures by visiting our Traffic England website at www.trafficengland.com or by following our X feed: @HighwaysEAST


Get in touch

If you have any questions about this work, call the 24/7 Customer Contact Centre on 0300 123 5000, or by email to info@nationalhighways.co.uk. Additional details on the scheme webpage at www.nationalhighways.co.uk/A11concrete

Andy Jobling
Programme Delivery Manager


The last couple of days have been a mite damp – so I thought I’d take the phone and record a few puddles for posterity.

General dampness – a few choice puddles and full ditches

Followed by a close look at The Farthings. This had surface water, two new shallow ponds, an overflowing existing pond, plus full ditches.


Ref: 2023/3690
Applicant: Mr Denis Bilham
Location: Cha-am, Mill Lane, Wreningham NR16 1AN
Proposal: Erection of oak framed two bay cart lodge with concrete pad for caravan parking
Application Type: Householder

Please return comments by 6 February 2024, quoting reference 2023/3690

email: planning@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk

online: www.southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk

post: The Horizon Centre, Broadland Business Park, Peachman Way, Norwich NR7 0WF


Broadland District and South Norfolk Councils have renewed the existing Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) made under section 59 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, which cover dog fouling across both district areas.

View the Broadland District and South Norfolk Council PSPO documents.

Each PSPO makes it an offence for a person in control of a dog not to clear up the dog mess immediately, on any land that is open to the air and to which the public is entitled or permitted to have access (with or without payment).

In South Norfolk, the PSPO also restricts the presence of dogs in play areas, making it an offence for you to take your dog into any enclosed play area or children’s playground.

Offenders in Broadland and South Norfolk are subject to a fixed penalty notice of £100, reduced to £80 if paid within 10 days, or if taken to court, a fine up to £1,000.

In order for an offence to be investigated, we will need to know the address of the owner and as much information as possible including a description of both the dog(s) and the owner.

If you see someone allowing their dog to foul and not clear it up, and if you know the owner’s details you can report this using the links below (please do not submit photographs of the waste itself).

Report an offence of dog fouling in Broadland or South Norfolk

Where an area is in need of cleansing due to dog fouling, please report this to us using the following links:

Report an incident of dog fouling in Broadland
Report an incident of dog fouling in South Norfolk


Ref: 2023/3836

Proposal: Demolition of existing farmhouse, erection of new house and garage, formation of access road and change of use of land to residential curtilage

Location: High Common Farm Wymondham Road, NR16 1AY

Applicant: Mr Lee Devlin 

Application Type: Full Planning Permission 

Please return comments, with the reference number (2023/3836), by 19 January 2024 to:

email: planning@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk

online: www.southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk

post: The Horizon Centre, Broadland Business Park, Peachman Way, Norwich NR7 0WF



We received the following email from Cllr Graham Plant, NCC:

“Following on from the great news in mid-October that we have received a funding commitment of more than £200 million from the Government for the Norwich Western Link, we’re getting this important infrastructure project moving forward again.

“We’ve published a cabinet report this afternoon with an update on the project and the proposed next steps, which include submitting the planning application early next year. While a lot of work had already been done on the planning application documents over several months, the project team are currently reviewing and updating these now that we have more certainty over the timing of their submission and the subsequent timings for the project.

“The cabinet report sets out what we will need to include in the planning application. These documents will be published in full after we have submitted them to the planning authority, which in this instance is Norfolk County Council, but this is an entirely separate part of the authority to the project team. The planning authority will then run their own statutory public consultation on the planning application, so everyone will have the opportunity to view and comment on the proposals at that stage.

“Once the planning application is finalised and submitted, the project team would then make and publish a Compulsory Purchase Order, for land required for the project, and a Side Roads Order, which would authorise the County Council as the highways authority to make alterations to roads and highways, including public rights of way. The cabinet report published today also gives details on these processes, and includes maps showing the land we will require for the project – whether on a temporary or permanent basis – and the existing roads that will need to be altered in some way.

“Due to the delay in receiving the funding commitment from central government, and also as a result of factoring in information that has been confirmed as the project has developed, the anticipated timetable for the project has been pushed back. It is now expected that initial works will start in late 2025, with the start of main construction works in summer 2026 and the road open for use in 2029.

“For the same reasons, the budget for the project has been revised to £273.9 million, an increase of £22.8 million from the previous budget agreed in July 2022. However, the Department for Transport have indicated that they could provide funding of up to 100 per cent of the costs set out at Outline Business Case stage, which stood at £251.1 million. If the government provided £251.1 million of funding, the local contribution required towards the overall cost of the project would be less than previously anticipated even with the overall budget increase.

“I know delays and cost increases are frustrating and I know many people want to see this road built now, to tackle the traffic problems that exist to the west of Norwich and so that the wide range of benefits it will provide can be achieved at the earliest opportunity. It’s the responsible thing to do to keep project budgets and timetables under review and to adjust them as more information is known, and to respond to wider influences. And it’s important to do this in order to put ourselves in a strong position to get this road built, and built in the right way.

“I hope this provides information that is helpful but, if you want to, you can also read the cabinet report on our website here – the link in full is also included beneath my signature. With government backing secured and the planning application documents in the process of being finalised, we are making good progress and getting closer to making the Norwich Western Link a reality.

“The cabinet report will be considered by me and my cabinet colleagues at a meeting on Monday 4 December, and I’ll email you again that day to make you aware of the outcome of the meeting and the next steps from there.”

Cllr Graham Plant
Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure
Norfolk County Council
https://norfolkcc.cmis.uk.com/norfolkcc/CalendarofMeetings/tabid/128/ctl/ViewMeetingPublic/mid/496/Meeting/2055/Committee/169/Default.aspx