Council 'committed' to roundabout work despite pause

A council said it was committed to improving a major junction on the outskirts of King's Lynn despite plans being put on hold.

Norfolk County Council said the decision on the £39.5m revamp of Pullover Roundabout, where the A17 and the A47 meet, was withheld after £5.9m of funding was needed and a start date was not confirmed.

Rob Colwell, a Lib Dem councillor representing Gaywood South, said he "strongly urged" the authority to "reconsider" its decision, so the project was not delayed for years.

A spokesperson for the Conservative-led council said: "Norfolk County Council remains committed to improving this vital junction and is actively exploring all available options to make this happen."

The authority previously put the scheme forward to the government's Road Network Programme, but still needed to prove the business case to gain funding.

It was earmarked to cost about £39.5m, but the council would need to provide £5.9m, which it said it was "unable to commit to".

Without a confirmation of its start date for March 2029, the Department for Transport had to remove the project from its programme of works, the council said.

A decision to withdraw the project was made by cabinet members in September.

The authority said it the scheme was "likely to fall" to the devolved Mayoral Combined County Authority for Norfolk and Suffolk.

Colwell hoped the council would focus on the scheme again as it was "impossible" for drivers to navigate around "the west of the town" due to congestion in the summer.

"With thousands of more homes being built in the area, we need to ensure that free-flowing traffic and safety issues are urgently looked at," Colwell said.

He raised concerns that the scheme "will not be touched until the next decade" and said it was "a disappointing and annoying decision".

A council spokesperson added: "It still remains a priority for the authority, and we are investigating the next steps to take in its development, and how funding might be found for its delivery."

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